The New School at West Heath
Encyclopedia
The New School at West Heath (or simply The New School) is an independent school
in Sevenoaks
, in southeast England
. It caters for children for whom mainstream schooling has become insufficient, for varying reasons. While many are not mentally or physically disabled, many have been through harsh circumstances and suffer from related things such as emotional trauma
, which fits with the school's motto, "Rebuilding damaged lives."
The school, founded in its current form as a charitable trust
on 14 September 1998 as The Beth Marie Centre, is based in 31 acres (12.5 ha) of parkland on lease from Mohamed Al-Fayed
, who has contributed almost £3 million GBP
towards the school. The building formerly housed the school where Diana, Princess of Wales
received her childhood education along with her two older sisters, Sarah
and Jane
. It was then called West Heath Girls School and was a very exclusive girls school with around 100 boarding pupils.
"The school is becoming a real living memorial to the life of Diana, Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Al Fayed." --Valerie May, Principal
family.
It became a school in 1932, at the time being West Heath Girls School, a very exclusive girls' school with around 100 boarding pupils. Both Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales
and her sister Sarah (now Lady Sarah McCorquodale) spent their childhood education there. Other notable alumni include Issy Van Randwyck
, and Tilda Swinton
.
In the 1990s, the school got into financial difficulties due to falling numbers of pupils attending the school, and was placed into receivership in 1997.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
wanted to buy the school at first, but decided against it, and Mohamed Al Fayed stepped in to buy West Heath for £2,300,000 on the 20th May 1998 as new premises for the Beth Marie Centre. He had previously seen for himself work being done by the Centre's founder, Valerie May, in a collection of portable buildings. Al Fayed later pledged to contribute a further £550,000 towards equipping the school and visits frequently, continuing to show his support for the school.
The school was founded in its current form, with Valerie May as Principal, on the 14th September 1998 and at the start the school had around 30 pupils. Boarding began in the year 2000, and there are six boarding houses, each named after one of the Trustees (see Management, below); Tarrant, Sissons, Astor, Ruth, Hunniford and Esther.
As well as the Old School a more modern teaching block was built to increase the classroom capacity and overall space for the school.
: Mohamed Al-Fayed
, of Harrods
fame and father of the late Dodi Al-Fayed
The school is governed by a board of nine Trustee
s/Patrons (who are the tenants of the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation):
School management:
Possible disabilities include: Acute stress disorder, Addiction
, Affective spectrum
, Agoraphobia
, Anorexia nervosa
, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD/ADD), Asperger syndrome
, Autism spectrum
/High functioning autism, Avoidant personality disorder
, Bipolar
/Bipolar spectrum
, Bulimia nervosa
, Conduct disorder
, Developmental delay, Clinical depression
, Dyslexia
, Dyspraxia
, Epilepsy
, Exhibitionism
, Gender identity disorder
, Genetic disorders, Hysteria
, Nervous breakdown
, Obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD), Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
(OCPD), Oppositional defiant disorder
, (ODD), General anxiety disorder
(GAD), Impulse control disorder
(Kleptomania
, Intermittent explosive disorder
, Pyromania
, Pathological gambling, Trichotillomania
), Emotional or behavioural
difficulties, Pathological demand avoidance
(PDA), Panic attack
s, Pervasive developmental disorder
(PDD), Seasonal affective disorder
(SAD), Self-harm
(SH), Separation anxiety disorder
/School refusal
, Selective mutism
, Semantic pragmatic disorder
, Social anxiety
(Social phobia), Tourette syndrome
, and other various mental health
problems.
However many of the disadvantaged students have never had the opportunity to get a formal Statement of Special Needs (SSEN) for various reasons.
