Dyspraxia and 7+ Entrance Exam

[artichaut27]

My DS is applying for entrance exam for a small Private school in the South West of England.

It is a selective academic school but nothing compared to London schools. There will be approx 35 kids applying for 22 spots max.

They are a bit vague about their expectations. The letter says the test is 'age appropriate'. At the open evening, they told me that they choose children who are at least average but preferably above average.

The exam is informal lasting 4 hours, testing Maths, Reading, Comprehension. They also have to write a story, which seems to be pivotal to the exam.

My DS is at good level for maths and he's Free Reader.

The problem is that DS is Dyspraxic and writing a story is a real chore for him. I've tried to help him over the break, but it's like asking a cat to cross a river! He's stories are pretty weak and below average.

I'm really worried that this will cause him to fail the exam. They know he's dyspraxic, but they don't seem to really want to make exceptions for him.

Anyone has a link/guidance to what is reasonably expected of a 7 year old when producing a story?

I've also posted this in the mainstream primary chat. But I thought I would pick your brains on the SEN aspects of things.

Thanks!

Is it really the right place for him if they aren’t willing to make exceptions for him? It would ring alarm bells for me. Have they said that they will support him if he gets in? Sorry, I am posing more questions than I am answering.

Thanks Raaaaah! The same concern was raised in the mainstream chat.

I can't say I'm 100% confident this is the best school for him. Given the choice in our area it would be the most suitable long term for him.

Secondary schools are not really good around here. It is very difficult to get into the Independent school we're aiming at at 11+. Now is the easiest time for him to get in.

State schools have not done great with the Special Needs aspects of things here. His first school, ''Ofsted Outstanding", fobbed me off constantly when I knew something wasn't right. His current school is small, very lovely but I know they don't have time and ressources to provide for his needs. I know they are doing their best. With extra tuition, he would be fine there up to year 6. Problem is after year 6.

It feels like a lot of pressure too soon. But if he get in Independent school now, that would almost guarantee a better quality secondary education.

I know for a fact from other mums, that the Independent school do really well with Special Needs kids. I think they are worried that his special needs mean that he can't function properly academically.

My DS1 is bright but a bit of an oddball, very creative, dreamer, with wacky original ideas. In the right place, he will do well. The Independent school has great Art, Music, D&T and Theatre facilities.

Finding the Goldielocks school around here with his oddball and SEN profile is a bit of a Chinese riddle.

I have two sons who don't learn "normally". The young one in reception is ''more able'' and pretty much 2 years ahead of curriculum. He complains that he doesn't want to go school because he's ''bored and has had enough of playing''. He would fit perfectly in the Independent School.

I don’t have much experience with what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of modifications for private entrance exams as DS’s needs are more profound so he wouldn’t stand a chance but I am assuming that private schools can admit as they wish as that is the very nature of selective education. Would they let him type or have a scribe? You can but ask. To be blunt he either will or won’t get in and you don’t have that much influence over it. The only other option I can think of is getting his younger brother in and then going for a sibling place?

If I were you I would suss out the other options available so you don’t feel the pressure of this school being the soul option available. Go and look at the state secondaries, don’t go on heresay. If you decide that they aren’t for you then at least you know. It might be that they would be acceptable to you alongside private specialist tuition. Would you move for the right school? Weekly boarding? Just think about all the possible scenarios. Good luck

Thanks a lot Raaaah. Great ideas!

From what I've read private schools have very little obligations when it comes to selection. It seems to be up to them entirely and their criteria. This is what worries me. And I know I have no control.

His handwriting is legible but when he has to write a story it will be uglier (lower and upper caps, wrong formation and size) than when just copying a text.

Once admitted, they would have one laptop per child in Junior School for certain things, which would be great for him. So I don't think they'll be worried about the quality of his handwriting.

In any case, once we finish the whole entry exam palaver, I'll go back to helping him on purely dyspraxia stuff like learning how to type and do things like mind mapping.

Really good point about trying again when my DS2 gets in! It hadn't crossed my mind. I'm really new to the private school system, and out of my depths. I'm French and private schools are a rarity in France. The quality of state school used to be fairly homogenous when I grew up.

Boarding is also a good option to keep in mind, as we would be less attached to a particular area.

Thanks a lot again. Very helpful.

Good luck and I hope you find something you are happy with.
To be honest from your description of his writing it doesn’t sound like he would vary that wildly from a child without dyspraxia who hasn’t been tutored. Our second child has no SENs and your sons writing sounds like a pretty fair description of her writing at that age.

Thanks Raaaaah.

His writing does look very immature with letters up to an inch high. So he will stand out but it’s legible. Problem is that his concentrating on writing sucks up all of his working memory. he can’t write and think of his story at the same time.

I’m pretty at peace with the fact he might not get in. One of my friends pointing that if he gets in by a whisker and struggles there in YR3 it wouldn’t be great for his self-esteem.

Che sera sera. Thanks again for your help.

I am having similar problems regarding my daughter. She has mild SEN, probably (? - I will investigate more fully once she has had an ed psych assessment) too mild to go to a special school but is behind enough that so far I'm feeling I'm barking up the wrong tree with these mainstream independent school 'taster days'. I have only picked the so-called 'nurturing [not rabidly academic]' ones and I don't think she would struggle if she went. The schools say they already have children with mild ADHD/dyslexia. I just suspect they don't want any more kids like that and there is such pressure on places even the less selective schools can be choosy.

Shybutnotretiring, it's a real dilemma.

I think it's good idea to do the cognitive. Are you going to do it with school or private? From my friend's experience for her boy with more severe SEN, the school Ed Psych might do a cheap job. It might be worth asking what test they will actually use.

If you do it privately you might get have a better picture of strengths and weaknesses if they use the WISC.

