Holme Court School 

Holme Court School Abington Woods Church Lane, Little Abington Cambridge, CB21 6BQ Visit School Website

By the Numbers

Mission / Vision - In Their Words

Mission: "Within a friendly, caring environment, Holme Court pupils are encouraged to develop the social responsibility and independence of thought that will equip them for the challenges of a changing world.

Everyone has talent; we aim to provide the opportunity for each individual to excel so that self-esteem can be enhanced.

At Holme Court School we value:

• Each individual
• Hight Standards, ensuring that each child reaches their potential whilst pupils develop the confidence and independence of mind to be true to themselves
• The celebration of all personal success and achievement
• Tolerance and respect for others and the development of social responsibility and integrity
• Commitment, enthusiasm and self-dicipline

At Holme Court School we will provide:

• A rounded education, encompassing both academic and extra-curricular activity
• A warm, supportive and co-operative environment encompassing staff, pupils, parents and the community
• A variety of opportunities for every pupil to discover an individual sphere of excellence and thus be challenged and inspired
• Teaching the necessary skills which will enable pupils to engage in lifelong learning"

Vision: Though the school did not have a formal Vision statement it does have an "Aims" statement that reads: "The school aims to become a thriving, happy special school for dyslexic children, offering intensive education for up to 30 day pupils aged between 7 and 16.  We aim to research the best methods of identifying dyslexia, of preventing it and remedying or overcoming it, in collaboration with a respected university research department." 

How They Accommodate Dyslexia - What We Found

Target Students: The school caters to students with dyslexia and associated difficulties. 

Dyslexia Accommodation:  A highly structured, cumulative and multi sensory approach to teaching is used throughout the school, with more emphasis on the basic skills of English and Mathematics and a ‘lighter touch’ on other subjects.

In describing its curriculum the school refers to a number of programs and resources that they do not elaborate on, sometimes using confusing acronyms that are not defined. Below we list these resources and our findings upon looking into them.

• Hamilton topic resources:  Hamilton is a charity registered in England and Wales that produces teaching resources including literacy plans. We could find no reference to expertise accommodating dyslexia on the Hamilton website and therefore have to conclude that their resources are not designed for dyslexics. 
  
• QCA National Curriculum planning resources: QCA stands for Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. It is a non-governmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills. It maintains and develops the national curriculum and associated assessments, tests and examinations; and accredits and monitors qualifications in colleges. No dyslexia curriculum was noted. 
  
• ALAN qualifications: ALAN stands for Adult Literacy/Adult Numeracy. A private company called Pearson Education Limited administers  "nationally recognized, stand alone qualifications that enable learners to gain the basic key skills they require in English and mathematics" These are called ALAN qualifications. Again we could find no evidence that ALAN testing methods are suitable for dyslexics.
• ASDAN qualifications: ASDAN is a registered charity that claims to be a  "pioneering curriculum development organisation and awarding body, offering programmes and qualifications that explicitly grow skills for learning, skills for employment and skills for life." Once again we could find no evidence that ASDAN prepares curriculum or establishes qualifications with dyslexia in mind.
  

Teacher Training:  Regarding its instructors, the school quotes the Government's 2011 Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) report: “Key strengths include good subject knowledge and excellent knowledge of methods for teaching pupils with dyslexia." The Ofsted report also notes that the school offers outstanding training opportunities for all staff, in the latest developments in dyslexia, provided by the head teacher.

But despite these glowing reviews, the basic qualifications of the teachers is not made clear in the report or on the school's website. 

Student Teacher Ratio: 7:1 with some 1:1 tutoring by a 'qualified' dyslexia tutor.

Assistive Technology:  Details on assistive tech use are few, but it is noted on the school website that assistive technology skills and knowledge are promoted throughout the school curriculum to help pupils’ develop their independence and work at their potential.

The only Ofsted report (2011) recommendation for the school was "Extend the resources of specialist technologies to further support learning and progress for pupils with dyslexia"

Financial Aid: No information on financial assistance for parents was found.

DRW Scorecard for Holme Court School

Based on information available to us, we have scored the school in six areas of importance to prospective parents and students.

Important Notes

1) Given the limitations of information available to us, the scores may not accurately represent the school. School administrators  or informed parents and students are welcome to contact us with additional information and we will update the scorecard accordingly.

2) Scoring is based on specific dyslexic student needs, not on an absolute scale of school quality.

Final Thoughts

The Holme Court School looks like a good school for dyslexic children. Their website lacks some details on the specifics of their dyslexia accommodations and teacher training, but this may simply be an oversight. The school was otherwise well reviewed by Ofsted.  

DRW Scoring Grid

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