A unique, specialist dyslexia provision that offers children the opportunity to achieve their full potential by accessing part-time, tailored, multi-sensory teaching via a 1:3 teacher/pupil ratio during the school day, whilst still maintaining a place at their mainstream school.
Flexi-School Dyslexia
Who to contact
- Contact Name
- Matt Algar
- Contact Position
- Business Manager and School Liaison
- Telephone
- 07588 856544
- info@flexi-schooldyslexia.co.uk
- Website
- Flexi-school Dyslexia
Where to go
- Name
- Flexi-school Dyslexia
- Address
-
Wrotham Pavilion and Community Centre
High Street
Wrotham
Sevenoaks
Kent - Postcode
- TN15 7AH
- Notes
To get to Flexi-SchoolDyslexia head towards Wrotham Village.
From the Wrotham roundabout:-
- Take the exit signed Wrotham Village onto Bull Lane, follow this road past the Bull Hotel on your right.
- Take the next right turn, High Street and follow this road
past the memorial and Wrotham Church.
- Bear right and follow the High Street up to the end of the
road (where Pilgrims Way joins High Street and Flexi-School is on the right, opposite the playground, set down in the
Cricket Pavilion.
- There is plenty of available parking on the High Street
outside.
Other Details
- Table of costs
-
Table of costs Amount Cost Type £55 Per session - Cost(s)
- Cost details
-
FSD costs £55.00 per 2.5hr session (am/pm) which includes: a base-line assessment of need by our specialist dyslexia teacher (founder of FSD
Narinda Algar); a fully individualised learning package to enhance both cognition development through brain training sessions and the filling of phonological and/or numerical gaps; parental support and Termly SMART Targets which are set at the beginning of every Term and results reviewed/supplied to both parents and mainstream schools (if required) at the end of every Term. Once pupils finish their learning journey with us
they also receive a full report outlining their learning journey and progress as well as recommendations for their future learning needs to take with them into Secondary education. - Referral required?
- No
- Referral and availability notes
Do I need the agreement from my child's school to send my child to FSD?
Yes, in order for your child to attend FSD you will need to gain agreement between yourself and your child's Head Teacher and therefore it is essential that you have a discussion with your child's school to gain agreement for your child to attend FSD. Pupils attend FSD on a part-time basis registered as 'educated offsite' (Code B) so they keep their place at their mainstream school in order to enjoy a full curriculum. We are happy to advise you on this and are very happy to liaise with schools to ensure partnership working can productively enhance your child’s learning experience.
- Age Range
-
Ages 6-11
- Disablities:
- Language difficulty, Learning difficulty,
Local Offer
- Local Offer Disabilities
- Learning difficulty
- Language difficulty
- Local Offer Age Bands
- Primary (4-10 years)
- Needs Level
- Medium
- High
- SEN Provision Type
- Targeted
- Specialist
Special Needs Support
How does the setting identify children with additional needs or SEND?
FSD is a specialist provision set up to teach children who are significantly struggling to learn effectively and to the best of their ability in mainstream schooling due to SpLD dyslexia. Pupils are generally identified through parent or teacher concerns and many come to us having already been assessed by a specialist Level 7 Assessor or an Educational Psychologist. However, FSD does accept pupils without a formal assessment, as we are aware that not everybody can afford them. Once a child has settled in, they will undergo a ‘Baseline Assessment’ by our Specialist, Lead teacher (Narinda Algar LLB(Hons) PGCE ATS SpLD dyslexia), who will identify the child’s needs in detail to formulate a tailored teaching plan specifically for them.
How will I be informed / consulted about the ways in which my child is being supported?
FSD undertakes a base-line assessment of need within the first Term of attending, which is then used to inform parents about the gaps in their child’s knowledge and how many sessions they will require along with an estimated time period that the child will need to attend the provision. Once established and agreed, the pupil is set SMART Targets, including; cognitive skill development – such as working memory enhancement, through brain training exercises; skills sessions tailored to need - such as handwriting or telling the time and of course phonological or numerical gap filling sessions. These SMART Targets are set Termly and reviewed by all FSD teachers, who provide the Office Manager with detailed feedback that is then sent on to parents and schools (if agreed by the parents). FSD has an open-door policy and teachers of the pupils can always be accessed for updates regarding pupil progress for 15mins at the end of every day. Parents can also book meetings with Narinda (Lead Teacher) or Matt (School Liaison) for support, advise or progress reports at any time that is mutually convenient, and they too are around for an informal chat at the beginning & end of sessions. At the end of a pupil’s learning journey at FSD, a comprehensive ‘exit report’ is compiled to show progress and to give recommendations for the way forward.
How will the setting adapt the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum for my child's needs?