It received some money from Children in Need
in 2004, and teachers and students also partook in fund-raising activities for Children in Need as a whole, for example sponsored silences, head shaves, makeup-for-the-day and so on.
grades:
grades :
grades :
% students achieving level 5 or above in Maths test: 22%
% students achieving level 5 or above in Science test: 0%
% 15-year-olds achieving 5 or more grades A*-C: 4%
% 15-year-olds achieving 5 or more grades D-G: 32%
% 15-year-olds failing to achieve at least 5 G grades: 64%
grades : Students failing to achieve at least 5 GCSE passes: 67%
Students failing to achieve any GCSE passes: 17%
Pupils with Special Educational Needs: 100%
Pupils with SEN with statements: 61.9%
Pupils with SEN without statements: 38.1%
Number of students: 42
Students failing to achieve at least 5 GCSE passes: 79%
Students failing to achieve any GCSE passes: 11%
Due to many of the students living far away, once they start a College course while staying with the Post 16 section of the school, it is very hard for them to move to another college if they change their mind and wish to stop boarding at the school. Often students are given the option of abandoning their college course and the qualification they have worked for a year on, or moving to another college and leaving the school. Most students just cannot afford their own transport and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) work on a yearly basis and will not help pay for transport if a student wishes to leave the school.
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, in southeast England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It caters for children for whom mainstream schooling has become insufficient, for varying reasons. While many are not mentally or physically disabled, many have been through harsh circumstances and suffer from related things such as emotional trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
, which fits with the school's motto, "Rebuilding damaged lives."
The school, founded in its current form as a charitable trust
Charitable trust
A charitable trust is an irrevocable trust established for charitable purposes, and is a more specific term than "charitable organization".-United States:...
on 14 September 1998 as The Beth Marie Centre, is based in 31 acres (12.5 ha) of parkland on lease from Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, who has contributed almost £3 million GBP
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
towards the school. The building formerly housed the school where Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
received her childhood education along with her two older sisters, Sarah
Lady Sarah McCorquodale
The Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale is the older sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Early life:Sarah was born The Honourable Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia Spencer; she acquired the courtesy title The Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia Spencer in 1975, when her grandfather died and her father became...
and Jane
Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes
Cynthia Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes is the older sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Early life:Lady Fellowes was born The Honourable Cynthia Jane Spencer. Her title changed to The Lady Cynthia Jane Spencer in 1975, when her grandfather died and her father became the 8th Earl Spencer...
. It was then called West Heath Girls School and was a very exclusive girls school with around 100 boarding pupils.
"The school is becoming a real living memorial to the life of Diana, Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Al Fayed." --Valerie May, Principal
History and grounds
The old school house was originally built in the 18th century and was the home of the ElliotT. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
family.
It became a school in 1932, at the time being West Heath Girls School, a very exclusive girls' school with around 100 boarding pupils. Both Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and her sister Sarah (now Lady Sarah McCorquodale) spent their childhood education there. Other notable alumni include Issy Van Randwyck
Issy Van Randwyck
Issy van Randwyck is an English singer and actress of Dutch descent. She is a former member of British comedy singing group and satirical cabaret act Fascinating Aida, she has since acted on stage and television.-Biography:...
, and Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
.
In the 1990s, the school got into financial difficulties due to falling numbers of pupils attending the school, and was placed into receivership in 1997.
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund is an independent grant-giving foundation established in September 1997 after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, to continue her humanitarian work in the United Kingdom and overseas...
wanted to buy the school at first, but decided against it, and Mohamed Al Fayed stepped in to buy West Heath for £2,300,000 on the 20th May 1998 as new premises for the Beth Marie Centre. He had previously seen for himself work being done by the Centre's founder, Valerie May, in a collection of portable buildings. Al Fayed later pledged to contribute a further £550,000 towards equipping the school and visits frequently, continuing to show his support for the school.
- "I am surprised that the Princess Diana memorial fund, with all its millions in the bank, did not show a greater interest in this project," Al Fayed said in a statement. "I believe it to be a far more fitting tribute to her work than putting her name on tasteless souvenirs."
