Postby themotherofdragons » Sat Oct 08, 2016 3:22 pm
We need to choose a senior school for our son who is very bright and does very well academically but has ADHD. We have no behavioural issues with him and he is a very happy, affectionate and well liked boy. However, he is very hyperactive and easily distracted. His current school, an outstanding state primary, has been absolutely amazing with him and he's had so much support and understanding. For example, on bad days when he is particularly distracted, the teacher would simply make him do some work outside the classroom, not in the classroom, and, once the classroom distractions are removed, he does great work. Simple as this. However, I worry how it would be translated into a senior school environment, particularly a private senior school environment. As he performs very well academically and, we hope, will have good SAT results, we've been looking at the likes of Alleyn's, Emanuel, Whitgift, Dulwich College etc. We've been to all the open days so far and, having heard the presentations and headmasters' talks, I have doubts about their tolerance or willingness to accept kids with ADHD or other SEN challenges. I can't put my finger on what it was exactly but I just couldn't imagine them accepting him. Perhaps I'm wrong though and it's simply my fear talking. Has anyone had any experience of having a SEN child in one of these schools? Or having a SEN child applying to one of these schools? What worries me most is not so much the academic test results which are more objective but the interviews and group exercises some of them do as part of their entry process.