Bredon School

Since September 2019, Nick Oldham. Previously deputy principal of West Heath School in Sevenoaks, an independent special school founded by Al-Fayed. Grew up on a farm in East Sussex, boarding from age 7, first at Holmwood House, then Eastbourne Co

The first step is to send in your child’s school reports and professional assessments (if applicable). If the school feels it is suitable for your child, you will be invited for an interview, followed by a guest stay of three days for a day pupil,

Up to 30 per cent leave post GCSEs, mainly to Hartpury College. They study courses such as engineering, catering and farming. Around half sixth formers go to university including Bristol, Warwick, Southampton, Bangor and Aberystwyth. Rest into app

In 2023, 75 per cent of GCSE pupils achieved grades 9-4 – a 14 per cent increase since 2022. At A level, 72 per cent of pupils achieved grades A- C. For BTEC level 2, 100 per cent pass rate, with 40 per cent distinction.

Bredon stands out for its support for children with dyslexia although it also caters for non-dyslexic pupils, with over half the pupils taking up to eight GCSEs. The more able children are often siblings of children who have been placed here for t

Dyslexia is treated as a gift and the creative and communicative side, that dyslexics often excel in, is celebrated, while the kind of support that helps them is deemed to help all pupils. All makes for varied, active classes – we saw geography pu

More outdoor pursuits than you could shake a stick at, and then some, all within stunning 84-acre grounds: ‘the main uniform requirement is an overall and wellies'. Everyone gets stuck in, with mornings dedicated to classroom learning (might also

The school has a purpose-built shooting ground, and its clay pigeon team regularly wins the Schools Challenge competition. One former pupil is tipped to be an Olympic competitor in the sport and currently shoots for GB. There’s also archery, marat

Head is a major fan of boarding, with full, weekly and flexi on offer from year 5. Boys’ boarding is on three landings in Pull Court. Younger children share a room with four to six beds, while years 8 and 9 have two-bedded rooms and sixth formers

One full-time and two part-time SENCos work in close collaboration with the teachers who – if they aren’t dyslexia trained (to British Dyslexia Association level 3 qualification) – are on the way to doing so. Individual and (more commonly) small g

Has always been a strength, now stronger still thanks to eg new house system, mindfulness sessions, full-time counsellor and a mental health nurse. Pastoral office is a busy hub where pupils pop in to discuss anything from academic concerns to jus

Pupils are confident and talk easily to adults. They travel quite some distance, reaching as far as the other side of Cirencester up to just shy of Birmingham, and down to the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds. A fleet of nine-seater buses help bri

Around a third of pupils are funded by (mainly Worcester and Gloucestershire) local authorities but school is looking to dramatically reduce these numbers. Withdrawal lessons, therapy, dedicated TA support, and EAL courses are charged as extras. T

For children who don’t sit easily in large or high-pressure mainstream schools, or special schools, Bredon can feel like a breath of fresh air – and the emphasis on being outdoors means children get this in the literal sense too. Great for dyslexi