Specialist speech and language school

[BurnedToast]

My son has developmental language disorder and in Yr 6. We're in the midst of fighting the LA for an EHCP (almost there now) so got a very experienced SaLT to see him. She has said he has severe receptive language disorder and needs a specialist speech and language school. I know of Moor House in Surrey and Blossom House in Motspur Park. Are there any others? We are in Surrey but willing to travel. Thank you.

Dawn House near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire
St Catherine's on the Isle of Wight
St Mary's in Bexhill on Sea

Have a look at their latest Ofsted and CQC reports.

However, if Moor House is your nearest and they offer DC a place, I imagine the LA would go for that, as transport costs will be the lowest unless there are minibuses to the others. The LA has to make the most efficient use of resources. Are you looking at a day place or residential - again, the LA would go for the day placement, as the cheaper option unless you can make a compelling argument for a waking or 24 hour curriculum?

Apologies - Ofsted do the education and care reports now!

There is also Alderwasley Hall School, near Matlock, Derbyshire.

ICAN The Meath in Ottershaw

Thank you all. Any others?

There is also Percy Hedley, which is somewhere near Newcastle; but having travelled thousands of miles myself with a child in residential specialist schools, unless its the only place there is for your child, then driving up to Newcastle and back from Surrey regularly to attend meetings like parents' evenings, annual reviews, school fairs, etc would be exhausting!

Even a drive, which should take 1.5 hours on motorways, can be 5 - 8 hours if the motorway is closed (like the M25)!

If you search on line, you will find other specialist residential schools, which name speech and language among their specialisms - but they won't be specialist speech and language schools. Say all the children have a combination of MLD/SLD/EBD/cerebral palsy/ASD then its likely they might have speech and language difficulties; but they are not going to be a suitable peer group for your son, who presumably is in the normal intelligence range (if he is in mainstream in Y6) with a developmental language disorder.

I suggest you look at the peer group for your son, when you look round any school - and ask to see the children in the class and residential accommodation he might go into.

Ring the Afasic Helpline - they will be up to date, if any new schools have opened up.

We were in a similar position to you last June. My DD was diagnosed with severe developmental lang disorder and she was about to start in y6. Thus far it had been blamed on her being bilingual so she’d never had any salt. I called every specialist salt school under the sun and she was due to go in to moor house for a trial. She really didn’t want to board and moving wasn’t ideal. Anyway after a very very stressful 6 months we have secured a place in a state secondary school that has an amazing provision and her EHC has been so carefully worded by me she’s actually receiving lots of SALT at school and has a 1:1. She’s made masses of progress in the last school year and her speech is unrecognisable (she scored in the 0.2% for expressive lang and 2% for receptive last June) she’s now in the 40’s.
I would agree with the other posters in making sure this is the very last choice. For my DD keeping her in her school with intense support increased her confidence loads. Obviously she has a long way to go and we will see if this secondary is all it’s cracked up to be but so far she’s had 7 transition days and they have been as good as they’ve said they will. This is a local ‘good’ ofsted school 20 mins from our house so don’t discount those.
I know receptive Lang issues can be particularly troublesome though so got with your gut and for us it helped taking DD with us to all the open days- we could never really see her in the school if you know what I mean.
All those schools are very helpful and are very much used to emotional parents and LEAs!

Sorry wanted to add- both the private EP and SALT we saw also said this is a child you see in a language unit and really stressed how great she’d do in Moor House. The EP in particular didn’t like our choice of not going to moor house, but I think we’ve made the right choice. Only you know what your son needs- stick to your gut even if it’s against ‘professional’ advice.

St Dominic's in Hambledon, Surrey
The Moat School, Fulham

My son attends st catherines if you have any questions

Hello!
I have been reading this with interest.
Our ds is 13 and has been diagnosed with a reading comprehension deficit disorder. Otherwise he is mainstream. But as he progresses they school he's not able to keep up in a few subjects. He has slt.
I have had a look at many of the websites for these schools - they are so expensive.
Can I ask - are families self funding or are local authorities paying for this?

Thank you!

Local authorities pay for them for most people. I knew of a celebrity who self funded their child, but that is all!