Dunhurst (Bedales Junior School)

The Good Schools Guide Review of Dunhurst (Bedales Junior School), Petersfield, GU32 2DR

Our View

Nursery, for the 2 ¾ - 4-year-olds, is in a fabulous old barn nesting in trees, full of activities worth getting on your knees for. We liked the owl's tree-top house and the Brio train. Thence to Dunannie - the purpose-built and super school for the tots - cunningly housed under six overlapping and interlocking colourful roofs with big windows and home to the pre-prep years. 'It's a nice school,' an eight-year-old told us. 'It's very comfortable - you feel more free than in most schools. People don't mess about because the teachers are very calm and don't say "Do This! Do That!"' Much to enjoy here - the super wall-hanging - 'we weaved it and felted it with Steve-the-Weave, one of those workshoppy people' - the year 3 enchanted forest illustrating A Midsummer Night's Dream, the super seasons project with outsize drawings of pomegranate seeds. Every inch is covered with displays, book boxes and hangings - creativity drips off the walls. Outside is garden and space, space, space. We loved the 'Celtic hut' in the orchard, the 'sound garden' and the musical fort. Children everywhere, in tiny classes, are absorbed, relaxed and happily occupied.

Up to Dunhurst when you are eight. Boarding begins at this stage and most children spend some nights each week in school, though hardly anyone is in over the weekend. Outdoor work also features importantly now - masses of woodwork, gardening and animal care. Woodwork - in yet another old barn (see Bedales entry) - uses lots of different materials and techniques - soldering, circuitry - and the children make toys, automata, bird boxes, lamps, guitars, chairs and library steps. We loved the sound-operated cars and toys. They design on paper using pencils - hooray! They make textiles too and pottery - witty stuff - observant pieces on parts of animals - a crocodile's jaw, a turkey's eye, an elephant's trunk. Other lessons are likewise creative and collaborative - in art they study colour while in science they cover primary colours and the spectrum. Not rocket science - why can't other schools do this? 'We like our science room,' we were told, 'we have to invent or discover something which would make a difference to us or to the world.'

Subject areas are traditional but informed by the Bedales ethos and a consistency between the three schools - as well as a welcome cross-curricular approach. See the Bedales entry for a fuller description of this. SEN teacher supports those who need it. 'She's a miracle worker,' one bright little button told us. A family therapist works with parents and children when appropriate.

Saturday school until 1.00pm. Many staff and some facilities shared with Bedales. All eat (toothsomely) together in dining room decorated with African mural and wall-hangings. The older children are very teeny - floppy fringes, low-slung jeans and mini minis or shorts over tights - the Bedales uniform. All are relaxed and chatty - this is a school where people smile spontaneously. Relations between staff and pupils are open, friendly and mutually respectful. The first-name business doesn't seem odd after you've been here five minutes. The three heads are clearly in harmony and share values and goals. This informs continuity in academic, ethical and pastoral matters. The school feels in good heart.

Headmistress

Since September 2011, following the admirable, Mrs Penny Watkins, Mrs Jane Grubb BA MA (Ed) PGCE, previously academic deputy head at Hurstpierpoint College prep school where she worked for many years, starting as head of art. This after teaching at Brockenhurst College. She is an Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspector and - we approve - a practising artist. She also likes fishing, hiking, surfing and wild camping in remote places. In addition to her artistic talents, she plays the piano, saxophone, flute and is currently learning the acoustic guitar.


Head of Dunannie: Since May 2010, Ms Jo Webbern, Froebel CertEd, (fiftyish) previously class teacher and then head of kindergarten at Ibstock Place for 26 years. Newly in post when we met her, she was clearly full of enthusiasm and excitement. 'I feel these are my roots,' she exclaimed. 'One can deliver that special ethos and creativity here while teaching children all the important skills of life.' She has lots of plans – especially 'to develop the outside classroom'.

Entrance

No selection in nursery – and the school has a crèche which takes staff babies and others – except to try and balance boys/girls. Healthy waiting list. Otherwise, applicants to Dunannie – 15-20 - places and to Dunhurst - 45 places for applicants from outside - spend a day in school before having a more formal assessment. 20-odd places at 11+ - very over-subscribed. Much depends on whether the school and families like each other – understanding of and sympathy with the ethos is all-important.

Exit

95 per cent of Dunhurst leavers move to Bedales. Of course.

Special Education Needs Survey

SEN Statement

Individual Learning Support lessons are available on a withdrawal basis.
Nov 09.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Aspergers Syndrome Mild
Aspergers Syndrome Moderate
Aspergers Syndrome Severe
Autism Mild
Autism Moderate
Autism Severe
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder
Other Autistic

Behavioural Difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Attention Deficit Disorder Mild
Attention Deficit Disorder Moderate
Attention Deficit Disorder Severe
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Mild
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Moderate
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders Severe
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Mild
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Moderate
Emotional and behavioural difficulties Severe
Conduct Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
Oppositional Defiant Disorders
Tourettes and other tic disorders

Genetic and related Disorders

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Down's Syndrome Mild
Down's Syndrome Moderate
Down's Syndrome Severe
Fragile X
Other genetic

Learning difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Moderate learning difficulties
Profound and multiple learning difficulties
Severe learning difficulties

Specific learning difficulties

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Dyscalculia Mild
Dyscalculia Moderate
Dyscalculia Severe
Dyslexia Mild
Dyslexia Moderate
Dyslexia Severe
Dyspraxia Mild
Dyspraxia Moderate
Dyspraxia Severe
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Mild
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Moderate
Other Specific Learning Difficulties Severe
English as an additional language

Sensory Impairment

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Hearing Impairment Mild
Hearing Impairment Moderate
Hearing Impairment Severe
Multi-sensory Impairment
Speech and Language Difficulties
Visual Impairment Mild
Visual Impairment Moderate
Visual Impairment Severe

Medical and Related Needs

	Currently no provision for.	Can provide for but no experience of	Experience of	Now provide for in school	Centre of Excellence for.
Cerebral Palsy Mild
Cerebral Palsy Moderate
Cerebral Palsy Severe
"Delicate" children
Epilepsy
Eating disorders
Physical Difficulties (Not indicated elsewhere.)
Other

General Questions

Are all children tested for SEN on entry to the school?		Assessments by Head of Learning Support.
Please outline the screening programmes used by the school.		Group and Individual Reading and spelling tests.
How many children with statements of need or equivalent do you have in the school?		One.
Do you make special provision for exceptionally gifted children?		Wednesday evening lecture programme.
Please outline what is on offer for such children		In addition to above, encouraged to take on a large commitment of additional activities.
Please indicate if the school has or has available to it any of the following:
Behaviour Support Unit.
Learning Support Unit.
Pupil Referral Unit.
Other withdrawal.		Individual learning support lessons
Specialist language centre
Schemes or Initiatives such as SHARE or Playing for Success.
Please indicate if the school has any of the following characteristics:
SEN accreditation, for example by CRESTED?
Centre of excellence for SEN that is Not already outlined?
Good wheelchair access
Provides outreach support?
Receives outreach support?
Do children with SEN participate fully in sport and other extracurricular activities?
Please provide information on staffing. Does the school have:
A SENCO or equivalent?
Staff who will administer prescription medicines to a child
Qualified teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment(please say how many, in full-time equivalent).		One full-time, two part-time.
Non-teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment(please say how many, in full-time equivalent).
Please list specialist qualifications held by teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment.		Dyslexia Institute Diploma AMBDA RSA certificates in SpLD.
Please list specialist qualifications held by non-teaching staff with learning support or SEN commitment.

School Features

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