Our Charity trustee's visit to Odyssey House School – Bloomsbury

Earlier this month, I visited Odyssey House School in Bloomsbury with our trustee James Gordon. Located in a beautiful Grade II listed building overlooking Russell Square, this school serves neurodivergent children who haven't thrived in mainstream education.

What makes Odyssey different is immediately clear. This isn't a place trying to fix children - it's designed around understanding them. The majority of pupils are academically able but have faced barriers in traditional settings, often struggling with anxiety and emotionally based school avoidance. Here, these challenges aren't seen as problems to correct but as experiences to support.

The school's trauma-informed approach shapes everything. We were warmly welcomed and shown around an environment that's been carefully crafted with sensory differences in mind. Every classroom considers lighting, sound, layout, and furniture from a sensory perspective. This isn’t retrofitted accessibility - it’s design that puts neurodivergent needs first.

The layout of the school also minimises the visual clutter so often found in mainstream classrooms, making the environment less overwhelming. The walls are painted in calming, pale colours, which help create a sense of psychological safety and comfort. It’s a space where overstimulation is actively avoided, and wellbeing is prioritised.

The classroom layouts particularly stood out. Instead of rigid rows, seating is arranged in collaborative arcs that create natural communities. Every room has quiet areas with beanbags and sensory tools, giving students autonomy to self-regulate when needed. It’s respectful and empowering rather than stigmatising.

Visual communication is embedded throughout. In one English classroom, I was struck by wall displays showing different poetic forms presented visually. As someone who struggles with poetry, I could see how this approach would make literary concepts accessible to visual learners. It's not dumbing down content - it's making it genuinely reachable.

The school extends beyond traditional academics. A well-equipped kitchen develops practical life skills, while a comfortable social room with seating, a pool table, and a small sensory garden offers space to decompress and connect. These aren't add-ons - they’re integral to the holistic approach.

As James reflected:"As an AuDHD person, it was heartwarming and emotional to see the interactions of staff with the young people at the school. Clearly, these professionals have made an effort to understand the young people in their charge and are doing everything they can to accommodate their needs, and thereby to facilitate learning. Everywhere we looked there were pods where students could study away from distraction, or little areas where they could go to have a break and to self-regulate. We also witnessed two students sharing their special interest in mathematics – one writing out equations on a screen and the other animatedly commenting and suggesting improvements. In discussing their shared interest, they were not only able to work together, but also enjoy the social aspects of the activity."

What impressed me most was the staff's understanding that behaviour is communication. There's a clear culture of compassion and genuine curiosity about each child's experience. Academic outcomes matter, but never at the expense of psychological safety or identity. Students aren’t expected to mask who they are to fit in - the environment fits them.

This visit reinforced why Odyssey’s approach matters. Traditional education often asks neurodivergent children to change to fit existing systems. Odyssey flips this - it changes the system to fit the child. The result is young people who aren’t just surviving school but developing confidence and skills for life.

Every mainstream school could learn from this model. When we stop seeing neurodivergent traits as deficits and start designing environments that work for different brains, remarkable things happen. Odyssey House School proves that inclusive education isn’t about lowering standards - it’s about raising our understanding of how different minds learn and thrive.

This is what person-centred education looks like in practice. It’s a powerful reminder that when we truly listen to and accommodate neurodivergent needs, we create spaces where every child can flourish as their authentic self.

Dr Chris Papadopoulos

London Autism Group Charity