Spring School / Wemms (Woodstock house school) info

[HillBetty]

Sorry i know its niche... any feedback on Wemms (Woodstock house school) or Spring School Kingston? Academically very able Y4 ASC / ADHD - specialist provision needed for Salt / OT / teaching approach and small classes. Spring have just said they will assess... but due to bad paperwork about 20 schools ive approached have rejected / full / unsuitable... hence have no actual alternatives to look at or suggest if they name it. We are kingston / surrey border

Depending on what you mean by very academically able, the Spring school may not have a peer group working at the same academic level.

Wemms/Woodstock House has a very mixed reputation. It is a marmite school. Parents either love it or hate it. Some of these experiences are from before changes started to be made. Although they can cater for academically able DC, depending on what you mean by very academically able, they may not have any/many working at the same level.

Thanks. Dc is not behind despite not coping well in MS class. Does maths in head / reading very well / engaging conversations/ participates with ideas / enjoys learning and great knowledge retention.

Just cant cope in a MS class and needs the salt / ot etc provision in specialist as well as the fact they will understand him.

Not a genius by any means but if he didnt have adhd asc, you would expect him do do just fine with school, learning, exams... everyone agrees its MS environment.

Apologies if my terminology was incorrect or offended

Appreciate your response.

Y4 so not like I am thinking too much about gcse etc

You didn’t offend me or use the wrong terminology. Different people use ‘academically able’ to mean different things, so I was just meaning that. For example, some people mean their DC isn’t struggling academically and working around ARE. Some mean it to use their DC is working well above peers of the same age. Some use it when discussing those who have an IQ in the gifted range. Some use it to talk about cognitive potential rather than the current level their DC is working at.

Ok thanks so I mean remove the barriers that MS environment puts in his way and he is very able to meet same expectations as his NT peers. And those peers would do well at gcse a level and go to uni.

I have no expectations of him following that route as he is too young to think about that, we just want him to do what works for him.. and currently he also wants to do art and maths as a degree... 😀

do you know where I would get reviews on spring / wemms?

You might find reviews by asking around locally.

There are some posts on MN about Wemms. When reading them, take into account it is a marmite school and many of the posts were written before the changes to the school.

Obviously I know very little about DS, but I would suggest Wemms isn’t going to be suitable.

but due to bad paperwork about 20 schools ive approached have rejected / full / unsuitable...

BTW about ^this, for schools that are not wholly independent, you don’t need an offer of a place in order for them to be named and on its own being full is not enough of a reason to refuse to name your preferred placement. Similarly, just because a non-wholly independent school says they are unsuitable, doesn’t necessarily mean the legal bar is met for not naming them.

For wholly independent schools, if the decision has been made based on an incorrect picture, contact schools yourself to provide accurate information and up to date evidence.

Ok thanks- yes beggining to think a school for my child doesnt exist so wondering what the compromises are

I think spring are assessing to your point of full. Eg they said no open days etc no applications as fully but LA sent papers after we lodged appeal and also judicial action on section F theraputic provision

On and on it goes!!

Thanks

If it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school, there is EOTAS/EOTIS.

Not inappropriate just the LA haven't bothered to provide OT and SALT as an example. So while in MS we want this but also want a special school as LA agreed but hard to find. Unsure why its so tough (beyond capacity issues)

Shall keep trudging about finding reviews of each school

If SALT and OT are detailed, specified and quantified in F but aren't being provided, they can be enforced, via JR if necessary. Have you sent a pre-action letter?

However, it is only enforceable if it is detailed, specified and quantified. If it is vague and woolly, it isn’t worth the paper it is written on and you should try to improve it. Including via appeal if necessary.

Yes our solicitors have and the La agreed they will provide and now its gone to a panel so we are going through to next legal steps. I am wondering if all this hassle from us is prompting the issuing of papers to schools after us having to do it all for the past 3 - 4 months!

Thanks will try snd find local reviews somewhere!

I would still send your EHCP to Woodstock House School and see what they say. They'll say no if he isn't a good fit for their offer but I wouldn't write places off without trying. Woodstock House tend to match to the cohort which is slightly different in each year group. If you feel the paperwork is misleading then I would write a cover note explaining that and why. I think the marmite school is an outdated description based on how the old principal ran the school.

