Independent schools with good SEN in South/SE London

[MumInScramble]

Hi All - My DS in Y6 in state primary and in bit of scramble about secondary schools. I know it's tight on timelines now, so bit of urgent plea for info help!
DS is abt right level for Maths but is lagging behind on English (specifically reading comprehension) - he's great with Mental Maths, Spellings and Reading per se had never been an issue but comprehension has been a big challenge which we have realised extent of only in the last year which is impacting him academically. He's been supported for speech/language delays and referred for ASD/ADHD diagnosis LY (still waiting) - this is obviously unusually late but believe it's owing to his symptoms being milder.
The state school options in this area aren't great and want to invest in private but not overly selective (or even non-selective) and with good SEN. DS is motivated to excel academically , but is de-motivated about his reading comprehension - so want to give him a good chance of stretching to his full potential.
Can you please share about any schools that could be a good fit?
We live in Greenwich but would consider moving for a great school.
FYI so far considering Colfe's & St. Dunstan's though these may be on the ambitious end given English + unsure of fit. The others have heard of with SEN support or mixed ability: Farringdon/Royal Russell/ Thames Christian College/ Riverston. Will be visiting schools in next few weeks but find it quite hard to gauge from visits alone and would love to hear from experienced parents.
Many Thanks!

Bump

Thames Christian sounds perfect but I'm not familiar with the others. It is small but great for kids like your son.

Farringtons in Chislehurst (is that the one you meant by Farringdons?) is a lovely school. Depending on the SEN the needs may be well met or you may have to pay extra for support if this isn’t funded by a statement but at least it is an honest conversation the school has with parents. A friend had a DS there in the lower school and moved away but moved her son back to the school as it best met his needs with the extra support. I would worry though it may not be the right environment for a child gifted in maths but do take a closer look and see what you think.

Farringtons has an open morning during the week after next I think. As you say you will need to get a move on - the entrance exam for Farringtons is at the end of November so registrations must be soon.

So I only have experience of the above school - and only at junior level/non asd. They have managed to support a group of higher ability yr 6 maths students really well but I'm not too sure about seniors. There will be a new head by next September and the senior sch teachers I have spoken to all seem pretty good and aspirational for standards to improve.

I've visited RR for sports events and it has great facilities. Anecdotally I've heard they are accepting of dyslexia - again I would say worth a quick chat. When I looked there were no school buses which put me off!

Fairley House in central London may be worth a look. It's right by Pimlico station so good transport links. They pitch themselves as a dyslexia specialist but take a range of children IME. Have a look at their website and maybe do a school visit?

Whitgift has an absolutely excellent learning support department and is down that way. Quite competitive to get in but his maths and verbal reasoning papers are strong it could be enough. Good luck op I know what a stressful process it all is

Thanks all for quick responses! DS hasn't been flagged for Dyslexia (great with spellings and phonics/reading words); would have helped to have proper diagnosis on comprehension learning difficulty - maybe this is a separate topic thread on SEN :)

@malmontar will visit Thames Christian; like the small school setup but bit unsure as ironically my son didn't take to a small private primary and pushed to move to neighbouring state school (with more kids) - he's a very social kid but given his social/communication skills, struggled to make friends.
@PettsWoodParadise & @chalkyc2 yes meant Farringtons, thx for the insight; will check on their focus on maths and SEN support
@TheFurryMenace Fairley house is interesting though seem to say no to ADHD/ASD but can chat and check as DS is potentially on the milder end (no behavioural issues in class)
@dancingbadger from what I hear Whitgift is fairly competitive; DS didn't pass Kent 11+ due to English (Maths & Reasoning just made the cut). So may be one for 13+ if DS manages to catch up on English/verbal skills

Whitgift is a top 100 indie so probably not realistic. Ewell Castle seems to be a popular option in these circumstances.

Just saw Fairley House fees are c.£11K per term

Was coming on here to say Whitgift. I haven’t heard good things about RR and SEN or abilities. AFAIK they look for good performance, anyone above or below their standard will get little support.

On Whitgift, as @JoJoSM2 says, isn't this still quite selective?

Whittier is incredibly selective. From friends' experience not mine SEN is usually better met in state sector, if they need to 1-1 or any additional help in private it is charged in top of the fee so you need to factor that in.

Whitgift...

Colfe's is getting more selective but we have friends with a child there with dyslexia and he's being well supported. Farringtons also has a supportive reputation but is less academic. School buses from Blackheath. Maybe visit St Dunstans too? You will pay extra for SEN support in the independents.

Yes, Whitgift or Dulwich etc are too academic.

OP, when you say 'about right' for Maths, do you mean 'expected standard'? But not achieving that for English?

My DS is at Whitgift and they have a fantastic learning support section and do offer support when sitting the exam but that is around providing extra time and using computers. My DD is at ST Dunstans and I would have suggested this for your DS however I should add that they changed the entrance exam a couple of years ago and it’s a timed online exam. Suits some DC but not all. It was a bit of a shock for some as the school was seen as an ‘easy’ option. I would still suggest you apply as I have found the school to be excellent. St Dunstans also do a eps (exam preparation scheme) however it is at the end of November over 3 days which can really help too.

Make sure your DS is sitting tests at home to help him prepare , he will need to get used to timed exams. There are plenty of examples on line and you can get bond books and get him doing tests everyday. State schools are not preparing for entrance exams so you need to do a lot yourself. Get him into a habit of sitting a test every day. You may be surprised to find he is at a higher standard that you realise. He should improve as he gets used to it. You only have a few months before the first exam

Actually, to add to the list, you could look at the Cedars in Croydon. If you're open to moving, then Radnor House could be an option.

Thanks @inwood, @lightsabre, @aweedropofsancerre. Started on tests prep, let's see where we get to in next couple of months.

@JoJoSM2 - sorry abt delay in coming back on your Qn; yes DS is expected standard for Maths but lagging behind in English (which is the concern)

Tbh, candidates for Whitgift and other top 100 schools need to be at 'greater depth' for English and Maths. It sounds like you've got a realistic list of potential options, OP.