Centre Academy London

A leading educator has called the Centre Academy schools (London and East Anglia) “the most successful special needs schools in the UK and, indeed, the most unique.” Here’s why:

We accept a broad range of ages, from 8-19; this eliminates the anxiety, common to Special Needs children, of having to move from one school to another. We have recently introduced a Pre-Prep programme (at the East Anglia School) for pupils ages, from 4-7.

We address an equally broad range of learning challenges on a case-by-case basis, including Dyslexia, AD/HD, ASD, Speech and Language needs, to name a few.

We follow the National Curriculum through GCSE or the Foundation Learning and other programmes for more vocationally orientated students.

We are the only school in the UK, including mainstream schools, also to offer the American High School Diploma; the Diploma is not examination-based but instead involves a system of continual assessment, thus reducing pressure and anxiety. All UK Universities recognise the Diploma.

If you are like most parents, you want your child to be happy.But if you are the parent of a child with learning difficulties, you may have found this desire frustrated by the problems inherent in the mainstream school setting. The class size may be 20 or 30. Teachers may lack the appropriate training and experience with special needs. Achievement may be measured in targets and national norms. Getting individualised help may be elusive if not impossible.

You will know the cost of such difficulties for your child. Unhappiness. Frustration. Poor attendance. You may also be particularly concerned by your child’s lack of confidence, poor self image and increasing anxiety.

The school’s Speech and Language Therapist is a full-time member of staff and is available to help students overcome gaps in their oral and other communications skills. Working in classes and one-to-one with individual students, the Therapist also helps in defining and applying levels of differentiation throughout the curriculum.

Our Occupational Therapist is also a full-time member of staff who is charged with helping students address and overcome a variety of physical and other difficulties that may impede learning and socialisation. The Therapist works primarily in a specially outfitted office that enables students to follow a regime of exercise and related therapies, and also with teachers to enable planning for effective management of organisational difficulties.

CA London’s Counsellor is a key member of staff whose major task is to assist students who may be experiencing some social, emotional and/or academic difficulties—and to help them build confidence and self-esteem. Our Counsellor also helps students identify and understand their problems and offers a programme that may feature both short and long-term objectives. Parents may also use the counselling service.

Academics at CA London are broad and varied. Fundamentally, we follow the National Curriculum from Key Stage 2 through Foundation Learning at Key Stage 4/5 and GCSE. As you would imagine, our emphasis is very much on literacy and numeracy, the cornerstones of and gateway to essential knowledge. In addition to English and Mathematics, we also offer National Curriculum subjects in History, Geography, Science, Foreign Languages, Art, ICT, RS, Media Studies, Drama and PE.

And to help ensure that all our students gain the maximum from their National Curriculum endeavours, we also offer courses in Study Skills. Not only do these help students learn techniques ranging from note-taking to careful reading, they also are adapted to enable our students to learn the coping skills they will need to meet their learning challenges.

CA East Anglia

• Address: Church Rd, Brettenham, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 7QR
• Tel no: +44 144 9736404