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This leading London SEN school scoops up children struggling with specific learning difficulties – dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia – and gives them exactly what they need to succeed. They call it their ‘magic formula’ and indeed it is – although it is firmly rooted in deep knowledge and expertise. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and teaching is impressively ability-sensitive, meaning that each and every pupil gets the bespoke learning they need to return to mainstream school. As the school puts it: ‘Pupils leaving Fairley House School is a happy day,’ as it means they now have the tools to succeed wherever they are going.
Where?
The school’s location just 10 minutes’ walk from Waterloo station is incredibly convenient. Sitting in the serene shadow of Lambeth Palace, it is next door to Archbishop Park, so outside space to run around and do sport is on the doorstep. Fairley House is made up of two buildings. One houses classrooms, the head’s office and admin, while in the other are the school hall, Year 6 classrooms, speech and language rooms and, on the top floor, a high-ceilinged gym that is used for occupational therapy. The older, single-storey building is a corridor of small classrooms, all whitewashed and with large windows, while the corridor has a mural of fairytale characters. At its centre is a library. There’s a small playground with a new wooden pirate ship and a big chair for story time during the summer.
Head
Head Marc Broughton joined Fairley House in February 2026. Previously at Downsend School - where he was instrumental in developing the school’s brand-new sixth form - he has also held senior leadership positions at Caterham, Dunottar School and Belmond School.
Admissions
Children can join at any time – mid-year, mid-term, even midweek. After parents send in paperwork, the child has an assessment that takes around three days, but effort is made to move as fast as possible.
Academics and senior school destinations
Pupils have intensive English lessons that comprise 30 minutes a day of word study, four hours a week of reading and two hours of writing. Reading and word study are in small ability groups, and are taken by occupational and speech-and-language therapists, and specialist teachers, all with the Level 5 qualification or equivalent. Writing is in slightly larger groups of 10 to 12, with two members of staff. Pupils use computers and also write by hand to discover which suits them best for future exams. Everyone is issued with a computer fitted with dictation software, headphones and microphones to aid learning.
Maths is taught for an hour a day and may include speech-and-language support and/or OT support. ‘Multisensory lessons are critical,’ says the school. Methods include highlighting maths symbols for addition in one particular colour and subtraction in another colour. Pupils also learn in the gym, through a weekly motor maths session, illustrative of the school's transdisciplinary teaching approach involving an occupational therapist and specialist teacher.
Speech-and-language and occupational therapy are delivered both in groups and one to one. Therapists share information with teachers, such as whether a child needs to sit in a certain way or use a particular pen. Therapists plan lessons with teachers, and all staff have completed the British Dyslexia Association's Accredited Level 5 teaching certificate.
There is a sensory morning motor class during registration to help children regulate and focus in order to achieve the optimum level of alertness required for effective learning
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Confidence, both academic and social, is the biggest driver for pupils going into mainstream education. Parents chat with the head about future schools and the positives of moving on. Some, for example, leave for a larger, sportier environment. Before children leave, they are given an hour a week of exam preparation. Nothing gives Fairley House staff more pleasure than seeing their students move on to the next part of their learning journey with their confidence rebuilt and a love of learning established.
Co-curricular
The school hires the Astro in Archbishop Park next door and also uses the basketball court there; pupils go swimming at a nearby pool. Everyone is involved in fixtures, with teams rotated to ensure everyone has a chance to play. PE is held in the school hall
or on the Astro pitches.
Drama and music are timetabled for an hour a week, and children play the piano, drums and also have singing lessons. Shows are all-inclusive, with the younger ones staging a Christmas-around-the-world production. No one is forced on stage, though – even pulling the curtains is seen as being involved. Art is freeflow – as the school says, ‘All we want is positivity and enjoyment and to remove anxiety in the classroom.’
There is a range of break time and after school clubs on offer within the school fees, which cater for the pupils’ diverse range of interests, including bouldering, coding, arts and crafts, yoga, performing arts and Dungeons and Dragons - all are rotated on a regular basis so students can try their hand at different things.
School community
Pastoral care is woven into everything the school does, with wonderful sensitivity to every child’s needs, and the strong collaboration between teachers and therapists means tailored individual support is always there. Parents are very supportive and run coffee mornings and events, both educational and fundraising.
And finally....
‘Praise, praise, praise’ is the heartwarming approach at this unique school where pupils are fully accepted for who they are and how they learn. The fantastic teaching and transdisciplinary measures combined with therapy means everyone is given a pathway to success, and it’s amazing how children grow in confidence, broadening their horizons – and shooting for the stars.