The school was founded in its current form, with Valerie May as Principal, on the 14th September 1998 and at the start the school had around 30 pupils. Boarding began in the year 2000, and there are six boarding houses, each named after one of the Trustees (see Management, below); Tarrant, Sissons, Astor, Ruth, Hunniford and Esther.
As well as the Old School a more modern teaching block was built to increase the classroom capacity and overall space for the school.
Management
Founding patronPatronage
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
: Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Al-Fayed
Mohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
, of Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
fame and father of the late Dodi Al-Fayed
Dodi Al-Fayed
Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed , known as Dodi Fayed , was an Egyptian film producer. He was best known internationally as the boyfriend of Diana, Princess of Wales, with whom he died in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris along with driver Henri Paul on 31 August...
The school is governed by a board of nine Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s/Patrons (who are the tenants of the Al Fayed Charitable Foundation):
- Chairman: Peter SissonsPeter SissonsPeter George Sissons is a broadcast journalist in the United Kingdom. He was the presenter of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and the BBC News at Ten between 1993 and 2003, as earlier a newscaster for ITN, providing bulletins on ITV and Channel 4. He is also a former presenter of the BBC's Question Time...
- Elizabeth Mackintosh, Baroness Mackintosh of Hever
- John Jacob Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever
- Gloria HunnifordGloria HunnifordGloria Hunniford is a Northern Irish TV and radio presenter, and formerly a singer.-Biography:...
- Sue Lee-Kemp
- Esther RantzenEsther RantzenEsther Louise Rantzen CBE is an English journalist and television presenter who is best known for presenting the BBC television series That's Life!, and for her work in various charitable causes. She is founder of the child protection charity ChildLine, and also advocates the work of the Burma...
- Ruth Rudge
- Wayne SleepWayne SleepWayne Philip Colin Sleep OBE is a British dancer, director, choreographer and panelist. He was a Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet and has appeared as a Guest Artist with several other ballet companies.-Early life:...
- Chris TarrantChris TarrantChristopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
School management:
- Principal: Christina Wells(B.A.Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Hons.) - Deputy HeadHead teacherA head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
: Alan Baker - Head of Education (schoolSecondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
): Chris Moffet - Head of Boarding: Jim Nunns
- Head of Post-16 (school support at collegesSixth form collegeA sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
): Julian Roberts
General information
Unlike many schools, Ofsted inspection documents are not available online. Ofsted inspection, Policy, syllabuses, schemes of work and National Curriculum documents can be made available on request to the Head of Education.- Criteria of students - 11 to 19 years old, female or male.
Possible disabilities include: Acute stress disorder, Addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, Affective spectrum
Affective spectrum
The affective spectrum is a grouping of related psychiatric and medical disorders which may accompany bipolar, unipolar, and schizoaffective disorders at statistically higher rates than would normally be expected. These disorders are identified by a common positive response to the same types of...
, Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
, Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by "the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone" and symptoms starting before seven years of age.ADHD is the most commonly studied and...
(ADHD/ADD), Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
, Autism spectrum
Autism spectrum
The term "autism spectrum" is often used to describe disorders that are currently classified as pervasive developmental disorders. Pervasive developmental disorders include autism, Asperger syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise...
/High functioning autism, Avoidant personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder
Avoidant personality disorder is a personality disorder recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders handbook in a person characterized by a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation, and avoidance of...
, Bipolar
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
/Bipolar spectrum
Bipolar spectrum
The bipolar spectrum refers to a category of mood disorders that feature abnormally elevated or depressed mood. These disorders range from bipolar I disorder, featuring full-blown manic episodes, to cyclothymia, featuring less prominent hypomanic episodes, to "subsyndromal" conditions where only...
, Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise. Bulimia nervosa is...
, Conduct disorder
Conduct disorder
Conduct disorder is psychological disorder diagnosed in childhood that presents itself through a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate norms are violated...
