"We could not think of a better school for our son to attend. We feel lucky to have such open communication and that everyone is looking out for him. Great job done in a difficult year."

Parents of a Year One child

“Gillingstool is great because the pupils are really kind to each other. The staff help out if you are stuck. If you have a problem just ask the teachers or the teaching assistants and they will sort things out. I love it when we have special events like maths week and school trips because they are so much fun.”

Year Five child

“When I first visited Gillingstool I adored the fact that the Head knew all the names of the individual children and could address and start up conversations in passing. When my daughter started, at first I found it strange that ALL the staff from throughout the school knew my daughter’s name and would say hello to her, but then I realised that it was exactly what Gillingstool was about; being a valued individual and being part of the Gillingstool school ‘family’. Anyone who has experience of meeting a child from Gillingstool always says how impressed they are by their kindness and helpfulness and it’s so true – my daughter has a super set of friends and classmates and I genuinely believe she wouldn’t be as happy if she had gone to any other school. Gillingstool really does have it all and meets all the needs of my daughter, even the ones that can’t be inspected or measured.”

Parent of Year 2 child

“We like Gillingstool because we find the teachers make it fun and interesting for children to learn. Our daughters are inspired by what goes on in school and what they have done there extends to when they come home. We also love the fact that the school teaches our children to be comfortable in water and how to swim. Both of them love being in the pool, have made great progress and we are very proud of it! We think that the projects the school does (for Book Week etc) where the whole school get involved, are amazing. Furthermore we feel that our daughter’s teachers are very approachable and we can talk to them about anything that concerns us, or ask any questions. We really appreciate the effort you put into engaging and educating our daughters!”

Parent of Year 5 and 3 children

“Gillingstool has a fantastic site with a broad range of activities available. Our children love the weekly forest school provision and it’s great to have the swimming pool on site as well. As a parent I’d hoped that the facilities shared with New Siblands Special School would normalise ‘difference’ which has definitely been the case for our kids who’ve made friends across both schools and various year groups!”

Parent of Year 2 and Year 1 children

“The facilities at Gillingstool, including their own swimming pool and forest school, are outstanding. The nurturing culture was obvious when looking around the school. Childhood is valued and respected in balance with structured education and there is a feeling of partnership between children and the staff creating a ‘team Gillingstool’ feel.”

Parent of Year 4 child