Looking for Non-Selective London Prep for "not 7+ material" DC, need 5* SEN.

[Cantfindaprepschool]

Please help! I'm looking for a London Prep school starting in 2016 in Year 3 (ideally north or central London but will consider elsewhere, prefer one which goes up to age 13) BUT my DC has been described as being bright (currently in Y1 at pre prep and in top sets) but cannot perform well in exam conditions due to moderate Autism, moderate to severe ADD and moderate Dyspraxia..... Current school have said that although very bright DC is "not 7+ material" due to recent poor performance in end of year tests where performance was at the national average for age. I'm hoping that in the future exam performance will reflect true ability. Any suggestions for London Preps gratefully recieved!

As well as The Academy (not to be confused with an academy), look at Heathside, I don't believe that is selective either.

Hi OP

I think you need to think about what your ultimate destination is. I suggested Bruern Abbey as it is a traditional prep school feeding on to public schools. It absolutely specialises in helping children with specific learning difficulties thrive and helps get them into mainstream public schools. That is a very particular path. I don't know anyone recently who has had a child there, but everything I read about it is very good.

If you are not going down the public school route, you don't need a prep and there are lots of other very good schools (both state and private)

Cantfindaprep. You say the current school doesn't really prepare for 11/13+, but has a senior school. What are the eventually destinations of the sixth form leavers.
I ask as my DD has just finished prep and moving to seniors at a very holistic school (all girls and out of your area) it is really fairly average at 11+, but inter stellar at A-Level, university placements and eventual careers. It gets very under rated by outsiders as it has certain quirks to it, but many of it's quirks like team building, resilience building and problem solving are very popular with employers.
Is your current school playing the long game as DD's school is?

Tough, wrote a long reply earlier which got eaten...I would agree that it depends on your LA - put simply if there is good LA provision then there is less business for a private school willing to support certain SN profiles. this seems to come through in a lot of the replies I've had on MN on this subject.

I would not generalise - but would observe that any small school, however funded, will struggle to have a credible SN offering unless it has chosen to specialise, and in the case of a private school, charges the fees to match. I do think that maintaining a child's self esteem is enormously important in supporting SN - and that a school that is effective in dealing with bullying and respecting difference has a lot to contribute to this - and there are schools in both sectors that succeed and fail in each of these areas.

There are many more nuances to this than many posters can admit.

Another one saying go and talk to Bruern. A close friend's son with dyslexia and dyspraxia struggled at 2 different SW London preps before they moved him there at 9.

He thrived and passed CE into the school of his choice. I have heard nothing but good stuff about Bruern.

I've just looked at Bruern's website. It looks very good. But 2 things strike me:

1. It's not in London, which is what the OP asked for.

1. It claims to be "the only preparatory school in the country to have as its main purpose the preparation of boys with learning difficulties for Common Entrance and other entrance examinations to mainstream independent senior schools."

Which I think implies that none of the London Prep schools do do that, and so none of the London Prep schools would met the OPs needs.....

However if she can commute to Oxford, then Bruern does look like an interesting option.

Bruern Abbey has a fantastic reputation with children with some SEN. It's a lovely place too. You might not have been thinking about boarding, but be open minded, as it's worth it if the school suits the child.

And you don't have to commute to Oxford - there's a bus from London and the London boys are weekly boarders.

Sorry - I missed that it has to be in London.

To be honest, I'd go and have a look at Bruern anyway - it will give you an idea of some of the helpful methodology that is out there, and chatting to the boys will give you a very positive outlook on what they have achieved despite 'not being 7+ material'!

Does anyone know if there a girls' equivalent of Bruern?

I am not sure I have heard of one I am afraid. Others though may have suggestions.

@ toughasoldboots: so glad you've found something that works for you now! Well done!

Oops, I managed to start 2 threads on this by mistake! Thanks everyone for the responses....

OMG, THERE ARE SO MANY BRILLIANT, HELPFUL RESPONSES ON HERE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I will try to reply to you all as fully as I can!

@Brilliantdayfortherace: yes, that is exactly my problem - we seem to be half way in between each type of school - too many issues for a very selective school, too able academically for a lot of specialist Autism schools, not sure how to navigate the state school sector in London and don't have confidence in the provision at a lot of Indy schools. Tough!

Stupid question, but given my DC doesn't have a statement, would I have any hope of getting an excellent state school with amazing provision in London? I've heard there's a large one in North London with an Autism / sensory unit attached, but I've no idea what it's called.

