SEN is a huge umbrella term covering dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism, aspergers, and other neurodiversities. Mercifully, children with medically diagnosed severe physical or neurological disabilities usually receive immediate support.

So this first step is most relevant to parents who have a sneaking suspicion that “something is up”. Perhaps a teacher has mentioned something in passing. Maybe you see your child repeatedly struggle or repeat the same mistakes.

Here are some common red flags to look out for in student behaviour or in their school reports:

• Disorganised (forgetful, losing things).
• Easily distracted or disruptive in class.
• “Lazy” (fathers in particular often misinterpret their son’s struggles as laziness).
• Careless.
• Good at assignments when they have time, but fall apart under timed exam conditions.
• Disillusioned and frustrated with school.
• Depressed or fearful about their future prospects.

There is a historical legacy of far too much negativity around neurodiversity. So it’s worth mentioning at this stage that many neurodiverse kids (and adults!) also display certain superpowers. These can include being:

• Gregarious, quick-witted, and popular.
• Creative and entrepreneurial.
• Eloquent and excellent at debating.
• Able to see the big picture and think laterally or outside the box.
• Able to focus intensely when interested or motivated (sometimes to the point of obsession.)

Why should I investigate further?

Without understanding or support, your neurodiverse child can struggle to meet the requirements of a mainstream curriculum.

A mainstream curriculum (like GCSEs or A-levels) is any given society’s accepted method of measuring neurotypical (and typically “academic”) intelligence. This is not much comfort if your brain is wired a little differently. Asking some dyslexic students to sit exams is like asking a bird to lift weights. It’s not an effective way to judge their ability.

So imagine trying your best then have people judge you as lazy or thick! They repeat that you just need to concentrate and try harder (when you are already doing your best!)

By the time you get to your teens you are absolutely raging against the world, and often against yourself. This can manifest in rebellious, self-destructive, and depressed behaviour. It’s low sef-esteem brough on by an unfair (or unsuitable) system.

In short, if a young person is stuck in a framework where they are consistently labelled an underachiever, they will end up believing it.

Fortunately, it does not need to be this way at all.

How can I help my dyslexic child?

The worst thing you can do is reinforce negative messages. Be careful with how you speak to them, and do not judge. They need your support, not further alienation.

The second worst thing you can do is bury your head in the sand.

Instead, your next step is to calmly get more information on what you (well, your child) is dealing with. If this is a new topic, you will start to learn about how the brain is wired, and why every single person learns and works in a unique way.

At this point, some parents are still (in 2023!) worried about their children being assessed and labelled as “Dyslexic” or “ADHD”. This fear likely stems from our own childhood experiences.

Fortunately, our understanding of neurodiversity is the best it has ever been. Blunt, binary labels and dismissive treatment are mostly a thing of the past.

Dyslexia, like “SEN”, is a very broad rainbow. Every single person’s brain (even the neurotypical’s) will be balanced and connected differently – in the same way that two recipes differ. A professional dyslexia assessment will help uncover your child’s secret balance of ingredients, and advise where a little more salt/sugar/spice may be required.

Very often, the issue is nothing more than a cup of low working memory and a splash of slow processing speed. There might be a pinch of ADHD. This is all no big deal and easily managed with a little intervention and introduction of coping techniques. Like so many problems, student dyslexia only becomes a big deal if it’s ignored.

Where can I get a dyslexia assessment?

If you can afford it, find a reputable Educational Psychologist and book a private appointment. Just Google “private dyslexia assessment near me” and make some calls. Such assessments cost in the region of £800, and require your child to spend about half a day being professionally assessed.

Most Ed Psychs will use the WISC  intelligence assessment, plus a series of other assessments to uncover your child’s learner profile. They basically find out how their brain is wired, and you do not need to prepare in advance. You can explain to your young person that they are going to meet someone who will figure out how they like to learn.

After a few weeks, the Educational Psychologist will revert back with an “Ed Psych Report.” Remember this term, as it comes up a lot.

What if I can’t afford to pay £800 for a private dyslexia assessment?

You’ll need to apply to the Local Education Authority (LEA) for a EHCP (Educational Health and Care Plan) assessment.

First, you’ll need the support of your child’s school – so speak to them immediately about your concerns. If the LEA refuses this assessment, you have the right to appeal.

Once an assessment has been conducted and an EHCP is in place for your child, the LEA is legally obliged to support you financially. The British Dyslexia Association has provided a very clear outline of the EHCP process, though forgoes mentioning any timelines (it can take ages!)

Senschoolsguide.com  has a really useful directory of LEA contact details and local supporting associations.

