Adolescence is a time of big change, intellectually, socially and emotionally. For many teenagers, school is where they learn to grow and succeed. For others, it’s the place they quietly slip through the cracks. The difference often has less to do with ability and everything to do with environment.

A growing body of research shows that smaller, more personalised learning environments don’t just “help” struggling students. They reshape trajectories, deepen engagement, and lift outcomes for learners who too often don’t fit the mainstream mould.

Smaller learning settings amplify the human things that matter most in teenage development to shine through: strong relationships, individual attention, clear feedback and the flexibility to move at a student’s pace.

Historically, students have shown that small schools and learning communities reduce behaviour problems, foster a sense of safety and belonging, and improve teaching conditions that allow adults to collaborate and respond to individual needs. Those relational and structural advantages translate into measurable academic gains when they’re implemented thoughtfully. When done well, these conditions lead to real academic gains. In short, small schools don’t just feel different, they improve outcomes.

There’s nuance, of course. Not every “small” school automatically becomes a supportive learning place. Size is a tool, not a solution; what matters is the design of relationships, curricula and expectations paired with clear adult mentorship, structured opportunities for collaboration, and curricula that balance academic rigour with real-world relevance. When those pieces align, students who previously found schools alienating, including those with learning differences or unconventional talents, often begin to thrive.

This research is especially relevant in Bermuda. Our island is small in geography but large in talent, and yet our options for teens who don’t fit the mainstream mould have historically been limited. For families, the trade-offs are personal and costly: separation, disruption and lost community connections. What Bermuda needs are high-quality, locally available pathways that recognise diverse ways of learning and allow young people to complete their secondary education here, at home, while preparing for life beyond school.

At BCCL, we believe deeply in the power of small, intentionally designed learning environments. Through our partnership with the Christa McAuliffe Academy School of Arts and Science, we have developed a secondary programme that blends personalised, in-person learning with an accredited curriculum, work placements, life-skills development and project-based learning. This programme is not designed as a fallback option, but as a rigorous and flexible pathway that honours each student’s strengths, interests and ambitions.

Our secondary model of small cohorts, mastery-based pacing, strong mentorship, and real-world connections maps directly onto the conditions research identifies as transformative. This model requires investment, intentional staffing and strong accountability. But the cost-benefit favour ambition. When small schools reduce behaviour incidents, increase graduation rates and raise engagement, the fiscal and social returns such as fewer dropouts, better mental health outcomes, higher post-secondary enrolments and an engaged civic life are real and lasting. The benefits extend beyond the classroom and into the wider community.

Small schools, done well, create the conditions for adolescents to take intellectual risks, form stable identities, and graduate ready for what comes next. In a close-knit island like Bermuda, giving young people that opportunity at home is not just sensible, it is essential.

If we choose smallness with intention, high expectations and meaningful supports, Bermuda can offer every secondary student not just a classroom and a timetable, but a place where their strengths are seen, and their future feels unlimited.

• Lindsey Sirju is cofounder and deputy head of the Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning