Frankie Bridge breaks down in tears as she reveals agonising dilemma over sending severely dyslexic son Carter, 10, to an ‘expensive’ specialist school far away from home

Frankie Bridge became emotional while discussing her son Carter’s increasing difficulties with dyslexia. She’s also wrestling with a tough decision: whether to send him to a specialized school that would require him to live away from home, despite the high cost.

I was really touched by Rochelle Humes’ latest vlog. She bravely shared that her son, Carter, who’s 10, is having a much harder time with his dyslexia lately. It’s been really difficult since they first found out about it last year, and it’s clearly impacting him a lot. It’s so admirable how open she is about everything.

Dyslexia is a learning challenge that mainly makes it hard to read and spell accurately and quickly. It can affect people with any level of intelligence.

Oh, my heart just breaks for Frankie! I mean, seeing her so upset after dropping Parker off at school… it’s just awful. Apparently, she’s really struggling with how to help him, and she feels totally lost and ‘trapped,’ like she doesn’t even know what’s best for her sweet boy anymore. It’s so sad to think of her crying and feeling so helpless. I just want to hug her and tell her it’ll be okay, but she seems genuinely at a loss about how to navigate this with Parker.

Frankie shared that she visited a school specializing in dyslexia for Carter. She explained that his latest evaluation showed a severe level of dyslexia, and his condition had unfortunately worsened since his previous assessment.

The assessor explained that frequent school changes have understandably impacted the student’s confidence, as he’s had to constantly adapt to new surroundings, teachers, and peers. Therefore, another move right now likely wouldn’t be helpful.

The Loose Women panelist shared that while their son Carter currently receives good support at his school in Surrey, they’re considering a specialist school when he starts secondary school next September, as it might be a better fit for his needs.

There’s one location that might work, but it’s pretty far away for convenient drop-off and pick-up, and I’m not sure if it’s practical,” she said.

The celebrity admitted she was hesitant about the school at first. She explained, ‘To be honest, I was almost hoping I wouldn’t like it… I think it was just worrying about sending my child somewhere different.’

She was really impressed with the school, explaining that it was very much like her son’s current school, except that every student and every class was specifically designed to support children with dyslexia. Because everyone learned in the same way, tailored to dyslexic learners, there was no need for individual, one-on-one instruction.

Frankie also worried that Carter might depend too much on specialized teaching, but pointed out that the goal of the school is to help students gain enough confidence and skills to eventually return to a regular classroom.

Sending Carter to that school would be a major disruption for the family, creating both financial strain and logistical challenges.

She admitted the situation wasn’t perfect, explaining that the location was distant and the cost was very high. However, she also felt it was a positive experience, particularly because it allowed him to be in a supportive environment where he could thrive. She believed his confidence had suffered, and this setting offered a chance for success instead of setting him up to fail.

In the UK, specialist secondary schools for students with dyslexia usually cost between £15,000 and £40,000 per year for students who attend during the day. Boarding options can be more expensive, sometimes costing over £60,000. The exact price depends on where the school is located, whether it offers boarding, and how much specialized support it provides.

Honestly, it breaks my heart hearing about him. He’s bounced around schools so much, and nothing seems to click for him, you know? And his parents… they’re just worried sick about the daily commute. Getting him to a school that could actually work for him is one thing, but the logistics… it just sounds so difficult for their whole family, and I’m just really hoping they can figure it out. It’s just… a lot.

The singer became emotional as she recounted taking her son, Carter, to school, where he was upset about struggling with math – a subject he found particularly difficult.

Frankie struggled to hold back tears as she explained how difficult it was to know the best course of action for him, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

I know many parents are going through the heartbreaking experience of leaving their children at school each day, with lots of tears. It’s honestly starting to feel exhausting, and a little helpless, because school is, of course, essential.

He’s changed schools so often, I really don’t want to disrupt his life by moving him again. I’m honestly not sure what’s best for him at this point.

Frankie spoke with emotion, saying they’ve worked hard to give their child lots of different experiences and opportunities, recognizing they’re fortunate to be able to do so. However, it’s really difficult for them to keep motivating him, especially knowing his time in school is limited.

She contrasted her younger son’s school experience with that of his older brother, Parker. She explained that Parker received extra support early on, which has helped him become a strong student who can work independently. While she noted he isn’t necessarily a top student, she emphasized that he’s a very hard worker.

She explained that learning often comes naturally to some children, and that’s typically how it is for most people – but it can be really challenging when it doesn’t.

Frankie shared last year that Carter had been diagnosed with dyslexia. She also said it had been difficult to get the support he needed at his old school.

Oh my gosh, it just breaks my heart to hear that Carter was actually crying for a whole hour about school! He kept begging to be homeschooled, and honestly, it just sounds like his mom is completely at a loss. She said she feels so helpless and doesn’t know what else to do for him, and it’s just… devastating. I just want to wrap him in a hug and make everything okay!

Frankie had mentioned that Carter was diagnosed with dyslexia at age eight. She only found out about his learning difficulties when she was informed he’d need to repeat kindergarten.

In an article for The i, she explained that while he was too young for an official diagnosis, they hoped sharing information with his teachers would help them better understand how to support him.

Carter’s main weakness seemed to be a lack of self-assurance. He knew his classmates had skills he didn’t possess.

He was diagnosed with dyslexia when he turned eight last year. I naively thought this would immediately give his teachers and us a clear path to help him learn in a way that suited his needs. Sadly, that wasn’t what happened.

I remember when she explained that she and Wayne made the tough decision to send Carter to an international school. They really believed it would give him the support and resources he needed to thrive, and they put a lot of thought into finding the best fit for him.

2026-04-06 17:55

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