TWENTY years ago Jane Gaudie set up a school in her back garden for dyslexic primary school children.

It quickly flourished from three pupils to nine in the first year as word got out that its teaching methods were helping struggling children fulfill their potential.

By 2000 the Chiltern Tutorial School reached 16 students, and neighbours started a petition for it to move.

It has since been based at Otterbourne Halls and Mrs Gaudie, who runs it with husband Bruce, said it has gone from strength to strength.

"There's nothing really quite like us in Hampshire," she said.

"I was a mainstream teacher and then I went to teach for Dyslexia Action for four years and then I just felt that children need more than one hour a week, they need a whole school curriculum."

The school uses multi-sensory learning methods, with small class sizes, short sessions of 20-30 minutes and lots of movement.

Mrs Gaudie said it keeps the children engaged, as many dyslexics are kinaesthetic learners. They also have short term memory problems, so repetition is built in to the lessons.

"The normal curriculum moves so quickly and a lot of children are left behind and once that happens they cannot catch up," she said.

"There's a lot of repetition built in because they do forget things. A lot of it is making children believe in themselves.

"The main reason they have come to use is because they have failed in main stream school. It's done the best it can but they need more help.

"Some cope very well but it's the children that are affected and their self esteem goes down and they just give up. That's why they need re-enforcement."

Many dyslexic pupils are talented in other areas, including the arts. To focus on existing skills and build self-esteem drama and art is focused on, with a themed performance at the end of every term. This time it's the ancient Greeks.

Former pupil Samuel Colvin, director of a software company in London, said the school "transformed" him.

"I went from failing at school to being reasonably capable," he said.

"After Chilton I went to St Johns Marlborough, then Winchester College. I got five As at AS level and three As at A level and went on to Clare College Cambridge to read engineering."

Mrs Gaudie added: "That just shows what dyslexia children can do."

The school's website bears the motto "not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something".

And that ethos is clearly followed day in, day out, with its 24 current pupils.

The aim isn't just to improve academically, but teach life skills from building on strengths and goal setting to learning organisational skills, encouraging independence, and valuing effort.

Mrs Gaudie said: "It's very hard work but incredibly rewarding to see children succeed when they have failed before."