Manchester Primary suitable for child with dyslexia

[SwedishK]

Hi all,

We are a family currently living in London who are looking to move to the Manchester area. We know roughly where we want to live (Hale/Didsbury/Sale/Bowdon or near) but we need to find a school that suits our 8 year old DD. She is currently at a school which suits her perfectly in the sense that she is in a smallish class with a teacher who totally understands her needs being dyslexic.

I understand we are spoilt for choice when it comes to good schools in the areas we are looking but still we don't quite know where to start and which schools we should book in to visit. A high achieving/high pressure kind of school environment really doesn't suit her. She would fall behind and feel less intelligent than her peers.

She is super creative and she is doing fine in all subjects except when it comes to spelling and reading. Besides from that she is a bit of a slow worker but super sweet natured.

Does anybody have any recommendations for a school that could be a good option for her? Private or state doesn't really matter but I am guessing there are more options in terms of teaching methods within the private sector. Area is also not set in stone so if there is a brilliant school elsewhere but near Manchester I would love to hear about that too.

Looking forward to hearing all of your suggestions!

SwedishK

The honest truth is that any Local Authority is going to say that any state school will be able to cater for a child with dyslexia and if you are thinking in terms of any admission appeal, that will not get you a place as a reason.
Thats the theory and yes of course there will be schools in the south manchester area that will have a good reputation with working with pupils who are dyslexic but I am afraid i do not know the area well enough to comment.

Ramillies Hall specialises in support for children with dyslexia.

Thank you both Admission and Polkadotsandmoonbeams!

The link to Ramillies Hall is very helpful. I will make sure we visit to see if that would suit her. She doesn't currently have any extra support because of her dyslexia at school. An understanding teacher seems to be enough at the moment and we are hoping for her to go to a regular school even in Manchester but it entirely depends on what our options are. It took us a while finding a suitable school here in in London.

The state schools are often full but places come up as the population is quite transient. Most are very good and lots inc ours has dyslexia support worker. The private preps are often very high pressure as its all about top independant schools and grammars / that's why people pay

I would call the relevant LAs and get a list of schools with places. I would then call them and ask about support for dyslexia etc A couple of the Stockport indies may be non pressurised but the rest of the preps are generally all about getting DC into top academic schools. Trafford has top free grammars so many are geared to grammar entry. There is a good RC non selective private school in South Manchester too ages 3-18

Can I second the recommendation for Ramilies Hall in cheadle Hulme.
They are great with kids who don't have major issues but need a bit more nurturing and specialist support. They specialise in dyslexia and dyspraxia. I have friends who moved their dd there from a local high achieving state primary where she was sinking. She flourished there.
As an aside, that area is nice to live in too. Ch, Bramhall, Woodford and out to Wilmslow is all nice. We lived in Wilmslow for a while. Looked at Bramhall and hale; they struck me as similar with the village centres and cafe culture thing. Bramhall & Wilmslow house prices similar to sale/Alti/hale and similar local amenities. We were a bit further out in Wilmslow but had everything we needed there.

Sorry to intrude in the conversation as i am in similar position to OP. Is ramillies hall a fee paying private school?

Yes it is. It's in Cheadle Hulme

Thanks all!

Don't worry about intruding, I am happy to hear we are not the only ones. I believe Ramillies Hall is a fee paying independent school. I just had a look at the latest ISI report and in 2013 they only had 21 kids between the ages of 5 and 11 which is a bit of a concern for me. My daughter is very social and although she didn't strive when she was in a class of 30 she still needs to have plenty of kids around her who are her age. The only problem we have with her current school is that people are leaving and after this term they will only be 10 kids and only three girls.

Thanks for recommendations on other locations too! I haven't been to any of the places you have recommended Reluctantlandlord but I have seen some nice houses around there online now.

Swedish, have a look at Hulme Hall School too. It's also in Cheadle Hulme and quite a bit bigger but again specialises in helping kids who need a bit more input teach their potential. It doesn't have a 6th form but it is literally across the road from Cheadle Hulme school which is a selective day school. Able children from Hulme Hall often transfer across the road. Def worth a look.

I have a friend whose eldest went to HH and got lots dyslexia support. Is it not merging with another school? Worth a visit

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I feel like I am finally getting somewhere. There are so many great schools in the area and I am simply not used to having so many good options.