Parent Feedback

It is my 3rd born child that attends Libra, and from very early on in life it was clear that he was different, and by the time he started playgroup it was glaringly apparent that he was very much different, not only from my older children but also from his peers.

The years following were some of the most difficult of my life!

He has always presented as violent and aggressive, initially it was as though he never grew out of the terrible twos, he struggled at pre-school, and by the time he started school we were desperately trying to navigate raising a little boy who clearly struggled to fit into the world!

Things just kept getting worse, and by the time he was 7 he was having so many violent meltdowns that he was needing to be restrained every day. Life was incredibly difficult, balancing a child with additional needs against a normal life was almost impossible. Every day was a constant battle, there were times I honestly wondered if life would ever have some sense of normality!

My days were consumed by meetings, paediatric appointments, school phone calls to come and collect him, and what felt like the never-ending process of diagnosis (across the space of 3 years he received several diagnosis). Every waking hour my every thought was occupied by him, and I barely slept. I just wanted things to be easier for him. I was desperate to get him the help and support he so obviously needed, and to find some sort of balance to family life.

Finally, after months of him being home (back to back exclusions and school saying they couldn’t manage his needs) he was awarded a part time placement at a PRU (a kind of part way house whilst we went through the EHCP process) and then several months later we were asked to go and view Libra.

I remember getting lost on the way, and being so very nervous (although we’d done some research you never really know what to expect) but from the moment I drove up the driveway, I had a sense that Libra was just what my son needed.

The place seemed so inviting, calm and unbelievably, it instantly felt like home. From the moment I first met Kirsty, and then the other members of staff, you could immediately tell that Libra was more than a school – it was a family.

My son was 8 when he started, he’s 13 now, and although life is never a walk in the park, every aspect of his life, and ours as a family, is light-years away from what it was before he started.

Libra has been a godsend, there’s no other way to describe it, and I will forever be grateful that he was placed there. It was everything he needed. The setting is beautiful, serene and calm. The buildings and classrooms have an amazingly family feel about them, it is so far removed from a traditional school environment. The outside space is wonderful and equipped brilliantly, the library I literally fell in love with; it really is like no educational setting I’ve ever encountered!

The whole place is geared to nurture children who have struggled to ever find somewhere to belong educationally, and within no time at all they feel part of a community. Libra really do get the balance just right, they nurture the needs of every child, as well as setting the boundaries that mainstream settings often struggle to do.

The education each child receives in terms of academic, emotional, social support, as well as preparation to go out into the big wide world, and their ability to adapt to the ever changing needs of each individual child, is second to none, in fact it’s perfect.

The staff are brilliant, their dedication to the children is amazing, and over the years it’s been wonderful to see my son develop bonds with them all. He finally feels like he belongs, he is happy, and settled and has a real desire to learn, and as a result is doing well academically as well as socially and emotionally. There is no other place in the world I would rather my son be.

Our life now has balance, where before all we had was chaos, and despite the times of struggle that parents of children with additional needs will always have, I can actually see my son having a real future, and a real chance of a good life, and Libra have been absolutely pivotal in that.

I will never be able to thank them enough for that.

Good afternoon,
I just wanted to take a moment to express my thanks to staff.
My son had been unwell today during forest school and their communication was amazing through the day with me.
They were very reassuring but professional.
I feel it is important to show recognition when staff go above and beyond.
It may not seem alot but knowing my child was being well looked after and genuinely cared for put my mind at ease

Hi everyone
We wanted to send an email to show our appreciation of E’s year book!
It’s a truly amazing reflection of what an amazing and special place the Libra School is!
A massive thank you for everyone who has helped put this together
What a wonderful memory book E has to cherish!