Bruern Abbey School

Bruern Abbey was created for pupils whose dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia or ADHD had made conventional schooling a poor fit. Founded in 1996 and moved to Chesterton in 1999, it uses a small preparatory setting in a nineteenth-century manor house and surrounding parkland to rebuild confidence through close teaching, clear routines and ambitious academic expectations.

The timetable gives particular weight to the foundations of learning. English and mathematics receive substantially more time than they would in a typical preparatory programme, with two teachers supporting those lessons. Science, geography, history, religious studies, French, PSHE, music, design and technology and art provide breadth, while laptops, small classes and carefully targeted support help pupils work with their own learning profile.

Days are structured but not narrow. Games, sports, activity sessions, trips, music, theatre and cultural visits sit alongside lessons, with longer days giving room for social time and physical development. Boarding can be arranged for one to four nights each week, so families can choose a pattern that suits the pupil rather than treating day and boarding as fixed alternatives.

The admissions journey reflects the specialist nature of the provision. Families bring an Educational Psychologist's report and recent school information, visit the school and meet the Head before a prospective pupil completes assessment tasks. A taster day, or an overnight stay for a boarder, may follow. The phased move to co-education brings girls into the Prep School from September 2026 and the Senior School from September 2027.