Advice re special school funding from LEA, sorry long post!

looby-loo_2

My LA does not have any school with an AS or ASD unit of any kind.

Carrera74

Over the last couple of weeks I have visited both schools with my DS at the Parent Partnerships advice in case we go to tribunal....

My Named Officer at the LEA has just been on the phone to tell me that the school I don't want him to attend have agreed they can meet his needs ?!!! The head told me the other day that they can meet his behavioural needs but I doubt that as I asked him 3 times when we met how they dealt with badly behaved kids and his reply was 'we don't have kids like that here' - it's a BESD school! And as long as his emotional and social skills needs are being addressed the behaviour doesn't appear - they definately aren't a nurturing highly structured environment so I'm not sure how long he'd stay calm for!

She also said that the independent school (that is perfect for him and who told me they have looked through his paperwork and the head there said he was confident they could meet his needs) is not able to be funded by them until a visit is arranged by the LEA's 2 senior officers who will check if it is an appropriate school to send children in the area to. Why they hell did they let me go round and then advise me to take my DS round too. I feel so angry. I wouldn't have even looked there if I knew this? I feel like a carrot has been dangled and I am so upset and angry. I had to get off the phone as I was blubbering like a baby. I told the officer that I cannot send my DS to a school where I know he would fail so she said that perhaps him going back to mainstream would be an option - he can't cope in mainstream which was the whole point of having his statement changed to state special school.

I told the Officer that my DS has been through so much and I want to get his placement right first time but she then went on again to say there is no funding, they can apply for funding at the next panel, then he'll go on a waiting list and then he can't be placed at the independant school anyway cause it's not one that's on their list?! ARGGGGHHH!!!!!

I just needed to get this off my chest as DS is at home and I don't want to talk to my partner until he's snoring! (DS that is!).

suzyq

Definately get in touch with www.ipsea.org.uk they are very helpful. Another thing you should do is keep a record of all conversations with the current school also your LEA psychologists, doctors etc.
Any reports that have been written about your son save, you need to build up your case. Remember evidence is what you need to buid up, if it hasnt been written down then it never happened, get EVERYTHING in writing.
You should also be able to apply for legal aid in your son's name, appoint a solicitor who specialises in educational matters. Dont let the LEA bully you.
If you appeal then you will have to go to a SEN appeals tribunal, they are not as scary as they sound, but you do need to have evidence get as many professionals (who know your son and his needs)on your side as possible. I had to go through the SEN tribunal proceedure as far as the high court, on the day of the hearing the LEA backed down and signed the paper work for my son to attend a specialist residential school. Also get in touch with your local MP and explain the situation then it will become a Members Enquiry, this always makes the LEA nervous.

suzyq

Double post sorry .

tilly's_mum

Carrera74

I've pm'd you as I'm in a similar situation and the unapproved school I want is now approved! It had a great ofsted and 5 other authorities used it but not the authority it is in!

Carrera74

I just wanted to bring my post up again as we have the SENDIST appeal tomorrow. I am dreading it!!

DS has been at the LEA special school since October. I couldn't afford to keep him off any longer and was told I was breaking the law by keeping him off.

DS's self esteem in dropping. He's no longer excited about his day. He just tells me the negative things that he sees on a day to day basis. The kids are in control. The teachers put DVD's on if a supply teacher is in. DS swears like a trooper now - it's the norm for kids to talk that way and his TA said it doesn't suit him. He's not in the right place and I dread to think how he will be as he gets older and moves up the school. It's a joke.

So much for the highly structured, nurturing environment they sell it as!

tilly's_mum

Good Luck - hope the appeal goes well tomorrow

karenmc_3

How did your appeal go:beer:

Carrera74

Well, we survived the tribunal. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but I was very nervous and did get upset at the end when summing up. The LEA were given some time in the morning to go through the things that I had asked to be put on his statement (parts 2 and 3) which annoyed me a bit as surely they should have looked through the case statement during the last 3 months since the case statement went in. Anyhow the LEA are saying that a review will be needed as they don’t agree on certain points that were on his last educational statement review held last June. Funny because those points were what the LEA used to put special school on his statement! In fact the way the Head went on my DS isn’t autistic at all!!

I don’t hold out much hope for a result in our favour for the change of school as the questions the panel asked were about things I had no idea about – like how many children were as able as my DS in the class he could be in at the chosen school. In fact it seemed at one point that the panel thought neither the LEA school or the one I want was the right place for him as he is very bright.

In fact I am thinking we may have been rushed into putting him in special school and I am considering looking at mainstream school with additional support and also at other independent schools as I have been told that there is others suitable (the LEA kept that quiet!)

I am glad I went to tribunal and if anything it has made me more determined to get the education that my son deserves. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate in going through this again and if we do have to do it again at least I will be more prepared. I’m still thinking of things I should have said or things I should have been more prepared for. I didn’t write anything down for my summing up which I am kicking myself for now. I just turned into a blubbering mess.

Carrera74

Well the decision has arrived and it has been dismissed. I did expect that because of how it went on the day. What I didn't expect was the comments/reasoning behind their decision. They have taken the word of the Headteacher and have even agreed with him about the reservations the HT has about my son's ASD diagnosis. They have taken my evidence as hearsay as it's third party - from my DS. According to them my son is doing really well at school and is progressing. He left primary school with level 4 SATS and a few points off a 5 but the report says he left with level 3 and is now at 4/5. There are about 10 things in their 'facts' that aren't even correct. I just feel that it has all been a waste of time and energy. I thought they were supposed to be independant but reading the decision it's clear it's all one sided. I don't know what to do. An urgent review is to be arranged as the HT doesn't think my son's needs are the same that are on his statement. I guess the only thing to come out of this is that my DS will now be seen by Educational Psychologist etc again and hopefully he will get the right support although I don't think he's getting it now so I don't know what a changed statement will do. He'll still be in the wrong environment for him? I'm really upset. The panel have even dismissed most my witnesses information apart from the bits that they wanted to use such as when she told them his relationship with his Dad has broken down since starting high school. The panel have also said about the negative relationship between school and me. That was one of my points that the relationship is all one sided but they have misinterpreted that and to read the paperwork it sounds like home is the problem.

It's so frustrating that they have not taken on board anything I have said about how disruptive the classes are and how out of control the children are. The HT really made me out to be making it up and exagerating. He's learning this behaviour and I am expected to just sit back and think I'm a neurotic Mum