Maple Hayes School - Or similar in West Midlands?

[MamaTess]

Does anyone have any experience of applying to Maple Hayes? Or a similar type school within the west midlands. We are in Birmingham, my son has ADHD, Dyspraxia and we are just awaiting a Dyslexia assessment. He is really struggling at school, emotionally as writing is so hard for him - he is in yr 5. We have applied for an EHCP but his school is awful and I think he needs support ASAP.

I have been looking at schools and Maple Hayes looks great, but I'm not sure they will accept him with ADHD, it looks like it will be a fight even if they did.

Hi there… my daughter is on trial there and so far loving it. She is severely dyslexic, dyscalculia and anxiety from not all. This is her first EHCP so I don’t think they will give it without going to tribunal. My son had adhd and he’s at a different school we’re stourbridge he’s doing amazingly now. He spent a year out of mainstream school in y5! Which school does your son attend?

Thank you for replying. What year is your daughter in? My son does now have a dyslexia diagnosis we are awaiting the paperwork to come through though. I spoke to Maple Hayes and they have said to send through the report once we have it and we will take it from there. He is just at our local mainstream primary at the moment, they have been awful throughout. They have said that if EHCP assessment comes back that he needs 1:1 then they will say they can't meet needs. Which will possibly work in our favour....there is a dyslexia unit at a secondary close to us too, which might be an easier battle. The dyslexia assessor said that he would be a good candidate for these placements as he is a 'bright dyslexic' whatever that means! I really can't see him managing in a typical secondary he can't write more than a few words at a time.

My daughter is y4 she will be y5 September. Be careful whose advise you take is all il say. The EHCP assessment will send an Ed psyche. They will never say 1:1 in so many words. I’d say your best chance is to say he needs placement in somewhere he will stay straight through to GSCE. My daughter has been diagnosed for a few years and all interventions failed which is why maple hayes was our next choice. Don’t take the easy battle fight for what will be best for him. A bright dyslexic means he’s intelligent but your son will have huge learning barriers from adhd too. My daughter is the same on the Ed psyche reports you will see they assess where they are in verbal reasoning my daughter was above average. She’s very right but completely held back by dyslexia. Most schools even when they say they’re dyslexia friendly it’s just the same approach of phonics over and over and it just doesn’t work! I’ve been through this twice so if you need any help just ask.

Thank you so much! I'm sure I will be in touch again. I'm worried he won't be suitable for the school as you are right his ADHD is a huge barrier for him. He does also have medical issues. Which is why they have refused to assess for dyslexia for so long! :-( I will fight for him as much as my resources allow! Did your daughter get let out of her current placement for the trial? I hope you get the place for her!!

Hi there, was wondering if either of you had an update on MH? Did your children go there? I’ve been offered an interview for my daughter with dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ASD and severe school anxiety. I was surprised to be offered that given she doesn’t have dyslexia though some literacy issues. Would love to hear more if you don’t mind.

Hello, what happened for you at Maple Hayes? Considering as an Option for my daughter. Dyslexia and ADHD too.

@PMizzy Hi, have you had the interview yet ? Considering as an Option for my daughter. Dyslexia and ADHD. Thanks

@MamaTess could I ask what the other dyslexia school is you mentioned apart from Maple Hayes?

@louloubooboo1906 could I ask how the trial went? Much appreciated!

I have a completely opposite view to others I'm afraid. The school's outcomes are extremely poor and they have little aspirations for their pupils. The techniques they use are old fashioned and they have an almost religious anti-technology attitude, which is bizarre and the opposite of most dyslexic schools have, which is to embrace tools that can help.

I know someone whose son spent their whole secondary education there and came out with very little - she massively regrets sending him there.

A family member sent her child for two terms and withdrew. PM me for more info.

@Nightmanagerfan Hi, it’s rated as outstanding - are there any plus points at all? What’s it like for activities other than academics? What qualifications do the kids study for?

Thank you for letting me know your experience

Hi, the one I meant was the dyslexia unit at Langley secondary. Although I haven't heard great things about that now tbh.

We decided to stick with mainstream in the end as my son improved alot and seems to be accessing the work by using a laptop instead of writing. He starts secondary in Sept so I hope we made the right choice.

Hi

My child is at Maple Hayes. It changed their life completely further better. They left Primary with a reading age 4 to 5 years behind where they should be at and really struggled to write also has autism and dysgraphia.

Now independently reading Harry Potter books, confidence levels has grown.

She is incredibly intelligent and the assessments we had to go through to get her a place highlighted but she had a maths age of a 19-year-old. Had I not pursued for the challenge of getting her into the school, which is made ver difficult by LA. I don’t think how she would be coping. The busy big mainstream school she’s been placed at was completely unsuitable to her needs. She missed the start of her secondary school. As I was still pursuing a placement.

I will say it’s a very difficult process, but the school will guide you through it.

Dr Brown and his work is truly amazing.

It is a wonderful school where my daughter not only feels safe and included but can access our education.

I would say, try and get on a trial week and then see what your child feels for themselves.

I also know parents who have children who have been through the process and the out comes or results have been incredibly positive with passing all GCSEs including three A grades.

However, for me, it’s not just about grades. It’s about enjoying school, versus a traumatic experience in education. This recognises challenges of children who are seen as less intelligent by their peers for years in primary school as they are not able to progress with a typical phonetical approach to language. My child self-esteem was on the floor, as she had been given very basic spellings which she couldn’t do versus her peers progressing with complicated words and reading. She had been put working with children with lots of different complex needs where actually she just needed a different style of learning and a small classroom.