I will do the cognitive this year privately (our current school has 12 hours Ed Psych for the year!). I want to know where his strengths are, so I can work with him more positively. My suspicion is that he is very 'Visual Spatial', and he's wired differently because his visual skills are very dominant (no science here, just a hunch). He also has Auditory Processing Disorder and I'm on waiting list for SPD.

I've listened to a very interesting French psychiatrist specialist in children with 'dys'. He said that, long term, kids with mild/moderate 'dys' do well because they are used to working harder than their peers and their 'dys' won't get too much in the way of functioning.

So there is room for hope!

Indeed. She'll be going to an assessment with a private ed psych in March. I've been asking her current school for her to see the local authority ed psych for years (she is 9 in March) and it's clear that they will never do it. I really should've done it a year ago. What I am really hoping for is that the ed psych will give me a good steer as to which school is best for her but really I know people don't necessarily know or don't like to commit themselves. But at any rate if despite a flunked assessment she and I really like a school it's worth a shot at being able to say OK her reading/spelling/maths are dodgy but you can see from this assessment report that she's intelligent and has potential. I think she will struggle emotionally and from a sensory perspective (she will be having the ADOS assessment for ASD soon hopefully) if she goes to the big state secondary. She really needs small class sizes too.

Finding out where our DCs intelligence lies is important in many ways. A good school will know what to do with the potential. Also you might find find your DD is twice exceptional, which is a profile of learner that needs a certain type of nurturing. Children will naturally use their strengths to compensate for their weaknesses, but it's essential to have real picture of it to find the right strategies.

I suspect that my DS has slow processing speed. My 'more able' 4 year old replies maths questions quicker than him, which is tough for him.

The Ed Psych might know of good schools (independent or not) for SEN children. Also have you looked at the Pathos website for dyslexia Specialist Teachers?

My DS1 is currently in a class of 23 in an undersubscribed school with a 'need improvement' ofsted. It's a very nurturing school and he's learned so much more since he's there. A lot of it is because his teacher knows him really well, there are less distractions, kids are happy and well-behaved.

Yes, we have a Patoss tutor. It was she who suggested the school DD is trying out on Tuesday. Unfortunately both DD and I detected frosty vibes when we met the headteacher. So hopes are not high! There are only 19 in DD's class even though it is a regular state school. Kind of ironic that when a school is unpopular it can mean really small class sizes which is great of course.

Ooops Patoss not Pathos! (DS2 woke me up early this morning! Feeling a bit cross-eyed)

With my husband, we are feeling that DS2 getting in or not is now entirely down to luck (level of other kids, how many are applying etc.)

I know they have the means to support his creativity, but I don't want it to be at the cost of academic expectations that he can't keep up with.

His primary school is lovely and he'll be happy there for the next 3 year that we'll try to apply for the independent school.

So Tuesday is exam day or taster day? Have you met the form teacher?

It's a taster and assessment day which will include English and Maths assessments. No only the headteacher. Oh well, we'll have to see how it goes. But if it is not a goer I won't be approaching any others until she's been for the ed psych assessment.

Shybutnotretiring How was the taster day?

They were very nice, unlike a previous taster day at another school, but it was a no, her academic levels are just too low. So I'll decide what I do next after the ed psych assessment.

Have you seen this link?
I don't know if it's around where you live.

www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/schools-for-dyslexia-united-kingdom.html

Thanks, there are two on there I may well approach after the ed pysch assessment. Interestingly, the lady who assessed her yesterday thought she was dyslexic although it is not formally diagnosed yet. The trouble is, DD is already a bit fed up with these taster days so there is this dilemma; I will feel really bad dragging her round school after school unsuccessfully but if she doesn't do any more we'll never know whether she could've got in somewhere that would be really good for her. Best of luck with your applications - is the exam soon?

It is a dilemma! It is painful to put them through all that work, with no tangible positive outcome for them. It's also difficult to explain to them that in the long run it might be beneficial.

From what I've read, and from my own experience as 'possible dyspraxic', children with mild/moderate 'dys' are more resilient. The world is not designed for them, so they always have to adapt and work more than their peers. My DS is pretty 'gritty', but the assessment prep is having a toll on him too.

Exam is on Saturday next week. I'm drafting an email to the registrar, not to ask for more time (which he does need) but asking for help from the teacher to manage his time when doing story writing. It's also a veiled way of saying that he won't do well in that area due to dyspraxia.

We'll see but I'm not counting our chickens!

I resorted to straightforward financial bribery with DD but I think they still had to coax her to get her to have a go at a lot of the questions!

If it doesn't put them off altogether!

I think it's well worth contacting them. If they're nice they'll will try and make some accommodations.

Best of luck.

Good news! DS1 got offered a place at the local Independent School.

Reading the Inspection report for the school online, I realised that they had doubled the number of SEN kids in the school over the last 4 years. The population of SEN children is now of 10% of the school. Which is representative of the normal population.

The Inspection report underlines that they have made a great effort on provisions for SEN as well and G&T.

I should have read the inspection report earlier, as it would have given me a better picture of the school.

Anyway, we're really happy for DS1. It means they should look after him well.

Congratulations! That must be a weight off your mind. I saw another promising school at an open day on Saturday, but will wait for the ed psych assessment first before approaching ...

Thanks! It is a big weight off indeed. Especially when I know that DS2 will easily get in, so we won't have to go through the hard work and stress.

I think Independent schools might be changing re SEN. Reading the Inspection report I saw that there is a pressure to look after SEN and G&T well.

You might want to check out the school on the Inspectorate website:
www.isi.net/reports/

Good luck with Cognitive Assessment and schools search.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of looking at those ISI reports. Very useful info although a lot of research needed to compare the amounts of SEN pupil when they are different sized schools etc!