Choosing a school for a child with SEN

verysillyguy06

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.

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

Dear OP,

I hope you will have someone with you who knows abit about statements? I seem to remember there are good people on here who may be able to advise. I have known parents who write it first themselves to make sure it entails all that is important. I would suggest you take it very seriously and ensure it is not just a very short document as things like 'speech therapy' ' transport' 1:1 , can be taken to his new school to ensure he gets access to them.

You may find the Parenting Partnership useful or maybe post on the disability board here? Also mumsnet may have people who live in your area and can advice you?

I would ask what training any SENCO has as this varies greatly.

It can be a two edged sword to join a Special school as they have smaller classes but I have seen children that got better 1:1 with a TA in a mainstream school...some are very successful in dual placements: 3 days at one and two at their local school to keep a local friend group. The bad points of Special schools:

Often far away
Children can pick up bad habits
All autistic children will not play with others so, putting them all in one school....they still wont play with anyone

Plus:

Better facilities and therapies

Good luck, best to visit them and make a plus and minus list

mummyroysof3

I'm not happy about sending him to special school tbh especially at only age 4 but the nursery that he is at say the funding they have will only provide 1:1 support who has only just left college...he needs somebody more qualified and experience.

chunkychocky

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

I'm not happy about sending him to special school tbh especially at only age 4 but the nursery that he is at say the funding they have will only provide 1:1 support who has only just left college...he needs somebody more qualified and experience.

I don't understand the different levels of SEN at all, so may be talking absolute garbage. However, there is a little boy with quite severe autism (to my mind at least) at our infant school. He has a 1:1 TA with him at all times, or a 1:1 lunch time supervisor. His TA was straight from college, however she is a mature woman (in her mid-30s I'd guess) with children of her own who has worked in various different places in the past so more worldly wise and used to children generally than your average 19 year old. She is the perfect choice for this little boy and he is doing brilliantly since she started working with him.

If you really are against him going to a special school then perhaps you can discuss with the school not choosing someone young and naive. After all they will probably have the chance to interview almost unlimited numbers of people for the role.

mummyroysof3

The senco and the nursery teacher both feel that they can't teach him so im sort of feeling that its not worth the battle with them anymore. I'm feeling very stressed about it all.

Tigsteroonie

Going down the route of a Statutory Assessment & Statement doesn't mean that your son will necessarily then attend an SEN school. It's the opportunity for a comprehensive review & set of reports about your child's support needs - and you get to feed into this too with the Parental Contribution element. If you would prefer mainstream school with 1:1 support or mainstream with a special unit, then say so. If the Statement names an SEN school but you think mainstream is suitable, then appeal and ask their reasons.

We were actually of the opposite mindset, we wanted to ensure that Andrew got into an SEN school because we had little faith in him getting the necessarily high level of support he requires if he went into mainstream. He's now been offered a place at the new low-distraction ASD school here.

Most importantly, try not to stress too much. Try to look on this as a positive time, a positive step to ensuring your son gets the best possible start to his education. I found the local Parent Partnership to be very supportive and, as I mentioned, the IPSEA website has some good resources and template letters.

mummyroysof3

We really have to hope he gets a statement as the school say they can't teach him so he can't stay there can he? They admit he won't progress with someone newly qualified with no special needs training but that's all they can afford so what can I do about that?

verysillyguy06

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

We really have to hope he gets a statement as the school say they can't teach him so he can't stay there can he? They admit he won't progress with someone newly qualified with no special needs training but that's all they can afford so what can I do about that?

Sorry to hear that you feel that stressed. I am not sure that he can stay there as I dont know enough of the system. That would be the decision of your local SEN Officer. Once he has got a statement , the SEN Officer is responsible from the Education Department to ensure his progress.

I cannot understand the stance from the school as the person could be send on training? Or make contact with a Special School for advice?

You really need a Parent Partnership advisor to help you.

http://www.parentpartnership.org.uk/

I have seen TAs with no experience who made contact and learnt alot and were excellent. The school seems determined to ask him to leave....does he disturb the others?

verysillyguy06

It may also be that your school is not feeling very confident and for them to make contact may help them see that they are actually doing well?

The statement may help with this too

Tigsteroonie

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

We really have to hope he gets a statement as the school say they can't teach him so he can't stay there can he? They admit he won't progress with someone newly qualified with no special needs training but that's all they can afford so what can I do about that?

Now this is a layman's perspective as I don't understand how the funding works, but I thought that a Statement (as opposed to School Action Plus etc) could determine the level of support required and the school can then get the appropriate funding to provide that. At the moment, their basing their purchasing power on your son not being statemented.

I'd be asking the school if they can keep him there at least in the short term (ie the Autumn term) whilst you go through the assessment process. You can offer to provide guidance to the TA in how to help your son (after all, you are the expert in his needs!), and some support is better than none - he's only 4, not 14. I'm not sure if the school can actually refuse to have him if he doesn't have a statement, surely that would class as 'exclusion'? Questions to ask your PP, I think!

keep_flyin

You really could do with some help from people who really understand the ins and outs of the system. The fact that school want him statemented is a good thing, I know parents with children who desperately need help who have no support in statementing from the school. May I suggest you have a look at the website for an organisation called IPSEA, they are fantastic. They do hace a helpline but it does get very busy.