'It's the thing I'm most proud of!' Tilda Swinton opens up about starting her own alternative school... and her close friendship with David Bowie

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She's an over achiever by anyone's standards.

But rather than her varied career on the big screen, her Oscar or her Cambridge degree, Tilda Swinton says the alternative school she founded is her proudest achievement.

The 55-year-old co-founded the Independent fee-paying Drumduan School in Moray in the Scottish Highlands, from which her twins Xavier and Honor will graduate next summer.

'It’s the best,' she told the new edition of Out magazine.

'It's the thing I'm most proud of!' Tilda Swinton opens up about starting her own alternative school in the new edition of Out

She added that the Waldorf school was: 'Probably the thing I’m most proud of.'

The school prides itself on using no government testing, offering academic study through a mixture of physical coordination, athletic skills, music and artistic work.

Instead of being tested and graded, students learn core subjects such as maths, English and science in original ways and regularly enjoy activities such as canoeing, hiking, snowboarding and mountain biking.

The curriculum is based on the radical Steiner education system, which encourages children's creativity, spirituality and morality. 

Tilda explained: 'It’s been a seven-year project to establish our school. We offer state-test-free education from kindergarten to 19 years old. 

'Most proud of': The school prides itself on using no government testing, offering academic study through a mixture of physical coordination, athletic skills, music and artistic work

'We talked about literature': The star on her close friendship with the late David Bowie

'My co-founder, Ian McCook, and I started with four children between us in need of a happy completion to their great Waldorf start in school and founded an independent upper school for them to graduate to, which has, in the last few months, amalgamated with the junior school to complete the circle.' 

According to Drumduan's website, pupils learn academic subjects such as maths, English, physics, chemistry and geography but lessons are balanced with craft-based subjects and outdoor activities.

Oscar winner: Tilda has a Cambridge degree and a whole clutch of awards

There are no hierarchies at the school, which has an emphasis on celebrating individualism, and pupils are encouraged to document their work 'to their own best intellectual and artistic standard.'

Tilda, who famously lived with both her children's father John Byrne and her new partner Sandro Kopp in the same house for some time, has always insisted her children are 'very happy'.

The star also talked to Out about her close friendship with the late David Bowie.

'We talked about literature a lot, actually, and used to send each other recent finds and old passions,' she said. 

'I miss our conversation': Tilda on her friend David Bowie

'One of the things I am happiest about in my life is introducing him to the essays of Montaigne, which I’ve loved since I was a teenager. And he sent me Bruges-la-Morte by Rodenbach, for which I am forever grateful. Beyond all the myriad things to miss, I miss our conversation most badly.'

Tilda, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton, also touched on the ‘whitewashing’ controversy surrounding her role as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange.

Response : Tilda, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton, touched on the ‘whitewashing’ controversy surrounding her role as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange

'Anyone speaking up for a greater accuracy in the representation of the diversity of the world we live in has me right beside them,' she said.

Talking further about her close friendships with members of the gay community, Tilda touched upon the 'war' that was the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

'This is an extremely defined time in my memory. In 1994 alone I attended 43 funerals.'

Opening up: The full interview with Tilda can be read in the latest edition of Out magazine