The Heathwood Hall Approach
Academic Support
At Heathwood Hall, we believe every student has the potential to achieve academic excellence—with the right support, tools, and encouragement. Through our Academic Achievement Center (AAC), students benefit from personalized tutoring, specialized coaching, and targeted services designed to meet each learner where they are. Whether helping students develop strong study habits, supporting diagnosed learning differences, or enhancing fine motor or organizational skills, our goal is to foster confidence, independence, and lifelong learning in a welcoming, empowering environment.
The Academic Achievement Center |
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For more than 30 years, the Academic Achievement Center’s (AAC) professional education specialists have helped students achieve academic success and personal growth. Heathwood Hall believes that all children bring different talents alongside different challenges and have the potential for academic excellence in a supportive and empowering learning environment. Through a network of multidisciplinary services focused on empowering students as life-long learners, the AAC promotes positive self-esteem, self-awareness and management, independence, and self-advocacy. Please explore all that the AAC offers to students and families below. If you have any questions about programs and services, please contact Sally Baker, Director of The Academic Achievement Center at sbaker@heathwood.org or by calling 803.231.7762. |
Tutoring |
The education specialists/tutors provide one-on-one academic support to students during the school day, reinforcing and supplementing the curriculum taught in their classes. By equipping students with essential resources, strategies, and personalized guidance, the AAC empowers them to thrive in a rigorous academic environment. Individual tutoring sessions, each lasting one class period, are available between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM. Middle School students can schedule sessions during study hall, specials periods, or before and after school, while Upper School students may schedule sessions during study hall or before and after school. |
Academic Support: Targeted help for students needing extra guidance |
For students with diagnosed learning differences or those who have undergone a psychoeducational evaluation resulting in a diagnosis, the AAC offers comprehensive academic support for middle and upper school students (grades 5-12) through the development of a personalized Learning Profile. The AAC Director collaborates closely with teachers, students, and parents to identify and implement appropriate classroom accommodations. These accommodations are guided by recommendations from the psychoeducational report and refined through ongoing collaboration with the student, parents, and teachers to ensure their effectiveness and proper implementation. |
Occupational Therapy |
Occupational Therapy is available from our contracted provider, Prisma Health-Midlands, for children who demonstrate delays with gross motor skills, fine motor skills, visual-motor skills, decreased coordination skills, poor handwriting, and sensory processing difficulties. A board-certified occupational therapist evaluates students and provides families and teachers with recommendations and goals. Individual treatment sessions occur during the regular school day, focusing on improving the child’s development. |
Academic Coaching |
Many students face challenges with organization, study skills, and time management. Our academic coaches/tutors provide personalized support to help students set goals, establish priorities, and stay motivated to achieve their academic objectives. During sessions, students may monitor weekly grades, review past tests and quizzes, plan ahead using calendars, and work on skills such as reading comprehension, written communication, and note-taking. Coaching sessions, lasting one class period, are available between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM for both Middle and Upper School students during study hall or before/after school. |
Additional Resources |
Click here for more resources related to our work at the AAC and the challenges students often face. |