Kirkdale is one of several free schools to have been established in the United Kingdom in the twentieth century.
Unlike some free schools, Kirkdale was not established in a rural idyll but within a small plot in London.
The School was founded in 1964 by John and Susie Powlesland and a small group of parents that wanted a radical alternative to the "traditional" UK education system.
The philosophy of Kirkdale was heavily influenced by the writing and ideas of A.S. Neill, who founded Summerhill school; essentially that children learn best with freedom from coercion (free-range).
Nick Saunders was involved with Kirkdale, and supported a summer camp for the school.