I was ideally hoping DC might be able to go to one of the more low key public schools with excellent provision for Senior, but that will only work out if he does well up to 13, clearly!

Yes, I can see there are a lot of benefits to being in 'the normal range' academically and behaviourally!

Thank you!

@Sleepwhenidie: I went to view The Academy and totally loved it in many ways - pastoral care and small class sizes were amazing, but I'm aware the SEN department is v small (though dedicated) so I'd have to hire help externally.... Also, it's the total opposite of DC's current school - it was the most insular school I've ever seen, and it scared me that DC would spend 6 years never leaving a large Victorian house, effectively.... Total opposite to current school which is large and has every facility and extra curricular under the sun - several hundred acres, riding, bee keeping, sailing etc. and I know facilities aren't everything, but I do worry The Academy may be too limited in life experiences.... Having said that, it is near the top of my list of London schools due to the pastoral.

Heathside I ruled out as it only goes to 11. Perhaps I'm being silly!?
Thanks!

@ Zipitydodah: Yes, Bruern Abbey would suit my end goal - I'd love DC to end up at one of the more minor public schools if possible - maybe Rugby, Bradfield, Lancing, Haileybury, Berkhamstead, Eastbourne.... That sort of thing. I'd be over the moon if he got in to one of those schools - I believe he would be capable but just needs some help getting there!

I tried calling Bruern Abbey today but of course term has ended, I'll just have to wait until September and if I like it I'll cross my fingers I can afford the £8k fees and manage to get in!

Thank you so much for the suggestion!

@ lonecatwithkitten: Yes, the current school does have a very holistic approach at Pre-Prep, however they are oversubscribed at their own senior department and have a low common entrance requirement for Senior, therefore they do not actively prep in the same way a lot of other preps would do - they sort of just sit back and see if you do well enough or not. Also, they detest anything they view at hothousing, and even trying to find out what 'official' grades DC is getting requires permission from the head! I think they want to discourage competitive parents.... The school is very well known but has very play focused learning in pre-prep and an 'educating the whole person' philosophy in prep and senior which they actually act upon. Lots of good things! Best wishes & thanks.

@ BrilliantDayForTheRace: just saw your second post too - commuting to Oxfordshire for Bruern House daily is not really an option, however I would send DC weekly boarding 4 nights a week there if it turned out to be the perfect school. I'd prefer not to send DC weekly boarding age 7, however it may be better than a less suitable London school.

@Eltee: very interesting comment on LA funding and private school size - I had wondered the same thing regarding school size too. Thanks!

@ KingscoteStaff: I'd much prefer a London day school, but if Bruern was perfect I would send DC to weekly board there, it looks amazing.

Just a quick question - I know the school is very squewed towards dyslexia and literacy / maths problems. My DC has a reading age 2 1/2yrs ahead of chronological age and is competent at maths. Do you think they'd be OK with him not fitting a typical Dyslexia profile?
Thank you!

@HowToTrainYourFlagon: yes, the weekly school bus Bruern - London would be handy!

Really interesting thread. We looked at private primary for DS, due to over-subscribed state schools locally (SW London), but ultimately he got a place in the local school. They have been amazing in supporting him and us through his ASD diagnosis.

He gets full-time 1:1 support, as well as input from EP and support from autism outreach service and behaviour service. We are currently going through the new version of "statementing", which is required to ensure that this level of support can continue.

School is 3 form entry, and has tradition of strong pastoral care. Academics are fine and improving under the current head. I worried about it being too big before DS started there, but have been proven wrong - DS has hugely benefited from the greater budget flexibility that a bigger school has. They have a full-time (brilliant) SENCO.

Honestly, though, while a small number of DC go from the school to highly selective state or private schools, that is the minority. So, if you are set on a minor public school, I am not sure it would be the right choice. Personally, I would weight most highly where I thought my DS would be happy, as that has so far been the most significant factor in his development and learning. You will know what matters most to your own DS - they are all so different.

cantfind - I completely understand your concerns about the limitations of the Academy, it can be seen as both strength and weakness! For this reason many children leave at 11. Then St Christophers in Letchworth or Belmont - going on to Mill Hill is a popular option for boys who may still not be Highgate/City material and particularly if they are sporty. The very small classes and attention to individual students can be fantastic for many up until that point though.

Check out Newton's at Battersea. I was reading up on their sen provision for a parent at work last year and remember being impressed.