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Primary education

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Original poster

Looking for Non-Selective Prep quite near London for HFA / Aspergers DC.

69 replies

UrgentSchoolHelp · 22/03/2016 22:49

DC has failed to get in to any of the minimally selective London Preps we went for, the feedback being that they're concerned about the SEN aspect (High Functioning Autism), which we were surprised by as DC really isn't that bad!

Can anyone suggest some Non-Selective Preps (either Day or flexi boarding, Co-Ed or Boys) either in London or within about 40 miles of London? Importantly Im looking for a small Prep which can offer a lot of hand-holding and which won't be put off by the SEN.* we would be prepared to move house for the right Prep but need a good train to London.

  • By which I mean genuinely non selective, not just non selective yet mysteriously 50% leave for Eton or Harrow!!

(Please can we try to avoid the state vs private and boarding is evil debates for once!?)

Thanks!

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blossbloss · 25/03/2016 08:24

I have heard the most amazing things about St Chris lately from parents of several children with ASD in the school. I thinks the school is a little like marmite - you either love it or hate it! I wouldn't discount it though. Go on a tour and meet the head and see what you think.

blossbloss · 25/03/2016 08:25

I would be careful about Aldwickbury with a special needs child.....

sh77 · 25/03/2016 10:30

Thanks so much for feedback on The Academy. It's really helpful to read your take on it. I guess I haven't been thinking about the long-term. DS was a nightmare to deal with in a nursery of 30 kids in the class and I was looking for a small and cosy place where it would feel like home. Maybe I'm doing him any favours though in the long-term. May I ask what are the main things your ds is struggling with at school and how the setting has dealt with it?

MsGee · 25/03/2016 14:13

Am happy to feed back on St Chris experience. On making the appointment they were great. Lots of questions about DD and asked us to bring loads of info diagnosis, SLT reports etc. In the visit they didn't really engage with her, told us all additional support is already allocated and the head of juniors gave us less than five minutes in a corridor. We were then pretty much dismissed.

I've heard mixed reports from parents at the school re SEN some love it others don't.

The facilities are wonderful but class sizes bigger than I would expect and I didn't feel that there would be any understanding of DD as an individual. I've heard that they are picking up a lot of St Francis kids so wonder if that has influenced things. I really wanted to love it but just didn't.

Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 14:30

Elgarthecat YY to Alderwickbury

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 14:31

BlossBloss please can you tell me the negatives about Alderwickbury / anything you've heard??

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 14:35

BlossBloss & MsGee interesting StChris is a marmite school!

MsGee they said additional support was already allocated!? Meaning there were not more resources left for your DD? Eye they talking about extra learning support classes, or giving her more access to a TA? What resources were you hoping for but couldn't get?

Pity about 5 mins in a corridor!! I know open day / tour experiences can be very variable though!

How big are class sizes and how many TA's?

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 16:23

Sh77 interesting to hear about your DS....

I can totally see why you'd go for somewhere like The Academy, and I can imagine that if our DSs struggle fairly significantly then it might be the best or only school which could help them achieve highly enough academically to go to a regular Senior School, but I still think there would probably be adjustment issues as previously mentioned.... Personally, I'm really hoping that DS can do well enough at a more 'normal' Prep school to be able to go to a regular Senior school so not have the adjustment issues.

I'll PM you about my DS, as the details may be too identifying if any of his teachers are reading this!

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MsGee · 25/03/2016 16:48

We didn't need any extra support but they kept telling us we couldn't have it. Even when we repeated she didn't need it. The whole thing was odd. They just made it very clear that we were not a priority for them. The only reason I can think of was DD ASD.

Classes up to 20. No mention of TA. Am sure they have them but it want mentioned to us.

notagiraffe · 25/03/2016 16:53

They're idiots for dismissing your son due to HFA. Both my DC go to an academically super-selective school that regularly ranks in the top 5 in the country and their intake is 30% HFA, according to their SEN.

Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 17:06

MsGee that sounds really strange, what a bizarre experience to have had with them! Was it the head of Juniors who said that to you, or the SENCO? Yes, classes of up to 20 are not great but not terrible either.

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 17:09

NotAGiraffe 30%, wow!! I guess it shows how much schools will bend over backwards of the kids are bright enough.

Would this be a certain school id definitely have heard of with a reputation for being very Maths / science focused? A STEM subjects focus would tie in with such a high percentage being ASD and coping so well.

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notagiraffe · 25/03/2016 17:13

It could well be. They are very strong on maths and science. They are also ace on HFA SEN. DS was diagnosed in his first term. (We'd missed it, so had his primary. Blush ) The support he's had, and the developments he's made academically, socially and in terms of his ability to organise himself have been astounding.

bialystockandbloom · 25/03/2016 17:20

notagiraffe is your ds' school prep or post-13? In London? It sounds great! I'm thinking about senior schools for my ds, I'd be interested to know more about it, if you wouldn't mind sharing by pm (totally understand if you'd rather not!) Smile

Crumpetsandtea · 25/03/2016 20:17

Lockers Park was mentioned as an option earlier - from experience they are not very accommodating of SEN

Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 21:12

Notagiraffe hm, sounds like your DS may be more mildly affected than mine?

As soon as people talk to my DS they get the impression he is bright (actually isn't that bright but has obscure interests and wide vocabulary though speech issues too) and odd.

I imagine maybe if your DS's was not picked up until age 11 or 13 then it must be very very mild??

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 25/03/2016 21:13

Crumpetsandtea

Oh yes, what have you heard about Lockers Park being not so accommodating of SEN?

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Crumpetsandtea · 25/03/2016 21:49

OP please PM me - will explain

Crumpetsandtea · 25/03/2016 21:52

Notagiraffe would you mind PM'ing me the name of the school?

notagiraffe · 26/03/2016 15:52

Well I think he's mild but the assessor said he was the most straight down the line, textbook case of Asperger's she'd seen in years.(Which I still don't quite understand. His brother is more overtly Aspergic - dislikes cuddles, talks at you not with you, but has no diagnosis. Snuggly DS2 has because of processing issues and social cue issues and food texture/clothing texture issues and sensory overload etc.
I think it wasn't picked up because his primary school was rubbish and so was I Grin DH is Aspergic and so's my dad. Even my mum has some symptoms. It's all so normal to me I find NT people a bit odd despite being one, according to tests, so I didn't find his behaviour odd, even when others did.
The school has intake at 11 and again at 13. Will PM those who asked about it.

t1mum · 26/03/2016 15:58

Notagiraffe - would you mind pm ing me too. My DS is on 99.9 centile for verbal and perceptual reasoning but slow processing speed and HT is suggesting non-academic schools for next steps which I'm not sure are going to meet his needs.

Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 26/03/2016 19:41

CrumpetsAndTea I've tried PMing you, but I'm getting an error message saying that I can't due to your settings. Would you mind PMing me regarding SEN at Lockers Park? Thanks!

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Original poster
UrgentSchoolHelp · 26/03/2016 19:45

NotAGiraffe interesting, sounds like DS2 should have a DC as well! Could you try a new assessor? If you think it would be useful to have a DX for him?

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Crumpetsandtea · 26/03/2016 20:05

Hi OP have PM'd you

Haggismcbaggis · 26/03/2016 22:54

Notagiraffe would you mind PMing me too?

My DS was diagnosed HFA/ Aspergers shortly after getting into two v academic independent schools. We took the less academic of the two but sometimes wonder did we make the right choice. I am wondering was his other option the school your DC are at. I know it supposedly has a high number of kids on the spectrum.

Good luck OP in your search. Please let us know where your DC ends up.