SEN support at Emanuel School - advice from current parents only please

mum_1980 · Postby **mum_1980** » Thu Mar 30, 2023 11:14 am

Hello,

I'd like to hear from parents of kids with SEN at Emanuel at the moment and whether they are happy with the support their child is receiving.

My son has mild SEN issues and Emanuel is my number one choice of school, but I have heard that the SEN department is not as strong as some of the other schools such as Whitgift, for example.

So I really want to hear from parents whose kids are in the school now, not in the past, to understand what it's like.

Thank you

readyforholidays · Postby **readyforholidays** » Thu Mar 30, 2023 3:34 pm

Have you seen this thread? viewtopic.php?f=6&t=126514

Very discouraging...

I'm glad you asked this question as I was about to ask the same. My son has very well managed SEN and is very academically able so I've also been thinking of Emanuel but have heard some awful stories. This thread has made me feel sad...

I have a friend who tried to apply there with her older son with SEN and the admission people were quite awful. It was the only school that wouldn't give him extra time (out of 5 he applied to), for some unexplained reason (he "didn't meet their criteria", despite NHS consultant diagnosis?) And the email announcing this was ended not by "however, we wish him best of luck". No, it was ended by "would you like to withdraw your application?".

This thread has some current parents commenting but I would also love to hear more.

Nobblybobbly · Postby **Nobblybobbly** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 6:51 am

My child is currently at Emanuel. The Learning Support Dept is phenomenal. My child has been supported every step of the way. The door is always open to pop in if having a pre-exam wobble or if they need to go over work they are to hand in. There are lots of clinics and after school help clubs. I cannot fault it. I have nothing but praise for Emanuel and my child absolutely loves it.

Oneofeach · Postby **Oneofeach** » Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:36 pm

I'm sorry to say we've had a disappointing experience. Since the arrival of the new Headmaster the school has become increasingly academic with the pupils under huge pressure to perform to the highest degree, without a suitable pastoral and SEN infrastructure to support them. We found the SEN provision to be woefully lacking, with children who don't fit the school's mould left with no choice but to find help beyond the school. We ultimately removed one of our children because of this, which was an unnecessarily upsetting experience all round, and know of others who have done the same.

It's good to hear that a better experience has been had by others and I truly hope the school continues to grow on that. As a parent of a child with SEN I'd certainly proceed with caution.

readyforholidays · Postby **readyforholidays** » Wed Apr 12, 2023 10:53 pm

Thank you for sharing it and so sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunately, this is the kind of experience I've heard about from a few other people. The lack of responses to the original question is also very telling - pretty much total silence.

Nobbly - could I ask what kind of SEN your child has please and how the school supports him / her? It would really help to know what kind of SEN they can and are willing to support. Thanks

Cat2023 · Postby **Cat2023** » Thu Apr 13, 2023 4:11 pm

Hi I looked at some schools websites for a comparison on their SEND policy that they list as "Learning Support"; Dulwich, Trinity School and Latymer Upper School. Emanuel's seems very wishy washy and inadequate even by reading the website. You could use those schools offerings as a bench mark when asking questions from admissions teams as they seem to be excellent. I would continue to investigate before deciding to apply to Emanuel school. Even as parent to a non neurodiverse child it is an indication of poor pastoral care.

mum1980 · Postby **mum1980** » Sat Apr 15, 2023 4:45 pm

Thanks, everyone for your feedback. I’m particularly interested in the support for kids with ADHD and ASD. If any other parents have positive or negative experiences, I would love to hear from you.

AJ2012 · Postby **AJ2012** » Mon Apr 17, 2023 6:18 am

We did not apply to Emanuel for this reason. I have no direct experience as son starting secondary next year. It is not enough to read the send policy- I found speaking to the SEN departments at each prospective school to be very helpful. Ibstock place also did not have a clue re SEN when I spoke to the SENCO there. A lot of places seem to pay lip service and or only support dyslexia and not much in way of other needs (executive function training, social skills).