Education Policy

Akeley Wood aims to help every individual to fulfil his or her academic potential. This is achieved through skilled, dedicated and enthusiastic teaching in small classes, differentiating the expectation and (as far as possible) the work for each child as appropriate. For some A* grades or scholarships will be the goal; for others it will be entry into appropriate senior schools at eleven or thirteen; for others still the achieving of five C grades at GCSE will be a triumph. The bright must be challenged; those who struggle academically must be encouraged and helped.

Most importantly, the school believes in the education of the whole child. It is our job to discover and nurture each pupil's abilities, wherever they may lie. So Music, Art, Drama and Physical Education (for example) all play an important part in school life, both as part of the curriculum and as activities outside the curriculum. Some children will succeed more in these areas than in the academic life, and the confidence thus gained will be carried back into the classroom. So there is no hierarchy of value as far as subjects are concerned. The value is the value to the child.

A small number of pupils with minor difficulties work happily in the main stream classes and receive extra specialist tuition. In addition to their teaching role, the dyslexia staff encourage pupils in all their work, helping them to overcome any problems which they may encounter in their lessons.

The 'Tutorial Programme' caters for those whose dyslexia is greater. Here pupils work in much smaller classes - one in each age group - under the guidance of specially qualified teachers and assistants. This allows them to build up their skills and confidence in a relaxed but challenging environment, while enjoying the wider social life and all the opportunities of the larger school.