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Our son attends The New Forest Small School and after many experiences in other schools he is finally really happy and loves school. He is learning and always wants to go to school and I receive lots of feedback from him. This is a great source of relief and joy to us and we are very grateful that schools like The New Forest Small School exist.

We want our child's school experience to be a happy one and so it is important that choice in schools is possible.

Yours Faithfully

Mrs. R.

(Address Supplied)

As an Early Years teacher looking for quality pre school provision, the New Forest Montessori Preschool (as it was in the beginning when we joined) was a breath of fresh air. Not only were Nicholas and Alison sensitive to my son Joes' needs (not unlike other Early years settings) but they also were able to meet my own very high standards.

Their knowledge of learning, commitment and passion for fun times made our time there very special. Although it was years since we were there I think Nicholas and Alison's beliefs in making small experiences really beautiful for children will ensure meaningful and qualitative practice continues.

Good luck with your Expansion ventures and carry on enjoying life to the full with your New Forest Small School children.

Mrs. C. W (Totton)

 

 

Our son Jared has been attending New Forest Small School since he was 3. We wanted a school environment that would nurture and support all aspects of his growth and development on all levels. This has certainly been the case and we are extremely pleased with how Jared is progressing. It has been great to be able to gradually build up Jared's school time to a point where every one felt, including Jared, that he was ready to go full time. He is now 9 and has developed into an out going, confident and knowledgable boy, which we are sure is largely thanks to the New Forest Small School.

Bridget & Ken

I was lucky to attend the Small School in its early days when I was 3. I am now 13 and look back at those happy days as instructive and fun. I hope they can continue for many years to come.

Edward Ferder

My three boys are in their third year at the New Forest Small School. The only thing they ever moan about is having to have weekends and holidays. They have such a fabulous time in the warm, caring and child-centered environment. It is a pleasure to drop them off each morning knowing how well they will be looked after - a rare thing these days.

Ally Rusholme (Salisbury)

 

When our son started at state school all was initially well. However, once he moved out of reception we could see as each day went by that he was turning into a miserable, unhappy, confused, little boy. He had almost daily physical stress-related symptoms: stomach aches and generally feeling unwell, headaches, and when we kept him off school we were bad parents, and made to feel irresponsible.

At state primary huge class size, constant noise, teachers without control, an overbearing head teacher all had an adverse affect. Repetitive homework every night added to the pressure. There was bullying from other children both in class and in the playground, again we were told we were worrying about nothing, and nothing was done. We suspected that he was dyslexic, again we were told we were worrying unnecessarily and that he would ‘grow out of it’. For our son it was daily torture, and it was getting worse.

We had reached crisis point and we had to do something to rescue him. This is when we found NFSS. Nick was tremendously helpful and understanding, and we took our son out of state school immediately. He initially did 2 or 3 days at school and the rest home education. After a period of recovery when he was just allowed to relax and be himself, we began to notice that his physical symptoms had disappeared, he became brighter, happier, interested, even looked forward going to school. We had our son back all thanks to Nick, Ali and the other wonderful staff at the NFSS. Now he is 10 and loves school, has hardly missed a day there, and did extremely well in recent academic test results.

Paul and Lynn Stephenson, Lyndhurst

 

I took our daughter, Maia, to the New Forest Small School in February of 2005. Up until this point she’d been at a local village school – full of good activities and energy but failing her badly in it’s own understanding and support of her dyslexia learning difficulties. Emotionally she’d been beaten down and crushed by large classes and lack of time from her teachers. In her own words she felt ‘as though she were in a small box with the lid coming further and further down each day with only a crack of light left’. She said that ‘when the lid finally closes’ she ‘would die inside herself’. Physical symptoms came with this – asthma, stabbing chest pains and migraines. And a nine year old child who would sit on my lap late into the night crying with little enjoyment of the world around her. Eventually she was only going into school an average of three days per week.

Knowing there was no way forward in this system and in desperation, I scanned the Yellow Pages and found the Small School. Just in time as ‘the lid came down’ and I took Maia out of her school for the last time. I’d been searching countrywide for a private school dealing with dyslexic children but could find nothing close enough for her not to be a weekly boarder. Her fears were now so great that this was not possible.

She entered The New Forest Small School with great trepidation but was lulled by the lack of pressure and the feeling that it was OK ‘to be herself.’. Slowly, she started to blossom once again and after two months I felt my own daughter had been returned to me. All the bounce and enthusiasm were hers again and with it the joy and pride of learning and the confidence to put her thoughts into words and writing (with a few misspellings of course). Friendships bloomed and she regained her love of life.

Over one and a half years later she has not only gained more academic knowledge than she would have done in a normal school setting, but she has discovered that wonderful thing – that we all have our idiosyncrasies, but that they are surmountable given the time and understanding from the right teachers and surroundings. She can now laugh uproariously at some of her more ‘creative’ spellings. She did wonderfully in her end of term exams and I cannot fault the great tuition and inspiration provided by Nic, Ali, Clara, Claire and the team at the NFSS.

Maia has just started at Priestlands Comprehensive – a huge leap to a school of 1,200 pupils. I was more fearful than she, but two weeks in and with her new found confidence, she is relishing the challenges and loving the chance to experience a world that would have otherwise been closed to her. She is academically now on a par with, or above, her peers.

Should her school world ever head back to that sad and dimly lit space, I will remove her once again – I only hope that by that time the NFSS has been able to expand and have classes for this next generation. I would recommend the school to any parent who believes that their child deserves individual respect and a chance to learn in an inspired, caring and insightful environment.

We owe so much to the NFSS and an eternal Thank you to everyone there.

Fiona Williams (East Boldre)

 

Jasper was finally diagnosed as Autistic when he was about six, he had noticeable differences from other children throughout his life, and it had been a huge struggle to come to terms with the problems it had caused - mainly due to the lack of understanding of all involved in his care and education. The most unhappy period for us all was in Mainstream infants school - where he was treated as a naughty child and myself, as a bad mother.

Following extensive research and assessments it was evident that he was likely to be Autistic (Aspergers Syndrome). This was obviously being made worse by his surroundings - hypersensitivity meant that he was often frustrated and claustrophobic in a class of 32 other children. There was very little support from the Local Education Authority and his behaviour worsened to the extent that he seldom spoke and often spent time under a table rocking, with his hands over his ears and eyes closed. At this time I removed him, and after home schooling for a short period, discovered the New Forest Small School! After a year of 'recovery' at the school he became a relaxed, confident, happy and obviously gifted child. Their approach of gentle encouragement, focus on abilities, and a clear interest in the individual - taking time to learn about his condition to be able to give the best support was heart warming and we will always be grateful for to them for helping to rescue Jasper. The approach of the small school is a natural family environment which brings out the best in children, letting them grow through their own interest in learning. Giving them the inspiration and encouragement they need to succeed.I wish the school every success too!

Yours sincerely,

Evelyn Hope Ashford. (And Jasper)