"Prep is absolutely amazing! Great team, great support and lots of fun learning! Our son is becoming so much more confident."

^{Parent of Prep Pupil - Facebook}

 "He has matured so much since being at Slindon and has learnt to deal with his triggers and really is just even more of a joy to be around."

^{Sixth Form Parent} 

"Fantastic College, fabulous caring staff, nurturing professionals, amazing setting, happy children - what more could a parent ask for!" 

^{Secondary School Leaver} 

"The College understands how to teach children in an imaginative and engaging way, therefore making lessons fun and informative.
Each child is an individual and the College recognises this and accommodates this."

^{Secondary Parent - Survey} 

"Slindon has excelled my son's development and maturity in every way whilst offering a safe and nurturing environment for him to do this. The staff are always approachable, positive and on hand for a chat."

^{Prep Parent} 

"Well done Slindon College, you are doing our children proud. Great boys, great staff in a great setting, what more could a parent ask for" 

^{Hillary, UK}

"Our son has grown into a confident student, having made friends and enjoyed school life to the full. Thanks to the work and dedication of his teachers and staff he is now ready for his next challenge. He has managed to build up enough resilience and independence to understand about the benefits of change. He understands the importance of getting the best marks possible at his exams so that he can keep his options open for the future." 

^{Brett & Patricia, Dubai}

"The school that listens - I have to agree with this wholeheartedly. A school that allows pupils to find what they are best at and then encourages them all the way to success, and also supports them where they need it."

 ^{Debbie, UK}

 "In addition to finding the right fit for his academic needs, we knew the overall school atmosphere, ethos and pastoral care would be absolutely critical. Slindon stood out from the beginning as the place that could provide both the resources and the experience to meet his needs, and the warmth and personal commitment that makes for a well functioning and successful community. From the day he arrived, our son has thrived socially, emotionally and academically. While we fretted about his readiness for boarding, our son was busy making new friends and exploring his new environments."

^{Parent of Y7 pupil, Europe}

"...Slindon has been a great experience for me; new people and new surroundings. Thanks to very friendly staff and pupils I was able to adapt to my new environment quickly and happily. I found it so much easier to work in the small classes instead of large classes in mainstream schools. When I became a Year 11 pupil, I became a Prefect which gave me duties and responsibilities – that was good for me, too. I have many great memories..."

Year 11 pupil 

 "...I had never boarded before so it was all quite scary to me. It was also my first time away from home. The Boarding Team look after us very well and I know that if I need anything at all I can ask for it – I may not always get it but they are super kind people who always do their best for us. The teachers are very supportive and helpful and they never mind explaining things over and over again until we have all got it. The weekends are fun as there are always off-site trips arranged for us and in the evenings and after school there is loads to do, too. In the summer term the swimming pool is open pretty much all of the time which is amazing. There really is something for everyone and they do treat you and respect you as your own person. I am really happy here and would recommend it to anyone. Oh, and the food is brilliant ... very important!"

^{Boarding Pupil}

Pupil Profile - William

William joined Slindon College as a Year 10 pupil in 2022.

Home tutoring

Before coming to Slindon College, William found settling at school challenging. Through staying at home William had missed much of his basic education and had a poor grounding in core subjects. These barriers to his learning were affecting William significantly and his parents were concerned about both his wellbeing and his future.

William had missed a lot of his education from years 7 to 9 and his parents thought he would be destined to spend his GCSE years at home with tutors. They felt he would miss out on many opportunities and shared experiences offered by a school education. William himself was worried he would leave his school years behind with no happy memories to look back on.

“We knew the sort of school that we were looking for but had very little hope of getting William a suitable place in time to attempt his GCSE’s. Before he came to Slindon, we weren’t even sure he could contemplate GCSE’s and we had no idea what he could do after Year 11. All William wanted was to go to school that felt normal and to be treated as ‘normal’. Until we secured his place at Slindon there didn’t seem to be anywhere for him to go.” William’s mum.

Nurturing confidence and self-belief

On starting at Slindon College, William quickly felt the benefits of the nurturing ethos of caring, listening and kindness that are embedded throughout the College. Through listening to William, his Head of House quickly got to know him and the things he valued; swiftly realising that sport really mattered to him. Through this support of his interest in sports, including football, table tennis and orienteering on the South Downs, William’s confidence began to grow.

Trusting relationships with staff were key for William’s growth during his time at Slindon College along with increasingly having his voice heard. In his last week at the College, William said: “The teachers here are fantastic they are actual people you can talk to and joke about with, or to lose table tennis with!” William was treated respectfully by staff and he had firm boundaries in place to provide direction and support. Staff at the College were flexible in delivering learning support provision for William to meet his needs.  William’s science teacher at Slindon used a methodological approach with plenty of ‘kindness and fun’ to help him enjoy progressing in the subject. Working as a team, the teachers built on this approach to help William across his subjects.

