‘Ask the Expert’ Q&A with Henry Readhead
A Webinar for Start-Up Schools and Learning Communities
Wednesday 11 February
7.30-9.30pm GMT
Come and meet Henry Readhead, who is deputy principal at world famous democratic school, Summerhill (Suffolk, England) and one of the grandsons of author, education pioneer and Summerhill founder, A.S. Neill.
Henry will tell us what inspired A.S. Neill to set up his famous school, describe the principals of Neill’s ethos which still stays true today, and share why – after over 100 years – Summerhill can no longer be called an experiment.
Summerhill pupils have the personal freedom to follow their own needs and the autonomy to decide whether to attend classes or not. They can prepare for and sit GCSEs or concentrate on other passions such as art, woodwork, science, music... or just play outside. At Summerhill, play belongs to the child:
"We do not dress up learning situations so that the play will be “productive”, we do not look on and evaluate what they might learn from this or that game. Our children just play — and they can do it pretty well all day if they want to."
Summerhill’s aim is to allow children to grow naturally, to experience personal freedom, to play and develop at their own pace and to go in their own direction whilst taking responsibility for their own actions and the community around them.
The school is democratic – each person having an equal vote in the school meetings and an equal right to be heard. The community of adults and children make their own rules and decisions. From this experience children learn to be self-confident, tolerant and considerate, being accustomed to hearing the other person’s point of view.
If you'd like to set up a democratic learning environment like this, please join us to learn from Henry's experience.
About Our Guest
Henry Readhead, Deputy Principal at Summerhill School
Henry Readhead is one of the grandsons of A.S. Neill and – along with his mother Zoe and brother, Will – he is part of the Summerhill management team.
He was a pupil at Summerhill throughout his school days and ran the music department there for 10 years. He regularly gives talks about Summerhill and A.S. Neill's philosophy, and takes pride in supporting Summerhill-inspired school start-ups all around the world. He says:
“In its most simple form, Summerhill represents a very pure, natural and individualised childhood, allowing children to develop at their own pace and find their own interests, ambitions and life path. I have visited lots of amazing places, met inspiring people doing wonderful things in education and for me it strengthened the fact that A.S. Neill's values of education need to be implemented across education globally for a more humane and sustainable world.”
Event Format, Recording and Ticket Price
This event takes place online via Zoom at 7.30-9.30pm GMT on Wednesday 11th February. You will have the chance to hear a short presentation from Henry, and then you are invited to ask any questions you might have. Everyone who registers will be sent the recording after the event.
If you have questions but can't make the date, you are still welcome to register for the event. Simply send your questions through to us at [email protected] and they will get asked in the session on your behalf.
This webinar is £20 for non-members, and FREE for members.
Become a Member for Further Support
Join Us!
Would you like to join the Education Start-Ups membership community to access further support? Our membership offers:
Monthly expert webinars (like this one);
Monthly group coaching for peer support and collaborative problem solving;
Online platform for sharing resources/ideas and supporting each other between sessions.
Some extra bonuses too!
You can find out more at EducationStartUps.org/community.
Note to Members
If you are a member, you do not need to register for this event. You will automatically receive the Zoom link in your online community portal.
About Us
This webinar series is brought to you by Jo Symes at Progressive Education and Alex O’Neill from Limitless. We are education activists who have a shared passion for raising awareness of alternatives to mainstream school.
For the past few years Alex and Jo have been creating events and resources for start-ups, in response to the growing number of children and young people leaving mainstream education, and the urgency that parents/carers/educators feel to build new learning environments where young people can thrive.
Introducing Alex O’Neill
Alex is the driving force behind Limitless, an organisation dedicated to igniting social change with a special emphasis on revolutionising the education sector.
Through the Limitless podcast, she shares expert insights and neuroscience tips to empower changemakers to tackle the world's most pressing issues.
Alex is committed to uniting individuals who are driven to advance education and supporting them in overcoming obstacles that stand in their way.
Introducing Jo Symes
Jo is the founder of the social enterprise, Progressive Education, which raises awareness of alternatives to conventional schooling and campaigns for change within mainstream education. She is building a global directory of jobs, events and progressive schools and learning communities.
It began with the launch of the Progressive Education Group on Facebook in 2019, which is an international community of over 11k members including parents/carers, educators, academics, researchers, psychologists, education innovators and changemakers.
