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Secondary education

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Oxted county - good for special needs?

4 replies

meagle · 22/02/2010 14:25

Help! My 12 year old son hates school (he's dyslexic, dyspraxic and is currently being evaluated for Asperger's), is socially isolated and gets no classroom help in school.

We're thinking of moving out of London to Oxted, but I have no idea how he'll fit into a new school, especially one with high academic standards.

Does anyone have any experience of the school and how well (or otherwise) it handles less-academically able kids?

Any advice appreciated!

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ShrinkingViolet · 01/03/2010 13:27

no direct experience of SEN at Oxted, but the pastoral side there is vv good. Some classes/children do have TAs in class with them, but don't know how they are allocated/assessed. There's a VI unit attached to the school, and there is a fair amount of specialist equipment available.

Re less academic children, as it's a big school, there are lots of sets for subjects, so you don't get the same situation as in a smaller school where different abilitites are lumped in together simply to make up a full class. That has benefitted us at the more academic end certainly.

Best bet is to ring the school and speak to them, even get down for a visit, as IME everyone has been incredibly helpful.

Only other thing is that it is a big school, and is busy and noisy, so depending on your DS's actual needs (if he needs space and peace for example, then the corridors aren't ideal) there might be some issues, but not any more than in any senior school I'd've thought. Re being socially isolated, because there are so many pupils, "different" children don't stand out quite as much as in a smaller school, and there is a much bigger range of possible friendships. Loads of sporty boys, geeky boys, slacker boys, quiet boys, arty boys, musical boys.

Good luck - it's nice down here!

meagle · 02/03/2010 17:08

Dear Shrinking Violet - thanks so much for the info! We have booked a tour and fingers crossed we and he like it. He is at at v. big London school at the mo' and has developed a lot of anxiety issues, so I'm hoping that somewhere out of town will be less aggressive.

Agree that size = greater variety of possible friendship groups, and a geeky boy group sounds promising.

Our next hurdle will be to get in - I understand there are waiting lists for his year group - but then that's the position for almost every desirable school within commuting distance! We are giving up a lot to move out - longer, more expensive commute, leaving good neighbours,etc, but I'm confident it's the right thing to do! Thanks for your encouragement.

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LIZS · 02/03/2010 17:10

The priority admissions area is shrinking every year too. So you may need to move very close to get near the top of the waiting list.

meagle · 02/03/2010 20:48

Thanks Lizs - we are aware of this. At one school we enquired about in Bromley, kids at the top of the waiting list were 0.2 miles from the school. It's all v. stressful but at least we have the means to move, unlike many other parents in a similar situation.

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