Stephanie Walmsley - Our Assistant Headteacher (Academics) & High School English Teacher: two decades of championing inclusion in Switzerland
Walk into a classroom anywhere along Lake Geneva and you’ll feel it: a quiet revolution in how schools welcome every learner. For more than 20 years, Stephanie Walmsley has been part of that shift, bringing together teachers, parents, specialists, and students to build cultures where neurodiverse minds are seen, heard, and supported.
From classroom teacher to systems-builder Stephanie’s career in Switzerland has spanned teaching and leadership roles across well-
known international schools.Today, Stephanie is our current Head of Academics and serves on the board of SENIA Switzerland, the Swiss chapter of the global Special Education Network and Inclusion Association (SENIA), where she is Board Secretary and Parent Representative. Stephanie’s philosophy is that every student can succeed, success is an individual experience and should be measured in that way.
“Neurodiversity Unbound” in Geneva
On Saturday, 27 September 2025, the International School of Geneva (Ecolint) and SENIA Switzerland hosted Neurodiversity Unbound: Celebrating diverse minds, shaping brighter futures, a full-day inclusive education conference at the Centre des Arts. The programme brought together neuroscience, classroom strategy, and lived experiences. The event explicitly focused on practical tools for schools and families, exactly the bridge-building work Stephanie has long supported. Inclusion is a culture not a programme and community is integral in supporting this ethos. Stephanie and her SENIA Switzerland team were proud to collaborate with Ecolint on a successful conference that bridged the gap
between, medicine science and education. Stephanie firmly believes that ‘together we are stronger’.
Looking ahead
The work isn’t finished. But with leaders like Stephanie Walmsley building coalitions across schools, parent groups, and professional networks, Switzerland’s international-school sector is steadily moving from awareness to action, adapting teaching, assessment, and school culture so that all kinds of minds can thrive and flourish.
SENIA Switzerland- https://www.seniachapters.org/switzerland/