Building on his newly created confidence, William developed an interest and enthusiasm for his drama lessons at Slindon College. Supported by the College’s Head of Performing Arts, following a tremendously successful leading performance in the School’s annual play, William decided to apply to study Drama and Performing Arts at a Further Education College after his GCSE’s.

William’s mum said: “I wanted to thank the team at Slindon College from the bottom of my heart for all the amazing help and support that individuals and the wider team have given him. It is impossible to quantify all William has achieved in the last 18 months: socially, emotionally and academically. He now has a real belief in himself and most importantly a real future.  A practical, performance based course seems the obvious route! He now has the confidence and self-belief that there are things out there that he can do.”

Pupil Profile - Brandon

Brandon joined Slindon College from Hong Kong as a year 7 pupil in 2019.

Early childhood and education
Brandon’s education and school life in Hong Kong was difficult due to a diagnosis of autism, a condition that worried his family as a common belief in Hong Kong is that people with autism do not reach their potential. At first, Brandon’s parents struggled to come to terms with the diagnosis and enrolled him at a mainstream school. However, Brandon did not make eye-contact with people, he would talk to himself and did not follow instructions well. Eventually due to his difficulty in communicating with adults and his increased anxiety levels, the school advised that Brandon should seek a specialist provision.

Brandon’s parents then enrolled him at a specialist primary school that provided special needs education. Whilst Brandon made academic progress to a suitable level, his parents were worried that his learning was not being integrated into the classroom setting. At 10 years old, Brandon did not have much social experience and he would often withdraw into his ‘own little world’. Brandon’s parents wanted him to gain more social experience in a school that could deliver both academic and personal development targets whilst being supportive to Brandon’s needs.

Brandon’s mum had studied in the UK and believed that a UK boarding school education would help Brandon to get a good job. However she was worried about him being able to successfully integrate and achieve due to his autism.

A British Boarding School education with a difference
Slindon College was suggested to Brandon’s parents by an education agent. After a video call, Slindon College believed they could help Brandon. At first, he was reluctant about a move to a UK boarding school but during the trial week, Brandon realised that his level of English was sufficient for him to communicate his needs and enjoy the experience.

The boarding houseparents recognised Brandon’s behaviour immediately, they understood that his anxious behaviour was as a result of misunderstandings and so gently encouraged him to make eye contact and engage with other neuro-diverse boys at the College.

“I was struck by the College’s aim ‘to give all boys access to an education that is tailored to their needs’ and when my brother took Brandon for his trial he said, ‘This is a school that suits Brandon.’” – Brandon’s mum October 2021.

After being offered a place, the College suggested a holistic learning programme that included academic studies, social development and experiential learning. Staff identified Brandon’s passion for cars and mechanics as an opportunity to engage with him and to align his personal interests with academic progress.

Two years on, Brandon’s parents have seen real progress both socially and academically. In boarding, Brandon has developed positive relationships with peers and staff. He has also been going the extra mile when it comes to areas of learning that particularly interest him. He speaks to his parents regularly about his passions and this has pleased his father who also enjoys model cars. They are now hopeful that the rounded education provision that he receives at the College will mean he achieves his goals and leads a happy and rewarding life.

Pupil Profile - Leon

León is a 13-year-old Spanish boy, the 4th of a family of 5 children. Since he was little he’s shown impulsivity and at the age of 8 he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Leon's mum said: "He’s a very sporty boy, he loves soccer and music. To date, he has not had any problems keeping up with classes and subjects at school, but he has always needed support at home to do his homework and has always needed to study with someone's help.

"We were lucky to discover Slindon College, where they welcomed us from the first moment wonderfully. At Slindon classes have fewer students so León got more individual attention. From the beginning, they helped us to find the extracurricular activities that our son likes. They looked for a nearby football team, they made it easy for him to attend Catholic Mass on weekends and they always keep us very well informed about everything.

"We believe that León has improved a lot. He’s developed many abilities such as drawing, cooking, theatre, music, sports... These are activities that are not implemented as much in the Spanish educational system that have greatly benefited him in terms of his self-esteem and personal development. Meeting children very different to him, with other difficulties, customs and cultures has really helped him to respect differences and to love people as they are. Communication with us has improved a lot as well. He now tells us, especially in writing, things that he’d never told us before.

"He’s verbalising his feelings and showing much more appreciation for his family. His behaviour at home has improved a lot too. It’s been a fantastic experience for our son. Thank you very much Slindon!!"

What León thinks:

"In Spain I don't have “DT”. Here I've learned many things, like making a mobile phone holder, I've also made a lamp out of a basketball. I have also learned to act very well in Drama, and now I am very organized. One thing I've learned is that it's important to listen to your friends.

"I've also seen a lot of "never giving up. I don't think I'll forget anything about Slindon. I like the people very much. I really like the boarding activities on Saturdays like "Flip-Out" which is my favourite."

Best thing I'll remember: "Pupils respect everyone at the school. Once, for example, a boy in my class shared something that was difficult for him and the whole class showed him respect and even encouraged him."