Advice on selective school for bright dyspraxic boy SW London

[DaffyDodo]

Hi all,

My ds has been diagnosed with hypermobility and DCD (Dyspraxia) and I'm trying to narrow down schools for him.

He is bright - top sets for English and Maths at a non-selective private school here in SW London (with extra time for writing in English) and only got his diagnosis recently. He is also on an Art Scholarship scheme which means extra Art classes to build up a portfolio for potential scholarships.

He is dreadful at sport and isn't allowed to do contact sports like Rugby and to be very careful with football and running, so a very sporty school isn't great. He is also very friendly and smiley but very shy indeed and prefers to stay out of the limelight, and tends to stammer under pressure (he had some speech therapy but he is currently busy with physio and OT for his other issues so we stopped speech therapy). Based on this I think a hothouse uber competitive school wouldn't suit him.

I want him to go somewhere nurturing but equally somewhere that suits him academically as he is bright and is currently dreaming of working in animation some day. He is a very gentle, kind, bright and well-behaved and smiley boy but my concerns are that a very competitive or aggressive environment won't suit him, but equally somewhere too laid back won't be ideal as he is bright and needs to be challenged.

To add one more thing - he is mixed race - it's not a huge deal right now but I would prefer him to go somewhere he doesn't stand out as the only non-caucasian.

Thanks in advance!

Dear Daffydodo
I have exactly the same as you. My DS now 12) was flagged up with Dyspraxia very mild and JHS just a few months back after years of struggling at school and being told by teachers that he wasn't listening and couldn't keep up with writing/ copying down in class.
The Ed Psychologist also told us about his slow processing/ poor working short term memory.
Prior to this we had tried a few schools with little success and my son was badly bullied as he is so vulnerable / polite and an easy target I think as he's highly sensitive.
After taking a year out we researched and viewed a lot of schools and my DS had taster days at some.
Being a bright likeable boy all the schools offered him a place however we decided on Radnor House who made an amazing effort to understand all his fears and needs and were the only school to offer him extra time and a computer to assist him during his assessment .
It's co-ed so for quirky gentle children seems better than the rougher all boy sporty schools . The Art teacher is very kind and switched on to the children's special needs.
We are hoping to start there after the next half term.
Good luck with your search. It's not easy to find the right environment but fingers crossed we've found it now.

Or Hampton Court House school? Very quirky in itself. I know it has a mixed reputation but a friend's children had a great experience there and it didn't hold them back academically - they are some of the brightest children I know, but never had pressure put on them, so are confident and blossomed in the rather eccentric atmosphere. They've just opened a 6th form that works afternoons and evenings only, in recognition that this is when most teenagers excel at learning, rather than in the morning.

Sorry to jump on this old thread but I think you MNetters might be able to help me! Hope that's OK! Sorry I guess this has been asked before but I just can't find the thread. I have a son aged 9 who is diagnosed with dyspraxia. I have a very good friend in a different part of the country to us (Wimbledon in SW London) who thinks her son aged 8 may have fine and gross motor skill delays and possibly dyspraxia. She is keen on pursuing a private assessment (not necessarily a diagnosis but assessment and support e.g. OT). Can anyone tell me is she best finding an OT or Paediatrician or Ed Psych or someone else to assess her son? And can anyone recommend someone specifically? School are not supportive sadly. Thanks in advance x

Would take a look at Trinity in Croydon - very caring ethos and still academic- amazing facilities too.
My son is about to go into yr7 - he has some SENCo issues too.