Choosing a school for a child with SEN

mummyroysof3

My son needs to move schools as they are not proving they can meet his needs. We have started the statementing process and will be looking at schools for him soon. Anyone who's been through the same who has advice would be great

maman

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

My son needs to move schools as they are not proving they can meet his needs. We have started the statementing process and will be looking at schools for him soon. Anyone who's been through the same who has advice would be great

It might be better if you gave a few details of why you're not happy with his current placement. If the school has started the statementing process then it sounds as if they recognise his needs, have made an assessment and are working on a plan to support him. What is the outcome you'd hope for? Would his needs be met at mainstream or does he need special education?

mummyroysof3

School have pushed me to start the process as they say they can't meet his needs there. They avice he needs specialist teaching but their funding does not cover that.

He is in nursery byt due to start full time in September. He has a diagnosis of fragile x and has a learning disorder a communication delay/ disorder and sensory issues that we haven't yet managed to fully identify.

daska

Why do think they will not be able to meet his needs if they get funding via the statement?

tom9980

Sounds like the school are doing things right. What i will say is follow their advice and get your child placed in a school with staff who have proper training.

Most primary schools get SEN children because its convenient for the parents not because its the right thing for the child, most of these children end up being a huge burden on the schools resources and a distraction for the other children. That's not to say the staff dont try their best but its often the case the child would be better in a proper setting with lower child/staff ratio's and most importantly the proper training and experience to deal with their often complex needs.

maman

tom9980 wrote: »

Sounds like the school are doing things right. What i will say is follow their advice and get your child placed in a school with staff who have proper training.

Most primary schools get SEN children because its convenient for the parents not because its the right thing for the child, most of these children end up being a huge burden on the schools resources and a distraction for the other children. That's not to say the staff dont try their best but its often the case the child would be better in a proper setting with lower child/staff ratio's and most importantly the proper training and experience to deal with their often complex needs.

OP, you may not get the option of a Special School as in some areas they have been closed. It's been done in the name of integration. Whatever happens your child will be better off with a statement which guarantees support whether in mainstream or special ed. AFAIK, the reason you've been asked to initiate the statementing procedure is because your son isn't yet compulsory school age. It tends to be a long process (IMO deliberately so to put people off and save money) so it looks as if the school are hoping it'll be in place ready for when he starts in Reception.

I'd advise you push ahead with the statementing process as he'll need it whichever school he goes to in future.

keep_flyin

You will need a statement to get a place in a special school. They are not able to take children without them. Do you have a place at a school for September? If it is this one that is saying they cannot meet need you need to contact the SEN department at your council as soon as you can as they need to sort out a place as soon as possible, it will take up to 6 months to get a statement. I would also ask the school to start the process, they will have collected evidence as to why they cannot meet need.

Firefly

And you may not be able to choose a school. I was told by a Commissioner this week that was a commissioning decision not a parental one!

thegirlintheattic

Try to see schools during the normal day, and make sure you discuss his needs with the SENCO of prospective schools.

katie1812

It sounds really simple but it has to be somewhere where the needs are met. We have a child at the school I work at who has been held back at a year, so is now year 7 in a year 6 class, because his needs are so significant that if he went to high school, it doesn't bear thinking about what would happen. So in our school we have tried to meet his needs as best we can, and teach him things that will help in life, daily routine type-things and social skills, until a place at a suitable school arises.

A place has now come up at a SRB and it is a fantastic school. They continue the ideas we have been using and give them the confidence in things that they will need throughout life, for example, they do gardening, and set up fundraising events, and even run a charity shop so getting experience in different situations and learning things along the way.

What I'm trying to say is that there are lots of different schools, but ensure it is the right one good luck x

Tigsteroonie

OP, our boy is due to start school this September - we started the Statutory Assessment process back in June last year to ensure that he had a Statement drafted before the usual autumn lottery of Reception class applications.

One point of warning I'd give is that you get a very short window (two weeks) after receiving the draft Statement in which to respond with a school preference. That is way too short a time in which to arrange visits to schools - so find out what the options might be from the local authority, and try to visit them whilst the Assessment process is happening.

We responded with a preference but our LA opted to finalise the Statement with no actual school named. We've just been through three months of Appeal but the LA have now agreed (ahead of Tribunal) that he can go to the school of our preference. During that Appeal time, I contacted the head of the particular school myself and invited him to visit/view our son at Nursery so that he could give an informed opinion to the LA - and I think it was his opinion that carried the weight.

Feel free to PM if you've got any questions on the process. I also found some of the guides on the IPSEA website very useful.