Sophie

Sophie has now graduated and is flatting in a supported living environment - something that I never dared to dream would be a reality for her.

I was anxious about Sophie’s future – the world wasn’t going to slow down to let her catchup. But Salisbury has given her the skills to manage life at her own pace. The girls are taught in a way where there is no failure.

When Sophie started at Salisbury at 13 years of age, I described her as being ‘locked in a bubble’. She was shy, awkward and uncommunicative – she didn’t make eye contact or speak, and when she did it was a mumbled ‘I don’t know’. Her reading age was that of a five-year-old and she struggled to dress herself.

I will never be able to say this with any certainty, but I think it’s likely that Sophie would have become increasingly isolated at a mainstream school and I’m not sure how happy I would have been with her education if she hadn’t gone to Salisbury.

Sophie has really flourished at Salisbury. She now reads at an age 12 level, can do a range of tasks that help her to be more self-sufficient, such as telling the time, reading recipes, preparing and shopping for food. Caring for herself has become a routine that she almost always does independently.

She walks with her head held high, has friends and has had the opportunity to experience many different activities, and now has a wide range of interests.

Most importantly though, Sophie’s future is looking brighter, and for this we owe a world of thanks to Salisbury School.

– Rachel Seymour