Presidio Hill School has a long tradition of being a supportive learning environment for a wide range of students. As a progressive educational institution, the school's curriculum, talented teaching staff, and focus on project-based learning and educating the whole child, allows children of a variety of learning styles to be challenged and stimulated.

We are not a school equipped to handle all kinds of learners nor a school that specializes in students with learning differences or emotional challenges. The following information is designed to help clarify who benefits from a Presidio Hill School education and who may not be successful at Presidio Hill School.

1. A limited number of students with mild to moderate learning differences including dyslexia, attention deficit disorder (inattentive and hyperactive types), sensori-motor processing difficulties, autism spectrum (such as Asperger’s Syndrome), and other non-specified learning differences may be successful at Presidio Hill School. Not all students who fit this category are successful at Presidio Hill School.

2. Students who have good support systems are most successful at Presidio Hill School. The existence of this support often is the single most important determinant as to whether a child is successful at Presidio Hill School or not. This support must come in a variety of forms: parental understanding and acceptance of the learning challenge, open and regular communication between home and school focused on problem solving rather than placing blame, and outside educational specialists to help with remediation. Almost all students who are struggling in school benefit from outside tutoring, occupational therapy, counseling, or other therapies designed to help strengthen the weaker areas of learning. Additionally, tutoring that helps with the completion of school and homework is often necessary. Unfortunately, this support system can be expensive and so often families will need adequate financial or other resources to supplement their child’s educational experience in a manner that allows him or her to be successful. 

3. Students who have a family support system that is passionate about helping the child grow. This often takes the form of the parents becoming experts in the field of learning differences, spending considerable time learning about their child’s unique learning profile and the variety of remediation avenues available. This often means structuring home life in a fashion that supports the child. It is also critical that the adults in the child’s life communicate the conviction that the child is not dumb or unlovable but rather is challenged by some of the demands of school and has strengths in other academic areas. 

4. Students who function adequately with a high degree of social interaction. Presidio Hill School teaching is based on the understanding that learning is essentially a social activity and that the best learning occurs when students and teachers interact with one another actively. Group work is the norm so students who struggle in working with other children will not easily succeed at Presidio Hill School.