, Developmental delay, Clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, Dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
, Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia
Developmental dyspraxia is a motor learning difficulty that can affect planning of movements and co-ordination as a result of brain messages not being accurately transmitted to the body...
, Epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
, Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism refers to a desire or compulsion to expose parts of one's body – specifically the genitals or buttocks of a man or woman, or the breasts of a woman – in a public or semi-public circumstance, in crowds or groups of friends or acquaintances, or to strangers...
, Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
, Genetic disorders, Hysteria
Hysteria
Hysteria, in its colloquial use, describes unmanageable emotional excesses. People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to an overwhelming fear that may be caused by multiple events in one's past that involved some sort of severe conflict; the fear can be centered on a body part, or,...
, Nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
(OCD), Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency.- Signs and symptoms :The primary symptoms of OCPD...
(OCPD), Oppositional defiant disorder
Oppositional defiant disorder
Oppositional defiant disorder is a diagnosis described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an ongoing pattern of disobedient, hostile and defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior...
, (ODD), General anxiety disorder
General anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things that is disproportionate to the actual source of worry...
(GAD), Impulse control disorder
Impulse control disorder
Impulse control disorder is a set of psychiatric disorders including intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, pathological gambling, pyromania , and three body-focused repetitive or compulsive behaviors of trichotillomania , onychophagia and dermatillomania...
(Kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
, Intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder is a behavioral disorder characterized by extreme expressions of anger, often to the point of violence, that are disproportionate to the situation at hand. It is currently categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as an impulse...
, Pyromania
Pyromania
Pyromania in more extreme circumstances can be an impulse control disorder to deliberately start fires to relieve tension or for gratification or relief. The term pyromania comes from the Greek word πῦρ . Pyromania and pyromaniacs are distinct from arson, the pursuit of personal, monetary or...
, Pathological gambling, Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania, which is classified as an impulse control disorder by DSM-IV, is the compulsive urge to pull out one's own hair leading to noticeable hair loss, distress, and social or functional impairment. It is often chronic and difficult to treat....
), Emotional or behavioural
Human behavior
Human behavior refers to the range of behaviors exhibited by humans and which are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, values, ethics, authority, rapport, hypnosis, persuasion, coercion and/or genetics....
difficulties, Pathological demand avoidance
Pathological demand avoidance
Pathological demand avoidance is a syndrome proposed by Elizabeth Newson to be a specific pervasive developmental disorder and part of the PDD "family" which also includes autism....
(PDA), Panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
s, Pervasive developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorder
Pervasive developmental disorders is a diagnostic category refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays or impairments in communication, social behaviors, and cognitive development.Pervasive developmental disorders include Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, Childhood...
(PDD), Seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder
Seasonal affective disorder , also known as winter depression, winter blues, summer depression, summer blues, or seasonal depression, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn...
(SAD), Self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
(SH), Separation anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder is a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment...
/School refusal
School refusal
School refusal is a term originally used in the United Kingdom to describe refusal to attend school, due to emotional distress. School refusal differs from truancy in that children with school refusal feel anxiety or fear towards school, whereas truant children generally have no feelings of fear...
, Selective mutism
Selective mutism
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder in which a person, most often a child, who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak in given situations, or to specific people...
, Semantic pragmatic disorder
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder
Pragmatic language impairment is an impairment in understanding pragmatic areas of language. This type of impairment was previously called semantic-pragmatic disorder . Pragmatic language impairments are related to autism and Asperger syndrome, but also could be related to other non autistic...
, Social anxiety
Social anxiety
Social anxiety is anxiety about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people...
(Social phobia), Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Tourette syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood, characterized by multiple physical tics and at least one vocal tic; these tics characteristically wax and wane...
, and other various mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
problems.
However many of the disadvantaged students have never had the opportunity to get a formal Statement of Special Needs (SSEN) for various reasons.
- Costs - £15,790 p/a (per annum) for day students, £42,972 p/a for residential (boarding) students.
