Private schools. Family feel, open to mild SEN - suggestions please

[SENMinefield]

Hi,

Please help with suggestions. Needing recommendations on private school which is open to SEN. Only 1 DD, slightly behind at school but loves music, drama, STEM and animals. She is a bright/social girl but need pastoral support due to autism/adhd and can see this increasing with complexities of girl friendships. Coping in mainstream but not thriving. No ECHP.

We are now in a position where we can move due to job changes so totally flexible in area but ideally M4/M5/M40 corridors but open to midlands/Cheshire too.

Happy with girls or coed, ideally sixth form but not a deal breaker. Really want a family feel and mainly day pupils where pastoral care is amazing and not a hot house. She is currently in Yr5 so can move in yr6 or yr7.

Help! We've looked at a couple of local schools around Berkshire where we currently live but despite them having a Learning Support department didn't seem to be very interested on the open days so feeling very disheartened.

Cranford House, St Gabriel's, Claire's Court, Rye St Anthony, Bloxham, Cokethorpe, our Lady Abingdon

It may be a little further to travel but there's always Stover school in Devon. They have brilliant sen provision and work with every single child as an individual. Their ethos is kind and welcoming and inclusive. They're mixed now too. Their facilities are outstanding and they don't make educational achievement first priority, it's all about the child.

Akeley Wood in Buckinghamshire was my first choice for dd for asd when she was very young - was prepared to move there because I love the ethos. But we ultimately chose a different school as she passed her 11+ and won a number of scholarships.

Claire’s court - well known locally for being good with sen moving my adhd daughter there for 6th form.

Bloxham, Pangbourne, rye st Anthony, bredon, d’overbroecks 7-11 , Leighton park, sibford
I only really know oxon and berks.
kingwood in bath also known to me with friends there who are very happy, inc SEN needs

Cranford House, Rye St Antony, Wychwood are the ones that spring to mind. My daughter attended Cranford House for a while before we relocated and it was a lovely and very caring environment.

Just to add a few more names to investigate to the existing good suggestions: Clayesmore, Canford, Westonbirt.

Swanbourne House onto Stowe (linked schools) Very strong in SEND and Performing Arts.

Dragon (only up to 13 but lots of senior options nearby).

If you’re looking at Warwickshire (M40), Princethorpe College near Rugby is excellent with a lovely family atmosphere

St George’s Ascot?

St George’s Ascot would be a good fit. It starts at year 7 so maybe Upton House in Windsor for year 6.

Wychwood in Oxford from y7.

Sounds like a perfect fit.

Heard great things about Kingsley School for girls too. In that area

Bredon? Fantastic for ASD, has its own farm, very friendly and warm

Another vote for Claire’s Court in Berkshire. Mainstream but with excellent pastoral and SEN departments.

Pipers Corner have been very good with my daughter (not academic/ADHD).

Claire's Court tends to be the school people go to if they can't get in anywhere else. It's a bit run down.

We moved our daughter from Pipers Corner to Claire's Court because Pipers was not supportive of her SEN needs. Ironically she also has ADHD. She passed her 11 plus so is capable academically and she was offered places at a grammar school and several other private schools - all of which we turned down to move her to Claire's Court because we know parents there with children with SEN who raved about Claire's Court pastoral care. I was surprised at how many Pipers girls have moved to Claire's Court.
I agree though about the run down buildings - I think that its due to lack of investment as they were hoping to move sites. But for us we are more interested in the pastoral support and that makes it easy to overlook the buildings.

@underneaththeash that might have historically been the case (boys section was always more popular); however, it’s massively grown in popularity.

They’ve got wait lists for several years now (I’ve got a friend whose daughter is on one for Y7 Sept 23 entry).

That's really interesting, I know people with children in all of the senior part of CC(not sixth form though) and they've all only ended up there as a last resort. They've been attempting to move sites for about the last 10 years....

We've never had anyone leave my daughter's year at Pipers unless they've moved house and two went to grammar school after year 6.

underneaththeash - I must admit when we were looking at private schools for my daughter we did not even look at Claire's Court for the reasons you are saying - despite our neighbour singing its praises as she had children who went all the way through.
But it was after Pipers parents who also have/had children in Claire's Court were raving about Claire's Court that we decided to look at it when we became disappointed in Pipers - and I had a friend who moved her daughters from Reading Abbey to Claires Court a few years ago and she was also someone that kept telling me how great it was. And then my sister'n'laws younger sister who went there not so long ago was also saying how wonderful she found it too.
I think Countrymiles might be right their reputation is changing.

Have you looked at Holme Grange School in Wokingham? Really lovely, caring atmosphere and excellent SEN support. SEN support costs extra over basic fees, but they have a dedicated learning centre for SEN.

Shiplake College is going fully coed from September. My friends son went there from Y9, has ASD and is thriving. It’s well known for pastoral and supporting SEN. Day only in Y7 and Y8.

Bredon or Wotton House if you are considering west

Highly recommend The Oratory, in woodcote near Reading. Great pastoral care,art and sport. Good results considering lower selection criteria. Small school that punches above its weight. It went Co-ed in 2020 and is thriving. My DS and DD are both very happy there