secondary school medical admission advice required....

[Backofbourke]

I would be very grateful for some assistance regarding secondary school admission.

My daughter has a chronic epilepsy, she takes medication daily and her condition is currently stable, though does have some focal seizures. However when she is in year eight her specialist is going to slowly withdraw her medication to see if she can manage without it, we expect that she will be fine but their is some chance that she may develop symptoms of her condition and may need to go back on medication.Her specialist has advised us that this is the best time as not much happening in school etc.
Our closest secondary school is not great and the HT does not inspire confidence. I talked to him at a meeting of about 6 parents at DD primary school and asked him about welfare of children with chronic medical conditions and he basically brushed me off.

In contrast another local school has told me that if my daughter is offered a place there they will meet with me next May to develop a care plan for her and that a member of staff who is on site daily is a registered nurse and that they will do whatever it takes for us to feel that she is safe there. This school is however an all girls school and places are offered via random allocation, after looked after children, siblings etc. This is what the school says about medical admissions;

Applications made on medical grounds must be accompanied by compelling medical evidence from a hospital Consultant at the time of application. The letter from the hospital consultant must provide information about the girl’s medical condition, the effects of this condition and why, in view of this, the girl needs to attend the academy, including the reasons for requiring a single-sex school.

What I am stuck on is why my daughter would need a single sex education as I am sure the council will try to tell me that they would be able to care for her safely in all schools.
any advice would be appreciated

[crazymum53]

Have you talked to the SENCO of your closest secondary school, they may have more information?
The all-girls school seems to have the right idea about the sort of care needed, but my understanding is that all schools should be writing Care Plans for children with medical conditions.
I would concentrate for now on medical reasons for school 2 rather than school 1 i.e. is there anything your child needs that one school offers but not the other. For example does your child need to take medication in the day and is there somewhere to store it etc.? Does your child have emergency medication for her medicine and is there a suitably trained member of staff able to offer this? Does each school have a policy for children with disabilities and medical conditions and would you be able to see it?
I am not sure from your post whether your dds condition would be serious enough (or not) to qualify under the medical category. But if the girls school is able to offer a level of care that the other school doesn't, you could be in with a chance at Appeal if the medical category is refused so I wouldn't give up.
PS I do have a child with this medical condition, didn't need to use the research I made as was offered first choice secondary school (not lottery allocation though). If you would like to pm me for more help that would be fine.

[titchy]

The problem with citing specific staff members is they could leave. Does she have friends likely to go to the girls school who would be able to support her when she comes off medication? That might help.

[YakInAMac]

Get your specialist to write a letter explaining all that you have written and expressing the need for close partnership with the school in Yr 8 and that as this school (the specialist must name the school ) has a good SENCO department and a willingness to help this is the best school for her. The requirement to have a compelling medical need AND a compelling single sex need seems very unreasonable . I wonder if they mean include any reasons relating to single sex in a social / medical application, rather than they are compulsory?

I wouldn't let this put you off making the medical case though . Your position will be stronger in making the medical application now than if you introduce medical grounds for the first time at appeal.

At appeal you can introduce the fact that her close supportive girl friends will be at the school .

If she has an epileptic episode in school while coming off medication would she feel less vulnerable / self conscious in an all girls school ? (I would ! ).

[Backofbourke]

Thank you all very much for your advice it has given me a lot to think about moving forward.