- Class size - 10 maximum.
- Funding - The school has no state school status, however it is indirectly funded through the Local Education AuthoritiesLocal Education AuthorityA local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
(LEAs) of individual students, Social Services, Health authoritiesNational Health Service (England)The National Health Service or NHS is the publicly funded healthcare system in England. It is both the largest and oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world. It is able to function in the way that it does because it is primarily funded through the general taxation system, similar to how...
, bursaryBursaryA bursary is strictly an office for a bursar and his or her staff in a school or college.In modern English usage, the term has become synonymous with "bursary award", a monetary award made by an institution to an individual or a group to assist the development of their education.According to The...
, or self-funded. Each student has an annual review each year to determine if their needs are being met and what changes if any need to be made in their education. Recently the school has had to cut back hard on funding due to less charity donations than previously, and Al-FayedMohamed Al-FayedMohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
ceasing to fund the school.
It received some money from Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
in 2004, and teachers and students also partook in fund-raising activities for Children in Need as a whole, for example sponsored silences, head shaves, makeup-for-the-day and so on.
- Entry - Entering the school requires a Local Education Authority procedure or Social Services referral, as the school has the status as a Special School.
- Number of pupils - 101
2005
GCSEGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
grades:
2004
GCSEGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
grades :
- Number of students aged 15: 20
- Students achieving 5 or more GCSE passes (A*-C): 0%
- Students failing to achieve at least one entry level qualification: 20%
- Average total GCSE point score per 15 year old: 121.3 (for comparison, the nearest non-Special Educational Needs school, Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
: 498.2)
2003
GCSEGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
grades :
- Number of students: 31
- Students aged 16 achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A*-G: 89% (unpublished which of this is passes, e.g. A*-C)
- Average total point score per 16-year-old: 23.8 (for comparison, the nearest non-SEN school, Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
average: 66.8) - Pupils with Special Educational Needs: 100%
2002
Key Stage 3 tests (not GCSE):- % students achieving level 5 or above in
- 1998-2002
2000
GCSEGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
grades :
- Students achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A*-C:
1999
GCSE grades :- Students achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A*-C:
Post 16
As well as the school teaching students from Years 7 to 11, the school operates a section allowing students to get "support" from the school while going to college - the school itself does and cannot afford staff to teach A-level quality subjects itself. Many continue boarding at the school while going to college from there.Due to many of the students living far away, once they start a College course while staying with the Post 16 section of the school, it is very hard for them to move to another college if they change their mind and wish to stop boarding at the school. Often students are given the option of abandoning their college course and the qualification they have worked for a year on, or moving to another college and leaving the school. Most students just cannot afford their own transport and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) work on a yearly basis and will not help pay for transport if a student wishes to leave the school.
Fund a Child's Education (FaCE)
The New School has set up a fundraising drive, FaCE (Fund a Child's Education) to enable it to help enable children in need of the school to move from its very large waiting list of potential students. They appreciate any help, be it a donation, fundraising by a coffee morning, or corporate sponsorship.See also
- Special education in the United Kingdom#Europe
- Boarding schoolBoarding schoolA boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
- Mohamed Al-FayedMohamed Al-FayedMohamed Abdel Moneim Al-Fayed is an Egyptian businessman and billionaire. Amongst his business interests are ownership of the English Premiership football team Fulham Football Club, Hôtel Ritz Paris and formerly Harrods Department Store, Knightsbridge...
- Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
External links
- The New School at West Heath on OfstedOffice for Standards in EducationThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
's site. - The New School at West Heath on Independent Schools of the British Isles
- The New School at West Heaths official website
- Article mentioning the school on BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
, September 2003 - Information about the school on Al-Fayed's website
- West Heath Tennis Centre, which takes place on the schools facilities when not in use for additional funding.
- An account of Princess Diana's time at West Heath (Girls' School)
- Another account, from Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words