Supporting SEND students is very expensive but Local Authorities are legally obliged to offer practical and financial support. However, Top School Guide has heard countless reports of LEAs trying to weasel out of their obligations. Prepare to push, be pushed back and passed around, and never give up until you get what your child is entitled to! Scope provides this useful guide if your child is refused an EHCP.

If you are unable to fund a private Ed Psych assessment, then things will inevitably move a lot slower. Top School Guide specialises in private education and unfortunately does not have the expertise to assist chasing state schools or Local Education Authorities (LEAs).

Hopefully, the links above will help you understand your rights and how to push things along.

How to interpret an Ed Psych report

Do not fear the Ed Psych report! This is where things start to get better…

Reading through your child’s Ed Psych report will instantly give you a greater understanding. It will completely clarify why you had that nagging suspicion that has been bugging you for so long. If appropriate, discuss the report with your child: “Knowing yourself is true wisdom” as they say.

Best of all, every good Ed Psych report ends with a detailed list of recommendations to assist your child’s learning. This could be anything from sitting closer to the front of class, receiving extra notes, receiving one-to-one revision sessions, extra time and/or technological assistance in exams… the list goes on and on.

Most importantly, these recommendations are action points for your child’s school. A good school will use this report to put in place an Individual Learning Plan (ILP.)

When you have an Ed Psych report in your hand it is a great time to get some professional advice on how to find private schools for dyslexia.

Top School Guide is happy to check school reports, the Ed Psych report and offer a free initial consultation. Please just get in touch if you would like a few pointers at this stage.

The chances are that, if you are searching for guides like this, you are not convinced that your child’s current school is the right environment for them. However, it is still worth having a chat with your current school about the contents of the Ed Psych, and asking them to write an ILP. You’ll then have a benchmark ILP, and your child should at least get a little more interim support whilst you investigate other options.

On the subject of types of schools for dyslexia and your funding options, we think it is most useful to list the ball-park area of your child’s SEN, and then suggest the likely most suitable options.

i) School options for severe neurodiversity or physical disability

Whilst the system in the UK (or anywhere else) is far from perfect, you will likely have at least received some support by now? As mentioned earlier, the process is to obtain an EHCP through your local authority. You should then be entitled to choose a suitable school and have the LEA foot the bill.

The most suitable schools will likely have one-to-one care, and often boarding if required. You and your young person’s needs will probably be specialised enough to mean the options are fairly limited and the best choice quite obvious. Above all, you will be looking for a school which will give them the best level of care and the best platform to progress.

ii) School options for moderate neurodiversity such as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism

The tipping point here is whether your young person can cope in a “mainstream” school, and whether a mainstream school can cope with them.

If the answer is “no”, then you could also be able to get an EHCP and funding for a more specialised education. You may still have to fight for this funding and will face inevitable delays. If you have the means to pay privately, then you are in a lucky position to proceed immediately.

To define “can they cope”, ask the following:

• Can your young person access the curriculum with a little help, or is their academic development severely (i.e years) behind that of their peers?
• Are there any behavioural issues, particularly behaviour that would be considered disruptive?

If you feel they are way behind and/or have some behavioural issues that make a mainstream school untenable, you may wish to consider a specialist school.

In addition to severe dyslexia and dyspraxia, these schools would usually be expected to be able to cope with moderate levels of ADHD and autism, though every specialist school will clearly list exactly what they can and can’t cater for.

How do specialist dyslexic schools differ from mainstream schools?

Well, every student will have some kind of neurodiversity, and we would usually expect every single member of the teaching staff to be specially trained. Learning Support is at the forefront of the school’s ethos and how it operates on a daily basis. Some great examples of specialist private schools are Moon Hall, Slindon College, Seaford College, and St David’s.

You can also find a useful list of specialist schools (both state and independent) listed on this document from CReSTeD (The Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils.)

The ultimate goal of specialist schools is to help students uncover their talents, passions, and future directions in an environment that isn’t so heavily focussed on traditional notions of academic assessment. The priority is to enjoy education, to learn about the world, to learn about society and relationships, learn how to cope with adversity and come out thriving.

iii) School options for moderate to mild dyslexia+

Here, we are talking about the vast majority of dyslexic students in mainstream education: The ones who are bumping miserably along with fairly uninspiring grades but, with a bit more guidance and understanding, could really start to fly.

The student’s Ed Psych will likely mention things about slow working memory and/or processing speed, but say that their general levels of intelligence are otherwise within the “typical” boundaries.

The Ed Psych recommendations will be for a reasonable level of extra support, such as technological support, access to notes before class, 2 hours of 1-to-1 review time per week, etc.

Mainstream private schools for dyslexia

Essentially, these students probably don’t need a specialist school: they can access a mainstream education, with a little support. Unfortunately this means that you will struggle to get an EHCP or funding from the LEA, as their take will be that your child’s current state school has sufficient (i.e the legally mandatory) Learning Support in place.

