High COIN secondary school recommendations - Surrey

[Coffee999]

Hi, my daughter is being advised to attend a High Coin secondary school or unit.

She is in Year 5 currently. She is autistic, high anxiety, academic but sensory needs, functional working memory issues etc.

We are working hard to secure an EHCP. We have a strong EP report and Clinical Psychology report both stating needs High coin secondary.

We will in Guildford, Surrey. Please could I have your recommendations for suitable secondary schools. I loved Moor House Oxsted but they say DLD must be the primary need - I don't know what my daughter's primary need is? Autisum? Emotional distress/anxiety?

Thank you

St Dominic’s would be the nearest High COIN SS. However, it is very boy heavy. Lots of SS are, but St Dominic’s is more boy heavy than many. Some with high levels of anxiety can find the environment too much. It would also depend on what you meant by academically able. There is Limpsfield Grange. Although it doesn’t work for all girls, and, again, it would also depend on what you meant by academically able. The last option would be Hopescourt. Not as established as the other 2, and IMO it is not worth the travel time DD would have.

Independent school wise, there is Unsted Park. Another quiet boy heavy school and their cohort at the moment includes some who can display challenging behaviour. And there will be Leith Hill - a bit of an unknown right at this moment.

Your nearest High COIN centre by the time DD starts secondary would be at Guildford County, but you could look at St John the Baptist too. Also Rodborough’s cullum centre. Units in mainstreams work well for some DC. However, think about how DD will cope within mainstream because ultimately they are still part of a mainstream secondary with the sensory environment that entails. How will she cope with being in mainstream lessons? If you have 2 reports saying SS, I would seriously consider how DD would cope in a mainstream environment.

DD’s primary need is probably ASD.

Thank you so much. Your insight is so helpful. My dd is currently working at expected level in all subjects dropping from greater depth due to her needs.

Do you know which sort of profile gets on well at Limpfield Grange? Do you know much about Wemms? I looked around Leith Hill and the message was ‘we will decide what we do depending on the cohort we receive….’ it was so poor compared to the structure and expertise of Moorhouse, Oxsted.

Do you know much about Undershaw in Hindhead?

I have looked around Rodborough and County too. If she can stay in the centre if she’s too anxious, she could be fine but if they say she has to spend some time in the mainstream classes then it may not work.

Thank you

The problem you describe with the centres is why they don’t work for a lot of DC. DC are expected to integrate into mainstream lessons some of the time.

If DD is cognitively able enough to get greater depth, even if she isn’t achieving that right now due to her needs, Undershaw wouldn’t be academic enough IMO. Wemms is a marmite school. Parents either love it or hate it. From your posts, I suspect DD needs a level of therapeutic input they are unable to provide. Limpsfield Grange works really well for girls who are more vulnerable. They have animals, so it also works well for girls who use animals to self regulate. It doesn’t always work so well for those who need a more individualised approach or some autistic girls who find socialising with boys easier. Don’t rule out Leith Hill because of the uncertainty. They aren’t going to have the specifics Moor House can give because it isn’t established. One benefit of that is there is less likely to be a set in stone ‘this is how we do things’ mentality some SS have.

Thank you so much x