Academic Support

As an independent school, Waynflete goes to great lengths to see that our students are successful within the confines of a rigorous academic program. This begins with small classes, engaged advisors, out-of-class support by classroom teachers, and short-term support by the Director of Support Services. For those students who need more assistance with meeting requirements, the school offers additional academic support at an additional cost to families. In the end, however, there are students for whom the school is not a good match, and another learning environment may be in their best interest. The testing and evaluation information requested in the Release of Educational Records section on this page is designed to help the school and parents make informed decisions about the appropriateness of Waynflete for their child.

General Academic Support

Waynflete provides limited academic support for students who, in the school’s opinion, need assistance in meeting Waynflete’s academic standards. This support (to the extent that it does not compromise the essential outcome objectives of a course) may include extra help sessions with teachers; short-term assistance from the Director of Support Services in the areas of study skills, organization, essay writing, lab reports, research papers, and math; the use of assistive technology; and access to supervised free periods. If a student needs more extensive assistance after seeking out classroom teacher assistance, they may request tutoring from a member of the Academic Support faculty. The Director of Support Services can also provide recommendations for outside support services if needed. All requests for tutoring must go through the student’s advisor, the Division Director, and the Director Support Services.

Services and Supports Unavailable at Waynflete

Waynflete acknowledges that some students require an array of supports and services to be successful. As an independent school, Waynflete provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented learning challenges; however, the school does not provide the following supports or services:

classroom paraprofessional support, such as educational technicians or classroom aides,
health services beyond the health care set forth in Waynflete’s Handbook and Directory,
certain behavioral interventions, such as formal individual behavioral management plans, and
related services, such as speech and language, occupational and physical therapies, or an individualized social skills curriculum.

Waynflete does not provide educational or diagnostic testing but may offer to conduct informal screenings for reading, writing, and math. If it appears a child would benefit from formal evaluation, parents are encouraged to contact the Director of Support Services to discuss options or for a referral list of evaluators in the greater Portland area. The Portland Public School district may also provide information about evaluation services. Any adjustments to a child’s academic program that are recommended by such an evaluation must be consistent with the criteria outlined and approved by the appropriate Division Director.

Students with Diagnosed Disabilities

Parents of students who have been evaluated and found to have learning challenges or a diagnosed disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (including, but not limited to, learning disabilities, ADHD, emotional disorders, and speech and language disorders) may request that Waynflete provide reasonable accommodations. The decision to permit or deny requested accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis in keeping with the school’s academic program by the Director of Support Services and the appropriate Division Director. Such decisions will also take into consideration:

the nature and extent of the child’s documented learning difference,
all diagnostic, academic, and psychological testing and evaluations,
academic recommendations from a licensed provider,
information generated through the IEP/ISP process by any public educational institution,
the student’s educational history, including behavioral history and prior use of accommodations, and
whether such accommodations can be provided without undue burden to the school and without fundamentally altering the nature of a program, course or course of study, or lowering standards.

It is essential that documentation of all testing and evaluations be shared with the school and be current (in most cases, conducted within the past three years) for academic accommodations to be approved. If these criteria are met, the Director of Support Services will create a support plan for the student.

Release of Educational Records

As a condition of enrollment consideration, parents must sign a release authorizing the student’s prior school to release all the student’s educational records and to permit Waynflete officials to discuss the student’s educational history with representatives of the previous school.
In submitting a student’s educational records, parents must ensure that all diagnostic and educational testing of any kind is provided regardless of whether the testing took place at a prior school or was arranged by parents and conducted by a private evaluator.
Withholding educational records may be grounds for termination of the student’s enrollment.

For more information concerning current students, please contact the Waynflete Academic Support Director at 207.774.5721, ext. 1289. Prospective families should contact the Waynflete Admission Office at 207.274.5224.