However, many parents and students we speak to find that this is not the case. Whilst state schools will of course do their best, most of them do not have the resources required to put in a school-wide framework of support for students who need it.

Some private schools are also not set up to offer sufficient support for some dyslexic students. As with state schools, they are obliged to have the “bare bones” in place, but many won’t offer much more than that.

If this is all sounds familiar then what you most likely need is a mainstream school with a more proportional commitment to Learning Support. Such schools will have a full time Learning Support department with several staff, and will be able to tell you what kind of Individual Learning Plan they can put in place for your child. They will not hide their learning support departments or range of 6^th form BTECs, and will instead proudly promote these aspects as one of their USPs.

You can use Top School Guide’s find a school filter to find schools in your region that offer specialist support for Dyslexia+, or get in touch to discuss how our bespoke school enrolment service can help you get the best possible outcomes.

Fortunately, the majority of schools with strong Learning Support will be flexible on application and enrolment dates. So don’t worry too much if you are late or out of sync with standard entrance points. If they have an available space, they will consider a suitable applicant.

That said, you will always have a greater range of options if you plan ahead as much as you can.

How Top School Guide finds the best private dyslexic schools:

1. Collate the past 2 years of school reports, and full history of Dyslexic/SEN reports or assessments. Make sure you are familiar with your young person’s obstacles and the learner recommendations on the Ed Psych.
2. Identify schools which fit your needs. Remember your young person may benefit from an alternative curriculum like BTEC in 6^th form, as opposed to dyslexic-unfriendly A-levels. Check out the Top School Guide BTEC league table.
3. Make clear and completely honest enquiries. A useful overview or statement from parent (and personal statement from your young person) can really help provide greater context for schools. Top School Guide can help you with this.
4. In most cases, schools will ask their SENCO (SEN Co-ordinator) to have an initial review of your young person’s files. If they feel there is potential for the school to help, you will probably both be invited in for further discussion.

Visiting private schools with your young person

You will likely meet the Registrar or Head of Admissions, probably the Head, and also the lead SENCO. Ask for a schedule in advance and, above all, make sure you are going to meet the lead SENCO. They are, after all one of the most important factors in your school choice.

There is no point in either you or the school hiding anything, so be prepared for a warts-and-all conversation. Your family has most likely been through the mill to get to this stage, but you are now on the home stretch to a happy resolution. Be optimistic about the future, and encourage your young person to take a similar approach.

Schools will go through some extra due diligence to be confident that your young person will be able to access the curriculum. Schools need to be convinced your child will not disrupt other students, and stands to significantly benefit from their support. No SENCO will want to make promises they can’t keep but, if you’ve been invited in for a visit, the odds of a good fit are good.

Questions to ask during a visit

You’ll need to ask the usual school-visit questions about class size, curriculum, demographics, co-curricular activities, trips, fees, transport, boarding etc.

You will need to ask an additional range of dyslexia-specific questions. Of course, many will be very personal to your own situation, but here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• What proportion of students have Learning Support?
• What types of SEN are most common?
• How does the school put in a framework of support around each child? How are staff made aware of each student’s needs?
• How is technology used to support learning and assessment?
• Do all staff have specific training or qualifications for SEN support? How do teachers adapt classes for students?
• How is progress measured? How are class teachers involved and updated? How are parents involved and updated?
• Can they outline the Individual Learning Plan they would propose for your young person? What additional support do they expect to provide? Will there be extra charge for this?

You may have a few schools to visit, and looking at boarding will give you a much better chance of finding the perfect fit. We find that, due to having particular requirements, it is usually easier for dyslexic/SEN families to identify which school is “the one.” Follow your gut.

Regular progress checking and re-evaluation

In the right school, your young person will be ten times happier with life. They’ll be more engaged in their studies. They’ll feel a greater sense of progress, achievement, confidence and self-worth. Dyslexia will still be there, but it won’t be a big deal anymore. Happy days!

You’ll still need to keep an eye on things. School reports and meetings should always have an extra SENCO report element, and it is recommended that you get a new Ed Psych report every 2-3 years.

In particular, it is well worth getting a new report sufficiently in advance of the public examinations in Years 11 and 13, as your young person could well qualify for extra time or technological support during the exams.

But your new school, with its expertise in supporting dyslexic students, will be all over this.

We can help you find the best private schools for dyslexia+

Top School Guide loves helping families of dyslexic and SEN students. It’s a great opportunity to turn a miserable situation around, and really help young people get the understanding and education they deserve.

Please get in touch and let us know how we can help.

+44 1892 862554

hello@topschoolguide.com