Fairley House

[Buttermuffin]

Does anyone have any recent experience of the Dyslexia school Fairley House in London? We are thinking of moving our daughter there. She has an EHCP for dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.

I hope I'm not being insensitive by asking this, but I'd like to know what the cohort are like. Our daughter doesn't have Autism and when I've looked at these specialist schools before they all seem to have quite a few children with social communication difficulties. That's definitley not the case for her. I just want her to feel as though she fits in.

Fairley House make a point of saying they only accept children with SpLd , but I've heard that's not quite true. If anyone has a child here please can you contact me?

I'm talking about year 8/9 , so senior school.

Anyone?

Hopefully someone knowledgeable will come along shortly. However I did know someone whose son went to Fairley House for a couple of years, and then integrated back into mainstream schooling. I believe they did a brilliant job and said son went on to do well. I'm not aware of what the cohort was like but friend's son's only issue was dyslexia (to the best of my knowledge). Good luck.

Thank you that's helpful. She only needs to be there for a few years.

We're in the same situation. DD is in Y9 and we were thinking of moving her from mainstream but she's so social and would miss all her friends. We were told they don't accept kids with autism but if they were there already and then get their diagnosis they do stay. Their latest inspection report mentions the autism too.
We are planning on going to see it and doing an assessment day with the view of joining for y10 and 11.
How old is your daughter?

I think you are making assumptions about children with autism because you don’t have a lot of experience with it.

Social communication difficulties don’t mean they can’t make and maintain friendships.

I think you will find a specialist school like Fairley House is a lot kinder and less stressful place for everybody than a mainstream school where their difficulties are in the minority. It aids friendships because everyone has had their own struggles before they get there.

I looked at it but we’re a bit further north so too much travel. I have friends whose DD went there, slightly younger than your DD, with a similar profile and they really liked it.

@Anselve I don't doubt thats the case, however do bear in mind that the school advertises themselves as not accepting anyone but dyslexic children.
My DD is very social, has lots of friends and does mix with some of the girls with autism in learning support, but they share no interests and it doesn't go beyond the classroom. I'm not saying all girls with autism are like this, but special schools are boy heavy. Fairley house has about 10 girls for every 30 boys. That's not a very big pool of friends and if they were all autistic my DD would be miserable. It is nothing personal, but every child has their needs and when you make the decision to move your child, you want to make sure it'll work for them in every aspect.

What I was trying to say was that I think that whether or not they have autism is a bit of a red herring. It depends on the class/form/group she’s put into. There is not a large group of only dyslexic students to fill any class in any school.

I actually disagree. I think if the majority of the class, which are tiny at fairly house, have additional needs, whether that's autism or ADHD, can make a huge difference to how a child with just dyslexia will fit in.

Maybe I’m not being helpful, but I was coming from the perspective of having had children at mainstream and specialist schools. The move from mainstream to specialist was difficult for all the reasons you’re describing and I had similar worries. It’s very hard to find a sweet spot between mainstream and specialist. A lot of children have co-morbid diagnoses like autism and dyslexia. Has your DD had a tryout for a day? That would give her a feel for the other children and the school’s atmosphere?

Sorry meadow breeze mixed you up with the OP. I see that that’s your plan

No assessment as yet. I am at the investigating stage. I have to say as well that we have quite alot of experience I'd special schools. Our other child was at a school where a large % of the children has ASD but my child didn't. It didn't work on the whole and that's not a personal slight. Their needs were not the same .

@Anselve It's not that you're being unhelpful, I think you have a valid point and it is a good perspective to have. My DD has a language processing disorder alongside the dyslexia, however the dyslexia is her main diagnosis. Very often the only speech intervention for older girls are either programmes for kids with autism or have girls with autism in heavy attendance. It is a sore point for me as I have often been made to feel bad when I've said my DDs social needs are very different and they should also be important. I'm not an asshole I promise, but my kids needs are much much different to a child with ASD, however great they may be socially, and I'm not saying she shouldn't be in a class with any, but she should also have access to friends that meet her social needs. We are now thinking of making the mainstream to special move and it is very stressful to think how this will affect her confidence. I hope this isn't offensive, I just find it very frustrating.

It’s very hard to get across a complex situation and individual in brief posts. I think the only way you’ll know is to have a try out. When my DS started at a similar school to Fairley House, they put me in touch with parents of previous students so I could ask questions.

@Anselve it is, you're absolutely right. I think fairly house is unique in that it markets itself as a school for one specific difficulty so I feel parents feel they can accurately get an idea of what it's like from other parents.
I actually spoke with them today asking about this and they don't offer it.

I've got a child who is currently at FHS. Before your child is offered a place at the school she will be invited for a 3 day assessment, Part of this includes spending time in classroom situations with other children that will be in her year group. This should therefore give you an indication of whether she is likely to form friendships there.
Hope that helps.

My DS goes to a dyslexia specialist school.
DS started in year 9 and he does have ASD as do some of the other students. My DS wouldn’t cope in an ASD school, even though he has ASD. Even though his school do take children who have other needs in addition to dyslexia they don’t take children with behavioural issues that will affect the other students.

What kind of outcomes are people seeing from FHS? Is it just a kinder and more inclusive environment or do you think kids do better there that at mainstream?:

Sorry Buttermuffin, had to edit my rambling response!

I totally understand your concern, because my son is ‘just’ dyslexic and socially, he had a great time at his mainstream school.

However, it has been my experience that there are a lot of children with this profile at Fairley House, and he has a great group of friends there with whom he has a lot in common.

I would also say that the boy:girl ratio in his class is 50:50.

I don’t know the other children very well, but it is quite possible that some of them will have additional needs. The school places a massive emphasis on kindness and empathy, and I would say that every child is valued and accepted there by the staff and by their peers. It certainly doesn’t look to me as though the majority of children have anything beyond dyslexia and dyspraxia, but they are all one very cohesive group and nobody is left behind. As every child’s needs are so well met, I don’t think anyone is disruptive or causes trouble, which definitely could not be said of some of the children at my son’s previous mainstream, whose needs were not even being recognized.

As for whether it is just about kindness and confidence, or whether they secure better outcomes… Moving our son to FH has been the best decision we ever made, both because it has given him a belief in himself, and made school a place of fun, not of dread, but also because it has delivered results that (for us, at least) would have been unimaginable without the specialist teaching he has received there.

Hi, we are in a similar position for Sept 23 secondary entry - did you send your daughter in the end? If so how’s it working out?

Hi I am looking at Fairly house - as you have a child in the school could you give me an honest take? My dad has dyspraxia and dysgraphia, speech problems but not ADHD or ASD. Thanks in advance

We’ve just started at Abingdon House similar to Fairley House. Class of 8 has 50:50 girl to boy ratio.
Daughter is very happy, compared to mainstream she now feels included and truly part of a class & school.
Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, self esteem & confidence issues (due to necessary but socially isolating differentiated teaching at mainstream primary)

did You manage to get the LA to fund the fees or are you having to self fund?