Grittleton House School, Wiltshire

[SarahJ190]

Has anybody got any experience or knowledge of this school. Comments gratefully received. Thanks!
Sarah

Have you thought about a 13+ prep for a couple of years there are often vacancies at yr 7? I and most I know including a couple whose DC's were there would agree with celestial I'm afraid.
What about Sidcott the Quaker school I suppose it's too far from you.

Have you actually spoken to Kingswood? It doesn't have an reputation for being very academic, KES more so but neither are are exactly St Pauls what ever they might claim.
A personal conversation with the person in charge of admissions is always better than reading websites or listening to the views of current parents who may be trying to over inflate the academic prowess of their own children. [shocked]

Thanks Happygardening, Kingswood is an option for us, we are planning on going to the open day and trying him on the 11+ in January, but I guess we need to keep our options open in case it is too hard for him and he doesn't pass. I looked at it for Junior but felt it was really snobby and elite. I need to speak to them about their dyslexia provision. I liked the fact that Grittleton was small and felt like a family, and they would give him extra help, but I know small isn't always good and doesn't necessarily offer the best facilities. Kingswood has a fairly good reputation, although I have heard they really work the kids hard and homework is demanding (Homework can be a real challenge with dyslexic child and cause household ructions!). I'm not a pushy parent where anything less than an A is a failure, and I know a few of them! I knew someone that went to Kingswood and really struggled to keep up, but others that have excelled there. Thanks for the help on this everyone, it has been enlightening and I do appreciate every comment! My brother went to King Edwards and I know exactly what that is like, he was a straight A student, loved it there, but the kids that struggled hated it. I would go there if mine was academic over everywhere else, but its just not a viable option for me.

The other option is Prior Park (although we're not catholic!)

Warminster has proved to be a really nurturing school for the DC of friends, not sure if it might be too far to travel though.

I know a few children with dyslexia at Kingswood. I assume it's working well for them.

I went to Kingswood. Didn't enjoy it, but did get good A levels. There were plenty of children there who weren't academic. I don't have any current knowledge though.

OP all independent schools are going to make their children work hard and provide lots of demanding homework becasue that is what most parents are paying for. As already said results for state schools in this area are pretty good so if they are going to carry on attracting children and charging parents large sums of money they need to be better (probably why Grittleton are struggling to get children).
If Kingswood is snobby and elite it has no reason to be neither does KES, thinking about it we know a chap with a DS at Kingswood and he's a screaming snob and talks about it if was Eton I just thought it was him, but that might be more to do with its catchment a good friend used to work in Bath and she felt that most who lived there were self satisfied and smug!

Dont know Prior Park so cant help with that one.
I wouldn't worry about moving him for the 6th form by the way lots move then.

Have you actually properly looked at your state options. I don't know them in your area. My DS is dyslexic and spent ten yrs in a variety of independent schools all who promised great things but failed to deliver at every turn and you have to pay extra for not getting this help. Up until yr 10 the state seems to provide not bad help for dyslexics although I understand there are increasing budgetary restraints

The people I know with children at Kingswood are Bohemian types, not snobby at all.

That's a very small sample though. There's a specialist school in Colerne for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and so on. I don't know much about it, but it might be worth a look.

Here you go:
Calder House

It only goes up to 13, but I think pupils go for a year or two rather than longer term.

Surely if your DS requires a specialist dyslexia school then he would be statemented in the state sector and then he would definitely get better help. Also if he needs that level of intervention then Grittleton definitely isn't the right place.
Jena I also thought the parents at Kingswood weren't generally snobby and elite and that the chap we know with a DS there was the exception rather than the rule, I would say the parents at KES are more that way inclined.

Calder is unfortunately significantly more expensive than Grittleton. Just looked at the Grittleton website results really aren't very good.

Thanks for looking Happygardening! He's not statemented, that requires severe problems, he is just mildly dyslexic, not bad enough to be entitled extra help, in fact even with bad dyslexia there is no requirement for the school to give extra help. You have to be around 2 years behind to qualify for anything. He had an Ed Psych diagnosis which basically meant nothing in terms of extra help! The school tried to stop me doing it, saying it was pointless! Awful! I've had plenty of battles with the head, SEN teacher, LEA, Dyslexia Action and taken advice etc. Don't think he is bad enough for Calder, but just needs a bit more attention and nurturing to encourage and support with a bit of one-to-one on weaker areas. His confidence was through the floor, but somewhere in there he has the ability. His primary is one of the best performing schools in the state sector, plenty of kids doing really well there, he's just not one of them. It is great for the academic kids and he is in a class of high achievers which doesn't help him at all as he just feels stupid all the time! Probably because it wasn't until Year 4 that I realised he was that behind when his levels weren't improving like they should have. A bit naive on my part, but I didn't quite realise what was going on as the school reports are generally 'everything is fine'. I've done loads with him at home and he now has a tutor once a week, just starting to turn a corner and levels are going up, but the school really don't understand dyslexia and don't adjust the learning for him at all! Whilst it hasn't been a great school for us, I guess most parents think it is great. Certainly many of the kids will come out with Level 5's, so on paper the school is fabulous, but it's not worked out for us! I suppose that's why I don't look too closely at the results, although I will look again as I didn't realise Grittleton results were that bad. My local comp only 36% get GCSE's A-C! I know Kingswood up at around 75% and Wellsway etc similar as it's a good state school, but we wouldn't get in there from where we live. You have been very helpful though! Made me think about lots of things.

