Sunfield Children's Home

Sunfield is an independent residential special school and charity on the border of Worcestershire and the West Midlands in England. It was founded in 1930 to support boys and girls, aged 6 – 19 years, with complex learning needs, including autism.

General outline

Sunfield offers 38 and 52 week residential placements to students from across the UK, as well as day places to students from neighbouring local authorities. It is flexible with its residential packages, and offers short breaks for its students on day or 38 week placements.

It supports young people with a range of learning and behavioural needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy and Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome (PDA).

Sunfield's specialised provision uses responsive approaches that are tailored to the needs of each child. Its on-site teams in care, education, psychology, therapies, and family services work together - with children, their families, and related professionals - to transform the lives of young people.

Sunfield has 58 acres of parkland with nature trails, play areas and a farm with animals and pets. Its facilities, with state-of-the-art equipment and dedicated professionals, include 12 residential houses with personalised bedrooms and 24/7 care teams, accommodation for visiting families, a sensory integration suite, and an on-site multi-disciplinary psychology and therapy team.

Sunfield is on the list of Secretary of State Approved Independent Special Institutions.

Founding

Sunfield was established in 1930 by Friedrich Geuter and Michael Wilson, based on the principles of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. This impetus established Sunfield as one of the leading Curative Educational Communities in the UK.

Fried Geuter, a co-worker of Dr Ita Wegman in Switzerland had come to the UK at her request of in order to establish anthroposophical special needs education there. He took charge of a home for children with handicap in Kent together with his wife Maria.

Fried was invited to lecture on his work to the anthroposophical group of Theodora Wilson, in Selly Oak. Here, he was introduced to Theodora's son Michael, who was the second conductor of the British National Opera Orchestra and a brilliant young violinist and composer.

Some time later, Michael Wilson discontinued his musical career and Fried left the home in Kent. Together, they founded Sunfield in a house in Selly Oak, close to the Wilson family home of Elmfield. It was named after the original therapeutic home of Dr Wegman, the “Sonnenhof” in Arlesheim, Switzerland. A small Rudolf Steiner school was also started at Elmfield and was run by Eileen Hutchins for the Sunfield co-workers' children.

A considerable number of talented artists and other professional persons were drawn to the initiative including the painter and later painting therapist, Liane Collot d'Herbois; the musicians Mary and John Kobbe; Walter Braithwaite, Eileen Hutchins’ sister Shirley amongst others. Other early supporters included David Clement, well known throughout the anthroposophical movement, and Lady Cynthia Chance, whose family once owned Clent Grove, where Sunfield is now located, close to the new site of the Elmfield Steiner school in Stourbridge.

Here, Lady Cynthia describes the relocation of Sunfield: “The move of Sunfield to this larger house made it possible for a considerable expansion of the work being done for the children, and very quickly the value of the co operation between Fried and Michael showed itself. Fried was a brilliant teacher and innovator with a most lively imagination. Michael supplemented these imaginations with what, at times, seemed quite magical music. Having both musicians and artists as teachers and nurses, it was not long before Sunfield became widely known as an exceptional home for handicapped children. Frau Dr. Wegman visited frequently, teaching the teachers, one might say, always encouraging and helping by her inspiring presence.”

History

In the early days, public perception of disability was very much ‘out of sight, out of mind’ but the team at Sunfield steadfastly believed in pioneering a different, more holistic, approach to the care and education of disabled children. Throughout WWII, Sunfield continued its work and even accommodated the children of Elmfield school for a time. Elmfield was later re-founded by Eileen Hutchins on its own premises after the war.

In 1947, Fried Geuter and Michael Wilson approached the anthroposophical mathematician and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Britain, George Adams Kaufmann, to settle in Clent. There, Adams and Michael Wilson together founded the Goethean Science Foundation, for the purpose of supporting anthroposophical scientific research. Olive Whicher also moved there to participate in this research work. Many other anthroposophical initiatives were also inspired by the work at Sunfield over the years, including the Park Attwood Clinic in Kidderminster, and Hawkwood College.

Fried Geuter left Sunfield Homes in 1951, with his new wife, Isabel Newitt, who had been a co-worker there with him. They went on to found the Ravenswood community in 1953. Fried's son joined Sunfield and continued his father's work with Michael Wilson, who remained a director for 40 years after Sunfield's foundation.

In 1954, Clive Robbins joined his wife Mildred at Sunfield. In 1958, the renowned American composer and professor of music, Paul Nordoff visited and was asked by Dr Herbert Geuter, the son of Fried Geuter, to play to one of the children and observe their reactions. The results inspired Nordoff to give up his academic career and devote the remainder of his life to developing music as a therapy. He and Clive worked together for the next 17 years to establish Nordoff-Robbins music therapy, which is still practised in many countries today.

In 1962, Sunfield became the first home of Emerson College, which was founded there by Francis Edmunds, his wife Elizabeth who was working as a colleague at Sunfield, Michael Wilson and David Clement. They were initially joined by 11 students from the United States of America, New Zealand, South Africa, Norway, France and Britain. Emerson offered a foundation year in Anthroposophy followed by specialised courses in Waldorf education, Biodynamics and later other courses.

At the time, the Stourbridge area was cited as being probably the area of greatest anthroposophical activity in the country. It included Elmfield School, Sunfield, Broome Biodynamic Farm and the Goethean Science Foundation. Many of the people involved in these activities could therefore be called upon as visiting teachers to the new college; sharing their extensive experience and insight with the students. During the summer of 1964, Emerson College moved from Clent to Forest Row.^[1]

By 1968, a new hall had been built at Sunfield, as well as a specially designed pool for hydro and colour therapy. As Sunfield developed, the children at were also encouraged to become involved in the growing of produce and animal husbandry at Sunfield's farm. Therapies involving play, painting, colour, music and movement and were researched and actively promoted. Michael Wilson himself pioneered colour therapy, water therapy, other artistic therapies, and assisted in the establishment of music therapy.^[2]

Sunfield is no longer closely associated with Steiner’s principles.^[3]

References

External links

• Sunfield Children’s Home website