Co-educational Day and Boarding School for Pupils Aged Eight to Eighteen
Top Tips on Choosing the Best Specialist School for your Child
- By Website Editor
- Published 03/14/2008
- News
- Unrated
Choosing the right school for your child is a difficult decision and one that every parent can relate to.
If your child requires specialist learning support, for a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia then this decision is magnified. Most independent schools are able to do a good job with children who are bright, above average or average. But what about those children who do not fit into this category, who have a specific learning need such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia or Dyscalculia?
You may want to take your child out of a state school because the classes are too big or because he/she is getting left behind or because the teacher does not know that he/she is dyslexic. Maybe you are worried that despite good attendance your child cannot yet read, spell his/her name or tell the time. These problems are not uncommon to us.
The first decision to make is whether you can rely on the schools in your area to support both you and your child. If your local school does not have adequate facilities, training or resources to help you then you may consider paying for or seeking state funding to send your child to a specialist dyslexia school such as Edington and Shapwick Specialist dyslexic school.
You may have to make the decision as to whether or not to send your child away to boarding school. Private education and boarding was once the preserve of the well off. Today that is not always the case with many parents deciding to give their children private education at great costs to themselves, financial or otherwise. The reason behind this is because education is important, it is the key to your child’s future. School is not only a place of learning it is also a place within which your child’s hopes, dreams and aspirations are born. School must nurture and build confidence, it must support and encourage, it must be a place of safety and sanctuary, a place within which your child feels the same as everyone else and makes friends. Failure on a daily basis is not a prescription for the development of self-esteem.
Edington and Shapwick provides all of this and much more. We pride ourselves in having done so since 1974. Our students are taught a mainstream curriculum, they are encouraged to take GCSE, AS, A2, BTEC, or GNVQ if that is right for them. Our students take part in competitive sport, they can choose from a vast range of after school activities. We offer students a well rounded education, an opportunity to experience a much broader range of activities and facilities than is normally offered. Click here to check out our photo gallery to see photos of children engaging in some of the lessons and activities provided.
When choosing a specialist independent school you need to carefully match the child to the school, and not perhaps choose the one down the road because it is closest to you. Think about what your child’s strengths are and whether the school you are considering will nurture these strengths. Equally, if not more, important are your child’s weaknesses. If your child has any special needs and needs additional learning support, is the school able to offer this? Many schools profess to have support, but go in for a taster day, speak to them on the phone, speak to your child about whether he/she sees themselves fitting in at this school. Do they take a holistic approach to your child’s needs? How big are their class sizes, can they match their promises?
If you are considering boarding there is often full boarding, weekly boarding or flexi-boarding and looking at the pastoral care will be vital. Check to see if your child can stay over for a taster night.
When you start out on your search for the right school for your child all it may seem daunting. Remember to check out the schools CReSTeD and OFSTED report, speak to the head, ask him/her how they think your child might fit in at their school. Exactly what do they offer and how might they be able help your child as an individual? Do they offer occupational/speech and language therapy should your child require this? It is very often the case that parents do not realize that their child requires this additional support over and above the specialist teaching that we provide and why would they? We are not all dyslexia specialists.
We provide everything for you and your child because that’s what we specialize in and that’s what we’ve been doing for 34 years. Don’t take our word for it, click here to check out our OFSTED and CReSTeD reports and come in and meet us for yourself.
By visiting and asking lots of questions you can usually uncover whether you feel your child would fit. If you feel your child is a natural at sport, do they have a strong sporting ethos and the facilities to match? If your child seems bright (and we all think our child is!) and you want your child to be pushed academically do they have the facility for accelerated learning? Is your child musical, or would you like them to be? Do you think they are a budding artist, illustrator, animator or blacksmith? Will the school support this? Are they friendly and approachable? Do you feel that as a parent you could go to the headmaster with a question? Most importantly do the children appear happy and are they smiling. Does the school spend money on the right teachers or money on making the school look very impressive, they may be fortunate enough to do both! These are all important questions.
Another good thing to check is feedback from other parents. You can click here to check out our testimonials pages to see what parents say about us. If you want to talk to parents just ask us and we’ll organize it.
Whether you decide to choose Edington and Shapwick or another specialist dyslexia school we hope that this article has helped you and we hope that whatever decision you make that both you and your child are happy.