Sarah my DS has "moderate" dyslexia; non existent processing but very good reading IQ top 5% not eligible for a statement. He has been systematically failed in both the state and independent sector his comp not a million miles form you is comparable with Kingswood if not better.
In 13 yrs of struggling with education I have only ever met 2-3 teachers in either sector who understand his needs. He has constantly under performed in relation to his ability his confidence was in his boots but of late it might now reach his ankles, my head is sore form banging it against a brick wall stuffed with jobs worth over paid over holidayed teachers who seem unable to read a ed psych report even when they commission it themselves and who refuse point blank to follow out the suggestions their on ed psych recommends.
You want my opinion don't waste you money in any independent school send him to the local school, use that money to support him, find tutors for the key subjects maths obviously, English a MFL find someone who can spend time carefully explaining to him how to structure essays answer questions etc. Keep badgering you school don't accept "everythings fine" write to the governors you LEA and get your GP involved if its affecting his health. Don't assume thats it being done it isn't.

Happygardening, that all sounds familiar! Thanks for all your help. I will let you know the outcome, but we will probably look at Grittleton, Oldfield (State), Kingswood and perhaps Wellsway (state) and go from there, basing the decision on where he will be happiest and feel like he fits in. He is a sporty little chap and hopefully that will help him make plenty of friends and we can find somewhere that he won't hate going to everyday or feel threatened by other kids that pick things up a bit quicker than he does!

Wellsway is a great school if you can manage to get a place. I imagine you are not really in its area of responsibility and its always very popular. I am not too sure about its dyslexia support though.
On another note, Stonar is now co-ed and so it may be worth a look. It does not have a great rep on here, but it was always very good with the pastoral/nurturing side and it is not academically selective. In the past it always achieved good 'value added' results, in that it managed to help the children reach their potential regardless of starting point. During the time I knew the school there were several dyslexic pupils. For what its worth I also know of very bright children who went to Stonar and achieved fantastic results - before someone comes and tells you how unacademic it is!! Of course low number of boys may be an issue, and it would be about a 40 min drive from you.
Colstons School is the one mentioned in Frenchay - it is the least academic of the Bristol Independents, very sporty but I don't have any personal knowledge of dyslexia support.
As others have suggested, Kingswood would be the most convenient for you and would be worth a look..

Thanks Jo, we will definitely take a look at Kingswood in September and see what they have to say about dyslexia support as well as the chances of getting in with weaker English scores on the 11+ exam in January. I'm not sure how selective these schools actually are in reality or if its more about the fact you are paying, but its seen as a necessary process to look like they are selective!

The gossip on the block is that Stonar is really struggling and there are threats of closure. Don't know how true this is. jo you're right it is always very unpopular on MN coming I would guess only second to the head of Wellington which is quite an achievement I would say. OP I'd search it on MN if I was you.

"I'm not sure how selective these schools actually are in reality or if its more about the fact you are paying, but its seen as a necessary process to look like they are selective!"
I think a lot of it is being seen to be selctive frankly. I quickly checked the results its not overly academic and you've got at least year to go before he sits the entrance exam if you and he really like it spend you money on a good tutor to improve his English rather than pay for Grittleton.

Happygardening - As far as I am aware Stonar's numbers are not terrible, but that is not to say they are thriving either! - they have been coeducational in the Prep for 4 years now and it was only a matter of time for this to filter through. It has recently been bought out by NACE - a group based in Spain who operate 7 schools in Spain and 4 in France, Stonar is their first British school. Whether this will provide it with future stability who knows? It trades off its excellence in all things equestrian, which even the MNetters cannot deny! However this is rather a small market and what with Bath, Bristol, Marlborough, Dauntseys, Warminster etc... being rather close by, it is understandable that it has struggled to attract attention especially when its results are never anything to shout about. I think when other Independents were able to be more selective they probably had a bigger market - however as you say I can't imagine any of the Bath schools are oversubscribed, and so often a more average child with a full fee attached is going to be accepted now.

My dc's are at Kingswood (prep at the moment) - I think there is more emphasis on the snr school particularly becoming more academic.

I've been very pleased with the prep but am not sure I'd say the same if my child had additional needs. And certainly at the prep any extra help is paid for on top of fees which is something I'd want to clarify if I were you at the snr school.

I also know people with children at the specialist school in Colerne, they've been very very pleased with it. Some of the children only attended for a couple of years and then moved back to Kingswood despite being told by the prep they were unsuitable for the senior school.

As far as I can see jo many small independent schools in this area are struggling Stonar et al is of course not just competing with Marlborough etc but also a raft of good state schools including grammars in the next county with no catchment area, some state schools are now offering riding as part of the curriculum. Marlborough of course will always be the preferred choice of "old money" local families and the smart rich, Dauntsey takes the slightly less smart (no criticism intended) and Badminton is not far away and then Mr and Mrs MC of which there are a lot in this area who don't have £11 000+ a term to spend on fees will either send their DC's to Kingswood, KES and RHSB or their local state school with other nice MC children. All in all none of this is not good news for the likes of Westonbirt, Stonar and Grittleton.

Another point of interest Grittleton is one of the few schools not inspected by the ISI. I'm the first to state that these are often not worth the paper they are written in terms of the standards of education/pastoral care etc on as it's a box ticking exercise and heads know how to play the game so most are glowing. But parents like them and often look these reports up when decided which school to choose so its becoming increasingly unusual that schools aren't inspected as they are good marketing tools. But these reports not only look at the quality of teaching but also ensure all staff have proper qualifications, that basic health and safety regulations are being met, child protection policies are fully implemented including staff training etc and all staff are CRB checked etc at one stage many schools were not doing these things often becasue these things cost money. It's so easy to assume that in 2013 these things are just being routinely done. I'm not for a moment suggesting that the school is deliberately employing dubious characters but to do these things properly not only requires money but infra structure secretaries administrators etc etc who cost money.

I was looking for the ISI report trying to find out how many children are actually in the school becasue the reports do state fairly accurately the numbers currently there. This is something else I would check very carefully.