There are still parents who love or hate the school based on current experiences. That isn’t outdated description. Not that I think people shouldn’t look at it or let them put them off, but it is something to be aware of, especially when considering others’ views of it.

Thanks both. I will be reaching out as have new report and will be doing a one pager for them to review vs cohort.

The EP said very bright high average IQ (not gifted not that I thought he was!) With lots of potential when in correct setting.

So have a few compromises to make. But need options first.

Thanks

I’m interested in where you’ve got to schools wise. We are in a similar position with DD who’s a bit younger (yr2) - she’d ADHD/ASD but very bright and academically able in the right setting (we think), but struggling in a quite fast-paced mainstream independent currently. Mostly keeping up academically but needing a lot of support and struggling with sensory issues / environment, focus and emotions. Currently going through appeal and looking at alternative schools but starting to think the right school doesn’t exist. We’ve scheduled private EP, OT and SLT assessments so hoping that sheds more light on what to look for but almost certainly needs either small class sizes and / or 1-2-1 plus OT and SALT. The other challenge I have is finding a school which is not 75% boys as I think she needs a reasonable number of girls in her peer group.

@Jellybean023 ... we have not got that far. The EP report received just before xmas so things only getting going again now.

EP says highly intelligent hugh IQ and lots of potential (not gifted - we knew this and also a plus)

Reinforces the OT SALt and small classes.

However the school he needs seems to be a unicorn

EP no to Semh as he is not defined by his behaviour, its environmental and also how people treat him.

Ive been to Leith hill open day which contradicted via the Q&A what they said in a NO response earlier in 2025. However they also seem to want to take people who are out of school and that lever of trauma and anxiety alongside ASC.

Wemms has open day this Wednesday.

What i have found as I travel round schools and may be relevant to you (only my view) :

• some school dont start until ks2 or later eg y4/5 - I assume because regardless if boy or girl that its son hard to get diagnoses / get an ehcp / gather evidence / appeal / etcetera that very few cohort exist in early years.

• girls are very much not getting diagnosis / recognising symptoms so all schools are top heavy with boys and the schools recognise this when asked or volunteer the knowledge- Leith Hill want to get to 50/50

• due my my son asc and adhd presentation being somewhat "undesirable" and "naughty" (despite being infrequent and not harmful more disruptive) he cant go to an Indy Mainstream. However if you can find a nurturing one that isn't all about academics and the ehcp then supports the staffing and ot salt - if your daughter is pretty calm behaviour wise maybe that would work. Case of talking to each one I suppose.

I am also struggling between academics and environment. Now and the future etc

If i knew 2 / 3 years ago what i know now he would be in a waldorf school but now thats not an option due to his mainstream behaviour after he broke tllast year and then folk telling me its not academic enough

See it doesn't exist!!

Sorry no help - hope you find something. X

Thanks for replying - if you’d like to compare notes I’d be happy to message directly as I think we’re looking for something similar in a similar location. I also went to the leith hill open day and came away thinking it had lots of positives that would really work for her, but as she’s not out of school / not struggling that much I kind of felt she might not be the right fit. The location was also off putting as it’s a minimum 45 mins drive with no public transport.

Unfortunately “behaviour” is our key challenge which really limits options. She is generally a very well behaved child but can be easily triggered by environment or challenge placed on her which can lead to tantrum type behaviours, relatively frequent. She’s also not harmful, just disruptive. What we don’t know is whether this would dramatically improve in a different environment (she’s currently in a very large, fast-paced, highly academic independent white limited SEN provision / experience). We’ve got an EP assessment scheduled for next month so keen to see what that says. Her paediatrician is adamant we should be trying to keep her in mainstream with support.

Agree Leith Hill is very far and well up a hill in the middle of no where! Took me 1hr 20 on friday evening to get back from the event.

Our peadatrician said no to Indy and keep in state MS. Ive met people advised to not go back to Indy for protection as exclusion is not as protected at state, until they get the EHCP and sen school. But then more deregulate as classes so big!

As your DD is still much younger (in SEN terms) ill share that i met someone with a DD at a local event and her child has a PDA profile and her school - an independent MS - was very caring and nurturing. So something does exist. However I have no idea what the name is sorry.

Ill PM u.