Hi everyone,
Our son has had a really difficult secondary school experience due to severe bullying, which unfortunately led to PTSD, depression and a range of ongoing emotional difficulties. We eventually moved between hybrid learning and home schooling until we finally found a small school, and he has just managed to complete GCSEs, which feels like a major milestone for us as a family- but unfortunately, that school ends at 16.
Through some incredible kindness from a few mums here, we were supported in securing a place at St Chris' School. We genuinely went in with the best intentions, secured the admission and even paid the deposit, hoping it would be the right fit for him. However, the daily travel from North West London to Letchworth is just not workable for him at all. He is also very clear that he does not want to move away from home, so relocation isn’t something we can pursue.
There are also ongoing assessments around possible ASD traits (nothing formal yet), but he very much presents as someone who becomes extremely distressed by change and demand. The earlier trauma from school is still a factor. So sadly, after all the admissions process and effort, we seem to be back to square one.
I’m wondering if anyone could kindly suggest any small, nurturing schools in London that might be more suitable? Ideally something with a strong SEN-aware ethos, small classes, strong pastoral support and continuity of staff (this really seems to matter for him), but not necessarily overtly specialist, as we don’t yet have a diagnosis and I worry about him feeling labelled or exposed in that way.
We’re in North West London, so anywhere reasonably accessible on the tube would be ideal. We are very open at this stage—private, non-selective, or otherwise—anything that offers a calm, contained, supportive environment. We would genuinely consider loans if needed. What matters most is finding somewhere he can feel safe and not overwhelmed.
We’ve looked at a few options already but are really struggling to find the right fit, especially given that larger local schools feel too big and industrial in scale for where he is right now.
One school that was mentioned to us was Abingdon House School in Marylebone. I’m not sure if something like that would be too specialist or whether it might actually be a good fit at this stage. Someone also mentioned a similar type of setting possibly in Fulham ( Burlington?), but I may have misunderstood that, so I’d be grateful if anyone has thoughts on comparable schools or experiences with this kind of provision.
Sorry for the long message — I’m just trying to explain properly. I do feel a bit intimidated posting this, but I’m really hoping for some lived experience or suggestions from those who may have been through something similar.
Thank you so much for reading, and in advance for any thoughts.
warm wishes