Éva Gyarmathy received an invitation from the leaders of Summerhill School, founded 100 years ago by Alexander Neill and still operating according to his original principles. The school continues to follow the practices established at its founding almost unchanged. It has been able to adapt even to the rapid transformations of the 21st century because it tailors the learning environment to the needs of the children. However, it is currently less able to respond to challenges related to neurodiversity. A conversation with Deputy Head Henry Readhead revealed that while the school’s learning environment provides an adequate response for autism and ADHD, the management of learning difficulties does not yet fit comfortably within its free‑learning philosophy.

To explore this issue further, we are developing a joint research project.