Bredon School in The UK

Introduction

Bredon is a dyslexia and dyspraxia specialist boarding and day school for pupils aged between 7 and 18 years old. Nestled in the most glorious, rural surroundings, and yet only ten minutes to major motorway networks, one hour to Birmingham airport and two hours to London airports. A hidden gem! Helping every child to achieve their potential.

Offering a wide-ranging curriculum and specialist teaching, the school enables all its pupils to make progress in a way that is best suited to their individual learning style. Pupils are free to use laptops in class and the dedicated Assistive Technologies Teacher advises pupils and staff alike about voice recognition software and other technologies that the school makes available to all, making written work easier. Staff are qualified, or working towards at least SpLD Level 5 qualifications, and all subjects are taught with dyslexic friendly practices in mind. Lessons are high energy and practical.

Alongside the traditional academic subjects, there’s a strong focus on practical and vocational learning and pupils can choose from subjects as diverse as Business Studies, ICT, Catering and Hospitality, Engineering, Health and Social Care, even Agriculture – which is studied down at the School’s own 30+ acre Farm. Uniquely, the School has an on-site CISCO Academy too. Backed by the global technology giant, the Academy blends dynamic face-to-face teaching with a web-based curriculum, hands-on lab exercises and online assessments.

The courses on offer prepare students directly for technical jobs as well as for higher education in engineering, computer science and related fields. Complementing the classroom studies is a vast array of outdoor pursuits and activities designed to challenge pupils and to help build resilience, self-confidence and self-esteem. Bredon offers a Combined Cadet Force, regular overnight outdoor education adventures, the Duke of Edinburgh awards programme and an annual summer camp for all ages. Pupils thrive in the can-do, nurturing environment, and Bredon’s dedicated staff body do all they can to prepare pupils for success at the next stage, whether that is college, university, an apprenticeship or employment.

Conditions of education

Boarding

Approximately half of Bredon’s pupils board, with boarding being a home from home experience. House parents look after the pupils in a number of dedicated boarding houses. There is no weekend school so pupils are free to join in with fun excursions and trips, go shopping or to the cinema with their friends, or stay at school and join in sports and outdoor education activities. Accommodation is split between historic Pull Court and purpose-built houses. Younger pupils share in dormitories while older pupils have access to individual study bedrooms complete with desk area. Social events are varied and boys and girls mix well.

Facilities

Bredon’s facilities include an 84 acre outdoor classroom, incorporating a working school farm, allotments, a forest school, a climbing tower, a clay pigeon shooting ground, a swimming pool, a sports hall, gymnasium and numerous sports pitches. Pupils – from the youngest to the oldest – relish the unrivalled access to the great outdoors and can be found making the most of their wonderful surroundings whatever the weather!

Role Models

The School’s alumni include several notable successes, including an English National Hunt Jockey, an RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winning landscape designer and a UK-based restaurateur. Whatever path Bredon’s past pupils take, they all have something in common; a sound and developed sense of self-confidence and self-belief and an absolute commitment to achieving their full potential in life, regardless of any perceived barriers to learning.

Joining Bredon

Students join Bredon from the local area, the UK and the wider world, and come together to form a vibrant community of learners who are socially and morally responsible and who support one another on the journey towards becoming happy, healthy, confident and capable young people. Entry to Bredon is not by entrance exam, although the school requires access to recent school reports and any specialist reports to ensure that they feel they are able to meet the specific learning needs of the individual. Entry is permitted within-year, in most year groups.