Maharishi School: SBS Internal Scrutiny Case Study

Maharishi School in Skelmersdale, Lancashire is a small, distinctive all-through school with a highly individual ethos.

Founded in 1986 as an independent school, it has been state funded since 2011 when it became one of the first free schools.

Today, pupils from Reception through to Year 11 are educated across two sites. Class sizes are small and there is a strong emphasis on Transcendental Meditation (TM) and consciousness-based education.

That ethos is central to the school’s identity, says Chair of Trustees Ian Birnbaum, a former Director of Children’s Services and Interim Chief Executive in London who helped the school attain free school status.