Good luck in your search and please phone us on 01278 722 012 or drop us an email at edington@edingtonshapwick.co.uk if you need us for anything, we are never to busy to help.
If your child requires specialist learning support, for a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia then this decision is magnified. Most independent schools are able to do a good job with children who are bright, above average or average. But what about those children who do not fit into this category, who have a specific learning need such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia or Dyscalculia?
You may want to take your child out of a state school because the classes are too big or because he/she is getting left behind or because the teacher does not know that he/she is dyslexic. Maybe you are worried that despite good attendance your child cannot yet read, spell his/her name or tell the time. These problems are not uncommon to us.
The first decision to make is whether you can rely on the schools in your area to support both you and your child. If your local school does not have adequate facilities, training or resources to help you then you may consider paying for or seeking state funding to send your child to a specialist dyslexia school such as Edington and Shapwick Specialist dyslexic school.
You may have to make the decision as to whether or not to send your child away to boarding school. Private education and boarding was once the preserve of the well off. Today that is not always the case with many parents deciding to give their children private education at great costs to themselves, financial or otherwise. The reason behind this is because education is important, it is the key to your child’s future. School is not only a place of learning it is also a place within which your child’s hopes, dreams and aspirations are born. School must nurture and build confidence, it must support and encourage, it must be a place of safety and sanctuary, a place within which your child feels the same as everyone else and makes friends. Failure on a daily basis is not a prescription for the development of self-esteem.
Edington and Shapwick provides all of this and much more. We pride ourselves in having done so since 1974. Our students are taught a mainstream curriculum, they are encouraged to take GCSE, AS, A2, BTEC, or GNVQ if that is right for them. Our students take part in competitive sport, they can choose from a vast range of after school activities. We offer students a well rounded education, an opportunity to experience a much broader range of activities and facilities than is normally offered. Click here to check out our photo gallery to see photos of children engaging in some of the lessons and activities provided.
When choosing a specialist independent school you need to carefully match the child to the school, and not perhaps choose the one down the road because it is closest to you. Think about what your child’s strengths are and whether the school you are considering will nurture these strengths. Equally, if not more, important are your child’s weaknesses. If your child has any special needs and needs additional learning support, is the school able to offer this? Many schools profess to have support, but go in for a taster day, speak to them on the phone, speak to your child about whether he/she sees themselves fitting in at this school. Do they take a holistic approach to your child’s needs? How big are their class sizes, can they match their promises?
If you are considering boarding there is often full boarding, weekly boarding or flexi-boarding and looking at the pastoral care will be vital. Check to see if your child can stay over for a taster night.
When you start out on your search for the right school for your child all it may seem daunting. Remember to check out the schools CReSTeD and OFSTED report, speak to the head, ask him/her how they think your child might fit in at their school. Exactly what do they offer and how might they be able help your child as an individual? Do they offer occupational/speech and language therapy should your child require this? It is very often the case that parents do not realize that their child requires this additional support over and above the specialist teaching that we provide and why would they? We are not all dyslexia specialists.
We provide everything for you and your child because that’s what we specialize in and that’s what we’ve been doing for 34 years. Don’t take our word for it, click here to check out our OFSTED and CReSTeD reports and come in and meet us for yourself.
By visiting and asking lots of questions you can usually uncover whether you feel your child would fit. If you feel your child is a natural at sport, do they have a strong sporting ethos and the facilities to match? If your child seems bright (and we all think our child is!) and you want your child to be pushed academically do they have the facility for accelerated learning? Is your child musical, or would you like them to be? Do you think they are a budding artist, illustrator, animator or blacksmith? Will the school support this? Are they friendly and approachable? Do you feel that as a parent you could go to the headmaster with a question? Most importantly do the children appear happy and are they smiling. Does the school spend money on the right teachers or money on making the school look very impressive, they may be fortunate enough to do both! These are all important questions.
Another good thing to check is feedback from other parents. You can click here to check out our testimonials pages to see what parents say about us. If you want to talk to parents just ask us and we’ll organize it.
Whether you decide to choose Edington and Shapwick or another specialist dyslexia school we hope that this article has helped you and we hope that whatever decision you make that both you and your child are happy.
Good luck in your search and please phone us on 01278 722 012 or drop us an email at edington@edingtonshapwick.co.uk if you need us for anything, we are never to busy to help.