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Original poster

Dorset/Hampshire/Wiltshire people....

24 replies

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 16:05

Can any of you help ? DD is 7, had dyspraxia & hypermobility and is currently in a state first school in Year 3. This time next year we get the forms about middle school to fill in. I'm really not sure how she will cope going to the local one and I need some other options.
Does anyone know of a small private school where the emphasis isn't completely on exam results and who might be good for SN ? Lots of focus on drama would be right up her street. We're on the Dorset/Hampshire border so schools Salisbury/New Forest way an option if needs be. Thank you !

OP posts:

Tommy · 16/10/2006 16:09

my godson went to to one in Otterbourne I think? He has dyspraxia and somehting lese and wasn't getting on well at the local state school.
My friends sent him to this one and he really blossomed - had only been there a few weeks and he told me he could read (he was 8) - he'd never said that before as he's really struggled with it all.

Cannot rememeber name and they have moved to Canada so can't just ask her. Will try and remember it if I can and get back to you.

cod · 16/10/2006 16:09

Message withdrawn

Tommy · 16/10/2006 16:11

think this might be it.

Don't know if that's the sort of thing you're after

cod · 16/10/2006 16:11

Message withdrawn

cod · 16/10/2006 16:12

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 17:48

They both look lovely, thank you. The idea of all the physio, OT and speech therapy being there sounds fantastic, would make my life a lot easier. The fees in Appleford made my eyes water a bit, but I guess they are all going to be like that.

I was thinking originally more of one of those smaller independent schools but one which was able to cater for the dyspraxia which would hugely benefit from being in a class smaller than 29 as she is now. I mentioned the middle school to her earlier and she burst into tears at the idea, saying it would be big and noisy. And it would seem it to her, she's hypersensitive with noise and finds her current playground noisy enough with about 100 pupils in it. Many more than that and she will just over load and freak.

I SO wasn't bargaining on this when I sorted schools out originally, I had no idea she had dyspraxia then. We could really have done with not being in the 3 tier system, she'd be so much better off being somewhere smaller until 11. She's done so well the last few years, her self confidence is so much higher. If she has to stay in the current system we've got here it's all going to go I think.

OP posts:

piglit · 16/10/2006 17:59

Hi Kittypickle - I live v near you (NW edge of the New Forest near Salisbury). We have been looking at schools for our dses. Neither of our dses are SN but I hope this info might help you. One of the schools we saw was Moyles Court near Ringwood, just off the A338. The school is a mainstream private school but takes a number of SN children, partly because the class sizes are so small. The largest class we came across when we looked round was 12 and the year 1 class had just 4!! Definitely worth a look imho....

Eve · 16/10/2006 18:01

The one near us is Dyslexia specialists.

and I can't recall its name!

Eve · 16/10/2006 18:01

are Dyslexia specialists...

Eve · 16/10/2006 18:03

...Stanbridge Earls... but its from 10 only, maybe to bear in mind for the future.

Original poster

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 18:44

Thank you Eve, Stanbridge Earls looks great but I'm not sure she will need that high a level of support and the fees are going to be too much for us I think unfortunetly.

Strangely enough Piglit, I have just emailed my neighbour about Moyles Court about 10 minutes ago! Her children went and her son has dyslexia. But I think she had problems with the head or something. Also, DD has piano lessons with a really lovely retired local first school teacher who teaches locally. She was a bit luke warm about it when I spoke to her originally. I'm going to go and have a look though as it would be really easy to get to as we're really close to the A31. I'm sure that small class sizes is the key to her being happy and I need somewhere nuturing as she can struggle a little bit socially. Thank goodness DS seems to be NT, I couldn't cope with two of them to worry about !

OP posts:

cod · 16/10/2006 20:08

Message withdrawn

cod · 16/10/2006 20:08

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Original poster

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 20:31

As in the quality of the teacher recruitment issues ? Will have another look at Appleford website. Not keen though if the parents are up in court in front of you I thought it was more for those children who had dyslexia and then another condition like dyspraxia as well. DD's reading is really good, it's writing and maths that she struggles with.
And the AA says Appleford is an hour from here. I'm going to be starting a "how can I sell my house without killing an estate agent along the way " thread in a minute, I can tell. I am so pissed off, this has all happened because I was smug that I had good state schools on the doorstep when we moved here, serves me right.

OP posts:

Original poster

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 20:35

And Appleford say that their aim is to get them back into mainstream as soon as possible, I don't think they would take DD as she doesn't need as much help as the children there by the sound of it.

OP posts:

cod · 16/10/2006 20:47

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Kittypickle · 16/10/2006 20:54

We'll move a few miles if needs be to get the right one but it's the right one that's tricky. If her school went up to 11 it would make life so much easier for the moment. Luckily DS isn't due to start until 2008 which is when she's due to start middle school, so I've got really until this time next year to be sorted. I'll look at Moyles Court depending on what neighbour says and hope another small one will jump out at me from somewhere .

OP posts:

brimfull · 16/10/2006 22:25

I live near Moyles Court KP,I know a few people with children there,and do know they had below average reults for gsce or sats recently (about 2-3 yrs ago) which everyone was talking about round here.But it was later explained that the year had a high proportion of sn kids and it was a very small year group so not a good example.Apparently it scores highly on the value added table if that helps.

Forres Sandle Manor is a good school aswell,know of a dyslexic boy who did well there but not the same as dyspraxia.

piglit · 17/10/2006 09:33

We are thinking about Forres Sandle Manor for our 2 as well (together with a couple in Salisbury) because it has a good ofsted report and is v near to us. I think it has far more emphasis on the academic side of things whereas Moyles Court is big on pastoral care. I guess it all depends what you want and what your children need.

There's no harm in having a good look at all of the schools around you.

sophiewd · 17/10/2006 09:39

A lady who taught me first aid sent both her sons to the steiner school near ringwood. They both had dyslexia/dyspraxia and she was so happy with the way they were progressing and the support that they had, much more than what theu would have had in mainstream school

Original poster

Kittypickle · 17/10/2006 13:51

I guess I have to think really really carefully about the kind of environment I think DD needs. My mum feels that as she is intelligent she needs somewhere who will help her achieve her potential academically or she will get fustrated. DH are debating whether she will do this anyway if given a safe environment even with less emphasis on the academic side, as she is pretty self driven. She is still bursting into tears at the idea of the local middle school and really I think a school with 100+ in each year is going to be a disaster.

This thread has been a big help to me, I hadn't heard of some of the schools mentioned and Forres Sandle Manor and the Steiner are now added to my list of schools to look at as I think whatever they sound like on paper you can't really tell until you get there and how they will cope with my DD's tendency to walk into walls ! And if you could all keep your fingers crossed that DS who is only 3, could manage to get into Poole Grammar when he's 11 so I don't have to pay two sets of fees, then that would be great Life really doesn't turn out how you think it's going to does it !

OP posts:

TheDaVinciCod · 17/10/2006 13:52

pig;yit you are PAYING???

piglit · 17/10/2006 15:55

Yesirree. Unless they get into Bishops when they are 13. [hopeful emoticon]

Peanutgant · 24/10/2006 09:24

My Dad works at Godolphin where the focus is not on academic subjects (although they do very well in this area too). The drama and sports facilities are outstanding and the girls are lovely.

Having met most of the staff I would have no hesitation in sendiing my DD there!

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