Pupils with special educational needs at More House School in Frensham, have beaten national results for all students in their GCSE and BTEC qualifications this summer. In so doing, they have proved that weakness in learning skills is no indicator of weaker intelligence or potential.
Despite all pupils at the school diagnosed with learning difficulties, More House School’s Year Elevens have overcome Developmental Language Disorder, Dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs), to beat the England (boys) national average for a good pass in GCSE English by a clear 12 percentage points. 60% of More House’s Year Elevens hold an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCp), recognising a high level of learning difficulties.
75% of More House’s Year Elevens gained a pass at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English Language, and 68% achieved the same success in GCSE Mathematics, again beating the national average of 65%. Impressively, 92% of the school’s students secured a good pass in Science.
More House’s Headmaster, Jonathan Hetherington, celebrated his students’ achievements, commenting “many of our students arrive believing they are not clever; they lack confidence in themselves and are convinced they are doomed to failure. These results show just how hard pupils have worked, proving their natural intelligence and potential in society.”
Such proof is evident with 80% of More House School’s GCSE and equivalent certificates being awarded at grades 9 to 4 or the BTEC equivalent of Distinction* to Level 2 Pass. 43% of More House’s Year Elevens were awarded the highest grades 9, 8 or 7 (equivalent to A* or A), or the BTEC equivalent Distinction* or Distinction, in at least one subject.
Mr Hetherington paid tribute to the school’s staff, praising their “commitment to providing the best possible teaching and support for disadvantaged pupils”. He explained that, within the right environment, intelligent pupils with special educational needs are able to flourish and “achieve far beyond their own or their parents’ expectations”.
A majority of More House School’s Year Elevens will commence their post-sixteen studies this September in the school’s Sixth Form, pursuing A Level and vocational qualification courses. Others will leave More House to take up places at a variety of local post-sixteen colleges and Sixth Forms. Their success follows the fantastic results achieved by More House School’s Upper Sixth leavers last week,
which has enabled many to realise the dream of attending their first-choice university courses.
Founded in 1939, More House School is the largest boarding and day school in the country for pupils with special educational needs. A registered charity, More House is rated Outstanding by the government’s schools-inspectorate, Ofsted, in all aspects of its provision, including School, Sixth Form and Boarding, following an inspection in March 2019, and of the Boarding facilities in January 2022. With nearly 500 boys on roll aged 8 to 18, the school is nationally recognised as a centre for excellence in supporting pupils with specific learning and language difficulties and is a training centre in special educational needs for teachers and external professionals, both across the region and countrywide.
Categories: More House School News