They do take children with autism and other Neurodiversity, but dyslexia is obviously strength.

I strongly recommend his school.

Many plus points. Plus we recognise outside of the core subjects. The importance for activities such as horse riding is available on site and dance that you can do at lunchtime. There is also numerous clubs you can join and the children can still play at the school and it’s wonderful, nurturing environment.

They use fountain pens to write as this has been shown to really help and it has helped massively with her handwriting which is now beautifully cursive. Something I was unable despite trying all the suggestions I could.

There’s lots of animals at the school offer emotional support.

But not only that is that they really focus on getting back on track with English and maths. There is also designed technology computer skills and they have a full IT room.

A very structured approach with the older children supporting the younger ones and they encouraged social skills such as serving up for lunch together and then cleaning up after eaten.

Hi

I replied on the other post.

it is an amazing place. The whole family are completely blown away by what this amazing school offers and provides the children.

Have you been for an interview?

Hi… the original thread is mine. A year on now!!! My daughter did the trial week but she struggled. She was upset one girl had been quite bossy and my daughter found it strict!

However she did say she wanted to go. My LA contested and we went to tribunal. I would have won the place but my daughter didn’t want to go in the end. The LA named another school of our choice closer to home which was a Montessori type approach also independent.

This placement has turned out to be a complete disaster my dd’s anxiety is though the roof and now not able to attend school. We are challenging the LA for EOTAS as she is signed off by GP. She is now awaiting an autism diagnosis and until she has this any school isn’t a good idea.

I agree with @Kitchenkarma the school approach seems fantastic and the offering is brilliant. I loved the old fashioned values of Dr Brown and if is was closer I’d probably of pushed for it. It is an hour away from us so the commute for my daughter each day would be too long and it’s six days a week so she wouldn’t have coped with that either!

I wish the technique could be used elsewhere as I don’t know how my daughter is going to make progress. She has made none and an EP has just reassessed and she has even regressed. It’s so worrying and I can’t see a way forward at this point! 😢

Hi there

sorry yoi have had such a long journey. Before we got into Maple Haynes, I was applying for EOTAS. My daughter was out of school, and mental health was really spiralling.

I agree it’s a long commute, an hour each way for us. But she shares a taxi with a friend now. So that has helped.

FYI- Saturday is ending soon. From the September, it is moving into a newer model-only 5 days. Still extra 2 weeks holidays.

Really hope you get sorted out soon, I know how stressful it is having a child out of education.

My son is now having an autism assessment. As I see many similarities as with my daughter. He is year 4. But I feel he could really benefit from this style of school, nurturing, small class rooms. So I am going to have to research high schools for him.
He sadly, I say, is not dyslexic, only as he would love to attend Maple Hayes.

Good luck with the assessments. I used a company called Gaia Learning for home school and EOTAS who I highly recommended to look at. Small groups, on lines lesson.

Good luck.

Awe thank you that’s really good to know! It’s been an awful year. I’ve just come out of emergency review. I know the LA are going to push back against EOTAS. It’s one battle after another. My eldest is autistic/ adhd in special school too.

Did your daughter find it strict at MH? I know the new deputy head started in September has he had a positive impact? I think it was the nurture side tha had worried me about my daughter as her SEMH needs are so hard with her self esteem she is so fragile!

Hi

The new head and Dr Brown Jnr are co-head teachers.

I have found them to be very nurturing indeed. My child started an emotional mess, mainly due to the trauma she had experienced at her old school and then been unable to attend ms high on medical grounds. Her anxiety and self-esteem were terrible, physically impacting her whole life.

so when was put on a trial week, I was in doubt about what impact it could have.

it took her a couple of weeks for the anxiety to go. Her confidence is amazing now.
I think having Autism and Dyslexia she had lost all confidence and doubted her ability.

I would really recommend it.

I tried for EOTAS, but for me, I was concerned that she would be isolated and anxiety might get worse.

Plus, like you say, it is not easy to access. The ms school would not send any work home. Say the doctors note/medical evidence was not enough. Delay tactics.

I had to fight very hard to get Maple Hayes named on the EHCP. The school and new head too is very helpful.

I would say it has absolutely changed my daughter’s life. Plus not only is she very happy, but she can read and write now.

Good luck, please get in touch if you need further information.

Thank you so much. You have been so helpful and given me such a good insight.

I will definitely be backing touch no doubt. I appreciate so much you taking the time to reply to my messages.

I am so happy to hear your daughter is doing so well. She sounds so similar to my daughter and it’s really given me hope. I just need to get my daughter to consider giving it another try! xx

Do you know if the children have a new class teacher each year? My daughter has said she would possibly look again and see if we could trial again?

Yes, they do. Also, they’ve just announced they changed their hours so that they finish early on a Friday as well as no Saturdays.
15.30 finish on a Friday.

But yes, they do have a new form tutor each year to my knowledge.

Oh that’s good. What time is the normal school day? Sorry my daughter is asking me all these questions 😅

My daughter starts maple hayes September 2024. She had her trial in July 2023.
The La in Jan 2024 named the local mainstream secondary school who couldn't meet needs.
I refused mediation and registered my appeal. All this time my daughter is out of education.
We got an appeal date of Feb 2025.
The next thing was the la wanted another Ed psychologist report done and wanted to extend deadline to Oct 2024.
On the final day of submitting evidence. I submitted a new up to date psychologist report.
The day after the la conceded and agreed to name Maple hayes.
I remember sitting in Dr Brown's office and thinking my daughter will never get a place here.
Now here we are 2 days before the start of school.
Never stop fighting till you know your children are getting the education they need and deserve.