Good schools for dyslexic children - south west (within 2 hours of London)

[changer22]

DS (7) is really struggling and we are looking at specialist schools for dyslexic children within reach of Heathrow airport (for DH's work).

We are willing to move from the south east to find cheaper housing to fund the school fees (and because we like the area!).

We've read about Calder House. Their aim is to return children to mainstream education within a couple of years which appeals as we would like DS to return to regular schooling.

Does anyone have any knowledge or experience of the school or any other suggestions?

Thanks.

Thanks for that - working out which scheme does what is confusing!

Moore House, Farnham or Moon House, I think near Dorking

I too have a very positive experience of More House School near Farnham and would not hesitate to recommend it. My sons have made good progress and are very happy there. Can't recommend their previous school Appleford on Salisbury Plain though which has had its Ofsted care report downgraded to good this year and is changing headteachers again this September.

Anna Worthington uses the Sound Reading System -recommended!

www.dyslexics.org.uk/sound_reading_system.htm

Unicorn School in Abingdon is excellent and only about an hour from Heathrow

Kingsley school in Croydon is a mainstream primary that is very good with SEN children. They are the local centre for hearing-impaired DC and have a lot of DC who do not speak English as a first language - basically it's a school that accepts DC with all sorts of different needs and helps them.

I see mention of the Bruern Abbey School. Anyone out there with experience of the place? Would they recommend it? Strengths/weaknesses?

Anna Worthington is a colleague - I cannot recommend her highly enough.
www.worthingtontutoring

Good luck.

Sorry I am a little late to this conversation! My son is at The Unicorn School in Abingdon. It is an amazing school small, nurturing, achieves fabulous results from the children. We say we've got our son back! New head last year doing great things came from a prep school for dyslexia in Wiltshire. Bruern (near Bicester) is close to us - bigger and for the less dyslexic child wanting to take common entrance. Get in touch if you need more help x

Hi I’ve just called Appleford to ask about it may I ask what your problems were with the school please. My child has already been to 5 schools and is only 13 so need to make sure her gcse school years are in a school that can help her.
Dawn

But Moors House school is for children with speech and language problems which my dyslexic daughter doesn’t have. Will it still be able to help my child or will I be wrong to send her because she will not need help with that side of things.

There are two More Houses! The one in oxtead is the speech and Language place the one in Farnham is the dyslexia one. The Helen Arkell centre is also there. Earlier up thread someone said Stanbridge Earls!! It closed under a scandal about four be years ago! depends on severity of dyslexia. Moonhall in Surrey a specialist dyslexia school bit lots of the schools lump the kids in together with lots of learning difficulties or additional needs, autism, social and emotional, so you need to do your homework as what would suit best. The "crested"website probably best place to start.

Oh just looked it up more school is for boys so no good for my cherub.

Bruern Abbey

Sorry just noticed you Dc is a girl

Bredon House looks pretty amazing. I'm hoping we'll be able to send our dd there...

Hello all. Just wanted to post a warning about Emerson House, Hamersmith. They run a very opaque style of teaching, tell you very little and then wack you for more attendance days and fees. Every term we were pushed at vast expense to adhere to more days, on top of regular school. None of this would have mattered had the teaching been individually tailored, as all dyslexic specialist teaching at that level should be.
Just make sure you are across the details and are getting comprehensive progress reports.
My daughter wasted a year there being poorly taught by a newly trained former receptionist. It proved to be an expensive waste of time and we left along with another child.

Ask lots of questions!