Written by Nick Fawcett, Principal of The Winstedt School, Singapore

Established back in 2008, with a team of just 10 staff and 40 children, The Winstedt School (TWS) quickly grew and eventually relocated to its current location – under 2 miles away from Singapore’s National Stadium. A small ‘but mighty’ all-through international school, TWS ‘exists to redefine the possibilities of education for those who learn differently.’ Through our unique approach to teaching and learning, we provide a nurturing environment for neurodivergent children, from the age of 4yrs – 18yrs, where they feel safe to learn and grow, and brave enough to believe in themselves and in what is possible. Supporting the delivery of our UK-based curriculum approach, which leads through to our Y13 students graduating with our fully accredited Winstedt Diploma, enabling them to go on to tertiary education both here in Singapore and internationally (which on average 75% do), is our in-house therapy team. Consisting of psychologists, counsellors and therapists they are involved in all aspects of the school day, thus providing skills and tools that are relevant to every student through our unique integrated therapy model. We proudly call this The Winstedt Way™.

Working in tandem our ‘educators’ (teachers and therapists) support the children to practice in real-time and apply the impact of therapy support in the classroom — rather than receiving this support in isolation outside of the classroom. Our Speech & Language and Occupational Therapists at The Winstedt School also form part of each student’s “team” to add a further layer of support. The educator / student ratio of 1:4 enables us to work closely with families on a very personalised approach to each child’s learning journey. We understand that the surest route for every student to a rewarding and successful school experience is a sense of personal achievement. With over 15 years’ worth of experience, we continue to explore what is possible and we’re excited by our recent COBIS membership, and the opportunities that this presents for all our community.