Dyslexia: Colet Court, KCS, QE Boys, etc.

[xtreme]

Hi, Just wondering if anyone has experience of the Learning Support given at the top schools in London. It would seem that entrance exams would filter out children with dyslexia, even the brightest buttons.
How realistic is it to get a place? And, if so, are your children happy there? Interested to hear from parents with positive experiences.
Thanks.

Not sure about those schools but Hampton is supposed to have a very good learning support depth and their website details what's needed for exam accommodation.
Most schools will require an up to date educational psychologists report in order to get extra time in exams etc.
If you look on the 11+ forum there is a Sen thread and you may find help re QE boys.

The schools should outline their policies with regards to support available and entrance procedures.

I would question your motive in wanting to put a dyslexic child into one of those schools. Do you really think they will provide a better education than other schools that have more special needs provision? Those schools are best suited to very academic children and while I do know dyslexic children can be very bright, they will still struggle with certain things. Schools like Colet Court and KCS can be very dispiriting to those who are not in the top groups.

I do not really agree with Jeanne. Bright children often seem able to compensate for SEN so very academic schools will be used to kids who are picked up quite late, often at A level when their coping skills are stretched too far. I don't know much about the schools mentioned, but have it on good authority that both Westminster (who have a reputation for doing well by 'quirky' children) and Latymer Upper have strong SEN support.

Private may be better than grammar as their entrance processes allow more scope to take bright but 'one sided' children. So perhaps very good at maths but weaker in English. For London Grammar 11+ you need to reach a high bar in everything.

Thanks everyone. Yes, completely aware of the struggles, and posting to explore the options for a very bright boy who is keen on an academic environment that will stimulate him and understand his twice-exceptionality. Happy to take suggestions of other secondary schools that would fit this bill.

I don't know the individual schools but how does the dyslexia present? There are lots of people who develop coping strategies which mask their dyslexia - it is quite common for undergrads to find out that they are dyslexic.

My dyslexic daughter went to a super selective grammar for 6th form and had the happiest 2 years of her school career. She would not have passed 11+ however (although did get into a well regarded selective indie) - it took her until her GCSEs to sufficiently embed strategies to be able to produce written work that showed her capabilities plus she worked extremely hard. Her reading difficulties had all but disappeared by lower KS2. By secondary, her difficulties were primarily to do with spelling and organisation of written work along with difficulties with taking notes and memorising information. Now at uni, she continues to find proof reading her own work difficult and sometimes has strange sequencing in her essays.

I tutor people with dyslexia and strongly feel that it should not be allowed to limit them academically but to succeed they need to have a clear understanding of what they find difficult and strategies to work around their particular difficulties. They also need to be prepared to put in a lot more effort in certain areas than somebody who is not dyslexic -particularly tough when you are a teenager.