Shapwick School

Shapwick understands that choosing a school is an enormous and emotional decision. Often parents find speaking with current and/or past parents helpful and the school would be delighted to arrange for you to speak to parents – please call 01458 210384.

There are about 45 pupils at Shapwick Prep and approximately 100 at Shapwick Senior and Sixth Form combined. Girls represent about one-third of the total student population.

About 40% of Shapwick Prep pupils board and 75 of Senior and Sixth Form pupils board.

Yes – Shapwick is approved by the BDA, and the school enjoys a positive relationship with the Association.

An extensive range of activities and after-school clubs are available to all pupils.

At Shapwick Prep pupils enjoy various activities at the end of the perceived school day which include Art club, French, Chess club, Music club, Origami club, First aid, Computer club, Nature club, Lego club, Athletics club, Cross country club and all major sports training.

Shapwick Senior pupils can choose from various options which include card making, paintballing, walking, Internet Club, birdwatching, gardening, chess, netball, films and rounders to name but a few.

The list of activities at both campuses is flexible and changes termly in line with pupil demand.

Over half of Year 11 pupils continue their studies with Shapwick Sixth Form. Popular courses include art & design, photography, childcare, computing and engineering. Some students pursue vocational trades and gain apprenticeships in areas including plumbing, carpentry and motor mechanics.

Many Sixth Formers leave Shapwick to go on to university whereas others secure employment, but whatever path they take Shapwick has given them the confidence to believe in themselves and believe that anything is possible – their dyslexia will not hold them back.

An extensive range of computers, spelling/reading programmes and specialist educational games are available. There are interactive whiteboards in most classrooms.

Shapwick Prep children enjoy the use of activity playground.

At Shapwick Senior there is a fully equipped chemistry lab, sports hall, design & technology workshop, art block, tennis court, games room and a number of computer suites.

Shapwick provides a balanced curriculum, sympathetic to the specific demands that dyslexia presents. The environment is built for children with dyslexia – where pupils feel the same as everyone else. Support is integrated, rather than just an add-on as commonly offered in many non-specialist schools, where pupils may visit a dedicated unit once a week but then have to struggle with a non-specialist curriculum for the remainder of the week.

All Shapwick staff are highly skilled, experienced and well qualified in the field of special educational needs, so teaching is tailored to the needs of a dyslexic throughout the whole curriculum. The school environment is very small and close knit so pupils feel safe and secure and able to try new experiences.

The teaching approaches used by Shapwick differ greatly to mainstream schools. In the early 1980s, when Joint Headmaster, David Walker first joined Shapwick, he met Dr. Harry Chasty whose dictum, “If children can't learn the way you teach, can you teach the way they learn?” inspired David and influenced the teaching approaches employed by the school. As a result all teaching is tailored so to be pupil responsive.

A multi-sensory approach using auditory, visual and kinaesthetic methods are used across the whole Shapwick curriculum. Most mainstream teaching is done, almost in default mode, using either sight or hearing. However dyslexics may have difficulties with either visual or auditory memory, or both, despite having perfectly satisfactory hearing and sight. Vision may be affected by difficulties with tracking or visual processing. For example some dyslexics find it hard to follow a sequence of words on one line and may lose their place, others, for example, are amazed when they are told that there are gaps between the words, particularly in telephone directories! Research suggests that by involving more of the senses, especially touch and movement, gives the dyslexics brain more memories supporting the visual and auditory ones.

Shapwick is a specialist school for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia. The school is selective and welcome pupils between 6-19 years diagnosed as having specific learning difficulties, provided an Educational Psychologist agrees they possess at least average potential. Shapwick does not accept pupils with emotional and behavioural problems.

More information about Shapwick’s admissions policy is available on the Admissions section of the site.

The best way to experience life at Shapwick is to visit. Everyone at the school is very proud of Shapwick and the pupils’ success and would love to show you round. Please contact Shapwick Prep on 01278 722012 or Shapwick Senior/Sixth Form on 01458 210384 to arrange a convenient time.

Three Open Days are offered annually (one each term). Please visit the Events section for dates and details.

