The aim of this study was to analyse the philosophy of the Cooperative School O'Connor, ACT as set out in the constitution, and to see how it related to curriculum and teaching strategies. Issues of freedom and choice within a compulsory school environment were examined in relation to the stated aims of the school. The developmental needs of children in the early childhood age group, and the personal variables they brought to the learning situation, were related to the school environment. Decision making strategies were examined for their relevance to consensus based processes and a cooperative style of community management. Areas of the curriculum which have traditionally been difficult for alternative schools to implement to the satisfaction of all community members were examined. The study ends with reflections on the place of alternative, progressive schools in the 1980s, and the need for such schools to exist to provide an educational choice for parents and children in the future.