High-quality support in every classroom
Kingsley's approach to special educational needs is the Bespoke Curriculum, one of our three curriculum strands alongside the Core Curriculum and the Expansive Curriculum.
High-quality support is built into daily classroom practice and open to every pupil, scaling up to meet each child's needs so that no child is left behind.
Most support happens where your child already is
It is built on Quality First Teaching, with differentiated lessons, ongoing assessment and small classes, so teaching adapts to how each child learns.
Small adjustments made by the teacher, as part of the lesson.
Literacy, numeracy or study skills, scheduled into the week.
Individual or small-group sessions, where they are useful.
The Connect Centre, for children who need more.
The Connect Centre: specialist support within the whole school
For children who need more specialist provision, including those with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties, autism and more complex profiles, our purpose-built Connect Centre offers expert help within a calm, nurturing environment.
Support at Kingsley is delivered by specialist teachers and therapists who know your child as an individual, including our in-house occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Recognised for our work with dyslexic pupils
Kingsley is Devon and Cornwall's only CReSTeD accredited school. CReSTeD, the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupils, recognises schools for their provision for pupils with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. Our commitment to wellbeing was also commended in the Independent School of the Year for Student Wellbeing category at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards.
Support works because children feel they belong
Mainstream pupils and those with additional needs learn side by side. Pupils in our specialist provision can join mainstream lessons and take a full part in Houses, sport, the arts and outdoor education as members of the Kingsley Family.
Emotional wellbeing and mental health sit at the heart of this work. A child who feels known and safe grows in confidence, and that confidence is what leads to progress.
The rest of the section
The Connect Centre
Specialist provision for children with more complex needs, including autism, in a calm, low-distraction setting.
Therapy Team
In-house occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, woven into the school day.
Admissions
Talk to us about your child, and what support would look like in practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kingsley a special needs school?
Kingsley is a mainstream, non-selective independent school with a strong whole-school approach to special educational needs. We are Devon and Cornwall's only CReSTeD accredited school. Support is built into everyday teaching and scales up to specialist provision in the Connect Centre for children who need it.
What SEND support does Kingsley offer?
Support starts with Quality First Teaching in every classroom. Pupils with mild to moderate needs can also have supervised study periods, literacy or numeracy programmes, one-to-one or small-group sessions and targeted intervention from specialist teachers. Some additional support carries a charge, which is set out on our Fees and Optional Extras page, and our Admissions team can talk you through what your child would need.
How do you support more complex needs?
Children with more complex profiles, including autism, are supported through the Connect Centre, our specialist provision with small classes and a calm, low-distraction setting. They remain part of the Kingsley Family and can join mainstream lessons where that suits them, with our in-house occupational therapy and speech and language therapy alongside.
Northdown Road, Bideford