FSD has tailored its programme to fit in with the Phase approach of teaching phonics in the EYFS curriculum, so whilst we do not ‘follow’ the curriculum, we do complement it.
What teaching strategies does the setting use for children with additional needs or learning difficulties?
Algar’s Approach incorporates the best and most forward-thinking causal theories of Dyslexia including, the magnocellular theory (visual stress), the cerebellar theory (enhancing through brain training), and of course the widely accepted phonological deficit theory as per the definition of dyslexia adopted by the Rose Review 2009.
We strongly believe that dealing merely with the symptom of dyslexia or the phonological deficit - difficulties with reading (decoding) &/or spelling (encoding) - is not enough. Neurodiverse children must learn how they learn, come to terms with their strengths and weaknesses, develop their working memories, become skilled at sequencing, and explore strategies that may be useful to them now and in the future. Along with this, teachers must assess and fill the gaps in their learning. But above all they should feel confident about who they are and how they learn.
Algar's Approach gives every child the opportunity to gain strength and skills from FSD staff, other pupils and through self-discovery. Self-esteem and confidence plays a massive part in each child's determination to achieve, attempt new things and ultimately challenge existing strategies that have been developed to help hide some of their perceived weaknesses in the classroom environment. At Flexi-SchoolDyslexia myths and negative attitudes about dyslexia are openly dealt with and discussed as a means of aiding the children's common understanding, it also helps pupils understand that they are not the only ones who have found education hard to deal with in the past and provides strategies about how to move forward positively and confidently.
At Flexi-SchoolDyslexia we start the session enhancing the cerebellar neurological pathways to help gross & fine motor skill development, eye tracking and sequencing. We then go on to working memory development through auditory and visual sequencing activities and develop fine motor skills and writing automaticity. All this is completed in a fun and engaging way before moving onto strengthening phonological awareness for reading, spelling & comprehension or methods to overcome dyscalculia through multi-sensory learning activities. We are also very aware that the child then has to be able to transfer the knowledge gained through multi-sensory learning back into more traditional classroom worksheet activities/test situations so we will always ensure that the skills gained are transferred to these traditional forms when we feel that the child is ready to succeed.
What additional support does the setting provide for children with additional needs or SEND?
FSD is fully equipped to support children with SpLD dyslexia, providing a range of highly kinaesthetic, multi-sensory equipment, sloping desks, coloured books/paper/overlays etc. Pupils do not need to provide anything themselves as their every need is catered for.
How will the setting monitor my child's progress and how will I be involved in this?
Termly reviews are sent to the parents and schools to ensure good communication at all times. Targets are set by the specialist, lead teacher, who has an overall picture of the child’s needs. Any concerns that parents may have can always be communicated at any time. FSD has an open door policy and we are always happy to work with parents for the best outcomes for their child.
How do you ensure children with additional needs or SEND can be included in the same activities as other children, including trips?
Not applicable.
How accessible is the building for children with mobility difficulties / wheelchair users?
Fully accessible as it is a public building.
How will you support my child's transition to a new setting or school?
We have helped many pupils with applications for specialist schools, provided evidence for access to exam concessions, such as the 11-plus, created reports for transition to secondary school and provided referrals to specialist services, such as for auditory processing assessments. Some of these ‘extras’ are included in our service, others have a small fee applied. Once a child is in Year 6, if they have made enough progress, they will be able to access our ‘Advanced Literacy’ session, which undertakes work that prepares pupils for Secondary education. These are designed and taught by Secondary trained, English teachers. Within these sessions, pupils are taught to advocate for themselves and their needs in Secondary School and prepared for the academic challenges they are to face.
How does the setting assess the overall effectiveness of its SEN provision and how can parents / carers take part in this evaluation?
FSD is in the process of working towards CReSTeD (Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils) accreditation. Obviously, recent events have put this on hold, but we look forward to continuing this very soon. FSD has always valued parent feedback and will take any views into account; we ask for both pupil and parent feedback at the end of the pupil’s learning journey with us, and keep these on file and as promotional material. FSD’s pupils gain ‘outstanding’ ratio gains in their learning during their time with us, according to Brooks criteria for specialist provision. A fact we are extremely proud of.
Who should I contact if I am considering registering for a place at the setting?
Please contact Lucy or Matt on 07588 856544, info@flexi-schooldyslexia.co.uk
What arrangements does the setting have for feedback from parents / carers, including compliments and complaints?
Should you have any feedback, you may call or email Lucy (for organisational issues), Matt (for school liaison issues) or Narinda (for teaching & learning issues). But, we would much rather you come in and have a chat about things – our door and ears are always open, whether you are bringing a complement or complaint - we will always be there for you.