FAQs on assessment and funding
General
Mary Hare is based just outside Newbury in Berkshire. There are good road and rail links. The school is only a 10 minute taxi ride from Newbury station.
Entry and Assessment procedure
The entry procedure is the same for all age groups in that every pupil must be assessed before an offer of a place can be made. The length of stay for an assessment will differ according to your child's age.
We assess throughout the academic year. For Year 7 entry we aim to assess your child in the Autumn term of Year 6. This allows for maximum opportunity to consider the options and discuss with your Local Authority.
We use 10 activities to build a profile of your child and his or her strengths and weaknesses. These activities will include:
- small group discussion
- reading
- verbal and non verbal reasoning
- quantitative reasoning
- grammar
We also check your child's ability to work in partnership with a Teacher of the Deaf (TOD). These assessments will then enable us to identify a class or group in which your child will thrive and get all the support required.
There is no preparation required. We recognise that a deaf child may need additional support linguistically and academically. We are skilled in seeing the potential in your child. We also know we have the expertise to accelerate your child's learning.
Funding
Funding is decided on an individual basis dependent on your child's needs. We work with almost all Local Authorities. Around 50% of places are funded from the start. The other 50% will require further talks and possibly a tribunal to decide an outcome. You will get support from us throughout this process.
International students are generally privately funded. A year's fees are payable in advance.