INTRODUCTION
The Maharishi School in West Lancashire is unusual in many ways. It is the only school in the UK, and one of only a handful in the world, to offer the unique system of Consciousness-based Education (CbE), founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
CbE supplements regular education models by actively developing the pupils’ consciousness – their ability to know – with the simple mental technique of Transcendental Meditation (TM), and an additional curriculum subject to strengthen the pupils’ connection to their subjects. For more detail, follow this link - https://maharishischool.com/expansionproject
Set up in 1985 by a group of parents who wanted their children to benefit from this comprehensive educational model, the school was by necessity, initially an independent school, with small class sizes. Prompted by its outstanding academic performance and Ofsted reports, in 2011 the Maharishi School was one of the first 23 state-funded Free Schools approved by the coalition government of the time. As a result, it is also the only state-funded, all-through school in Lancashire, with pupils starting in Reception and continuing straight through to Year 11 and their GCSEs. Since 2012 the school has divided the primary and secondary phases and operated on two separate sites, as there was not enough space on the original site to accommodate the influx of new pupils when the school became state-funded.
The Maharishi School’s success has been despite the smaller than usual class sizes, resulting in limited, pupil-based Department for Education (DfE) funding, and that the school’s premises do not actually meet the DfE’s recommended minimum school space standards.
From the starting point of being a very small school, drawing on a largely self-selecting demographic, due to its enviable local popularity and unique educational model, since becoming a Free School, Maharishi School has increased its class size 4 times to the current size of 20 pupils per class. Now, with strong waiting lists for most classes (eg: at the time of writing, 41 for year 6, and 22 for year 7) and 40 years of successful operation, it is time for the school to move onto a new single site, with all the space and facilities enjoyed by other schools.
We therefore need to raise funds to develop purpose-built premises, with the primary and secondary phases back together on one site, with improved science lab and art facilities and other required dedicated spaces, and our own sport provision. In this our 40th anniversary year, we feel it is time for Maharishi School pupils to be offered all the school facilities that other children take for granted.
THE PRIMARY PHASE
Maharishi School’s primary phase currently occupies a converted barn and a purpose-built, timber-framed building housing the Reception class, in a semi-rural location in Lathom, just outside Skelmersdale, Lancashire. At one time the barn housed both the primary and secondary phases, supplemented by two temporary buildings.
Currently the barn houses 6 classrooms, a reception/office, a small library/intervention space in near constant use, the Head and Deputy Head’s shared office and a small staff room. The classrooms are just big enough for the class size of 20 pupils. There is no school hall, dining room/kitchen or spare space. Pupils eat lunch in their classrooms and the before & after school clubs also operate from classrooms. As well as other operational considerations, both of these situations prohibit teachers from using their classrooms at lunchtime or after school. The staff room is also unsuitable at these times.
The Reception classroom building also provides an administration office and is supplemented by a garden shed for pupils with special needs.
THE SECONDARY PHASE
Maharishi School’s secondary phase occupies a converted sports centre – The Morris Birnbaum Building - in the built-up area of Ashurst in Skelmersdale. It is a straight-line distance of 684 metres from the current primary phase site and a 1 mile drive. We took possession of the building in the Easter of 2012 as part of becoming a Free School, following its conversion by the DfE.
The secondary building provides 5 classrooms, including a science lab, two small offices for the secretary and Deputy Head, and a very small staff room. As with the primary site, there is no school hall, dining room/kitchen or spare space, and pupils eat their lunch in classrooms. The staff room is often used for meetings and interventions, and also, like at the primary phase, garden sheds are used for small group work. Pupils currently go to sport offsite, at great expense.
EXPANSION
We have a team progressing this proposed expansion project, which has identified a favoured site from a number of potential locations in the area and are working towards acquisition. All the sites considered provide enough land for the school to combine both phases on one site again and to provide the facilities the school is currently lacking, including an indoor sport hall and an outdoor playing field, good size playgrounds and car parking. The new buildings would incorporate up to date, environmentally beneficial energy sources, such as solar panels and heat pumps.
Moving to new buildings on one site will provide enormous financial savings in terms of utilities and not having to travel off site for PE/sport. Currently the primary phase goes off site for PE for half of the school year, and the secondary phase for the whole year, meaning not only charges for the hired venues but also substantial transportation expenses. The total cost is more than that of maintaining an in-school sport facility. The school will also have the opportunity for revenue streams from hiring out our premises to outside groups.
The school is applying to the Department for Education (DfE) for permission to acquire the relevant land and develop the new, purpose-built facility for the whole school. We are also commissioning RICS valuations of both of the school’s current sites and are in the process of obtaining professional plans and costings from specialist educational building consultants for the new development, on a no win-no fee basis.
APPEAL FOR HELP
Maharishi School cannot achieve this ambitious project without help. In this our 40th anniversary year, please assist us to realise the goal of having the facilities for our pupils that they deserve, by donating or pledging your help, as soon as possible. The school has a designated high interest-bearing bank account for holding any funds raised as part of this appeal. The proceeds from the sale of the existing sites will also be put into this project but will not be available until after the move onto the new site.
The initial amount we need to urgently raise is £2,000,000 to cover the land purchase and associated costs. Overall, until firm costings are finalised, we are working on the basis of a total cost of up to £20,000,000 for the fully developed building.
All financial donations, whether large one-off payments, or smaller, regular amounts will be gratefully received and much appreciated. Any collected donations will only be used for this project, unless specified otherwise by the donors. All contributions will be treated confidentially, also unless specified by the donors. The funds raised will be treated as applicable for any aspect of fulfilling this aspiration.
Other forms of help are also welcome, such as professional assistance, donations of products and services, and contacts to potential donors. Any queries about either the project, or about receipt/use of any monies being contributed, should be directed to [email protected]
Any queries about either the proposal, or about receipt/use of any monies being contributed, should be directed to [email protected].
For donations, our bank details are: Account name - Maharishi School Trust Ltd, Account number – 34302068, Sort code – 305466, or make a donation here on Crowdfunder - where you can also set up regular payments, as well as most online bank accounts. If you require a hard copy standing order mandate please contact the school at [email protected]. UK tax-payers can also gift aid (so that we can claim 25% from HMRC, to maximise your contribution) via Crowdfunder; hard copy declarations, for one off or regular donations, can be requested from the school. When completed, the signed hard copies of these should be returned to the school by post marked for the attention of the Business Manager, or email to [email protected]
Donors of significant amounts are warmly invited to visit the school by arrangement before committing. For larger donations, which you may wish to keep yourself until they are actually required by the school, please request a pledge form from [email protected] .
For more detailed information, please visit https://maharishischool.com/expansionproject
Thank you.