As part of the admissions process Shapwick School strongly recommends that prospective pupils spend a day at the school or in the case of boarding, two days including a sleep over. Throughout the taster day visiting pupils will be accompanied by another pupil who will look after them and take them to and from lessons and activities.

Shapwick School is built for children with dyslexia – where pupils feel the same as everyone else. As a result pupil’s self esteem and confidence grows. They feel happy, fulfilled, confident and most importantly they are given the same opportunities as children who do not have dyslexia. Shapwick does not believe in specialist dyslexic units situated within a mainstream school where a child may feel different. If you have a poor working memory and weak phonological processing then you have those weaknesses in every lesson, activity and break, not just in a daily literacy lesson. Shapwick teachers understand the things that make a difference and their experience, results and feedback from parents, pupils and teachers demonstrates that Shapwick’s unique formula works.

Shapwick offers full and occasional options for all ages; plus weekly boarding at Shapwick Prep only. Occasional boarding, which may be for one or two nights per week, is available any night of the week, however places are limited and the school does not guarantee to meet all requests.

All pupils bring their own duvet, bed linen and pillow to help them personalise their room. The pupils’ laundry is done for them via the laundry room on a rota basis.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of culinary delights by a team of dedicated catering professionals, which was highly commended by OFSTED in the care inspection carried out in 2009.

All meals are cooked on the premises using local, fresh produce. The catering team cater for all dietary needs, and invite pupils to help design the menu.

At lunchtime pupils can choose from two hot meal choices plus a salad bar. Typical options for the main meal include lasagne, traditional roast with a choice of two meats, salmon, cottage pie, noodle doodles or a curry. Two or three dessert options are offered daily, which range from apple crumble, bakewell and custard, fruit salad, gateau, cheesecake and rice pudding. Cheese and biscuits are offered; in addition to a fresh fruit bowl.

Light refreshments are offered after formal lessons at 4pm (before prep and/or activities). Dinner is served at 6pm and usually consists of a salad and hot snack option. Fresh fruit and yoghurt is also offered.

Pupils are encouraged to eat their ‘five a day’ and learn the importance of health and nutrition within the curriculum. A wide selection of fruit is available at all meal times, and main meals are supplemented with a variety of fresh vegetables.

Shapwick currently does not offer any scholarships or bursaries.

Shapwick is very proud of its GCSE results which compare favourably with many local mainstream schools (state and independent). The results, though, are all the more impressive when you consider a specific pupil’s ability, perhaps only three or two years earlier when they joined Shapwick. In 2009 69% of pupils achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE.

Shapwick School has a long tradition of nurturing pupils’ sporting talents and many Old Shapwickians have gone on to pursue sporting careers or study sport at FE college and university.

The Senior school has an impressive sports hall and tennis court, which Shapwick Prep pupils visit regularly. Extensive playing fields surround both of the school campus.

Sports vary with the seasons. Rugby and netball are traditionally played in the autumn; soccer during the spring and cricket, athletics, tennis and rounders in the summer.

The school teams regularly compete against other independent and state schools in all major sports.

Shapwick Prep pupils study Maths and English every morning to focus on their essential literacy and numeracy skills. The afternoon timetable is then dedicated to a variety of subjects including Art & Design, Design & Technology, History, Science and PE to name but a few. All studies are based broadly on the National Curriculum, adapted where necessary to meet each individual’s requirements and sympathetic to the challenges presented by dyslexia.

The Year 9 curriculum is very broad and designed to give pupils the opportunity to experience all specialist subjects before selecting those to study further at GCSE. Year 9 pupils can discover and make the most of their talents during Year 10 and 11.

In Years 10 and 11 most pupils take seven or eight GCSE subjects, including English, Maths and Science. Access arrangements enable pupils to compete fairly with non dyslexic peers, such as being given extra time for exams or the help of a reader or scribe. In addition to GCSE qualifications, pupils can choose to follow a vocational course in Sport which is equivalent to two GCSEs.

Staff turnover is very low across both campuses and all levels of staff (teaching and support), which reflects the positive and friendly culture that Shapwick prides itself upon. Pupils consequently benefit from a wealth of experience, and a number of dedicated teachers have worked at the school for over ten years.