moving LA's with an indie placement

[fairgame]

I really want to move nearer to DS's school. It's an independent ss and is a good 45 miles away, it's an hour each way in a taxi for him.

I've spoken to his keyworker today who said that although the journey is manageable at the moment, when he moves into year 7 the secondary provision is an extra 20 minutes travelling for him. I know all this is within guidelines (just) but i don't like him being so far away.
He is having a bit a turbulent time at the moment and has had to be restrained a few times recently. I think that maybe if i took away the long travel it might help him.
There was also an incident on Monday where DS decided he didn't want to get in the taxi to go home. Both the school staff and the escort tried to get him to go but he wouldn't and the taxi had to leave him at school. This meant that i got called at 3.30pm (he finishes at 3pm) to go and pick him up, which meant staff had to stay behind and wait for me etc. It was so stressful and it wouldn't have been so bad if we lived nearer.

Obviously we all know that LA's love to fund indie placements so i know that if i move LA's they might try and put him in a maintained ss. I am prepared to go to SENDIST (again) to keep his placement but i wondered if there was a good or 'not as bad' time to move?
He is currently in year 5 so will be reaching phase transition next year which i know is a key time for LA's to shift children. Would it be better to wait until he is settled in year 7? Would they be less likely to move him then? Or would moving be a massive mistake?

This is just an idea at the moment, obviously i would discuss it with school first as they will know what the LA is likely to do but i just want to sound out the idea and try and figure things out.

[bjkmummy]

I would ask school what other LA fund places there so you can get a feel where the children are coming from. the children from those LA wil be there because the local provison isn't suitable so could be an easier argument for you. the school may also have a feeling which LA are more open to placing children in the school.

[fairgame]

That's what i thought. I'm very impatient though and i like to have things organised in my head long before i do anything. I will discuss it after his AR in June. I know there is definitely a local child placed there as i met the parent once when i picked DS up so at least i know it's not impossible!

[bjkmummy]

im an hour the other way as you now - secondary school is slightly closer for us but then he will share as my LA place about 5 children at the school. there are other local children placed there as i met a parent at the sibs group last year at the school

[fairgame]

Maybe i should consider moving to your LA, they sound lovely

Current LA has a few placed at the secondary site but they wouldn't be able to share a minibus because of how they are scattered around our borough. If they shared the journeys would be ridiculously long. We live at the side of town which is nearest to the school so i can't even move within the borough to make it any better.
I'm still a bit [shocked] that the taxi turned around and left him. I know that they only have to wait a certain amount of time but what the hell would happen if i didn't drive! It's not like it's on a main public transport route or anything. School reckon he won't do it again as he was shocked when the taxi left but he wasn't very remorseful when i picked him up. In fact he blamed me for him missing his programme on tv because we got back late!

[Bilberry]

bjk's LA and the word 'lovely' is not an association that springs to mind....

[fairgame]

I was being sarcastic

[Bilberry]

[senvet]

Yes, I agree, ask the school about how their home LA treat applications. If every kid they have placed is the subject of an appeal, then don't move.

I heard of a family who moved across the borough boundary assuming that the new LA would continue the placement but they promptly argued that the dc's needs could be met at one of their own schools, with much less provision. It was a mess.

Any other options like a small rental property/travel lodge etc near the school for a couple of nights a week? Just keep the majority of nights in your home LA

[Ineedmorepatience]

@ bjk's LA being lovely!!

I hope you manage to sort something out fairgame I have also considered moving LA's to get us away from the vile vindictive SEN team and give us access to some specialist settings.

It is a massive decision though

[bjkmummy]

it is and I have moved a lot as DH was in the armed forces - we bought a house in this area and then moved away for a year or so and then came back and settled here as we thought this was a good area!!! all it took was a change in the sen officer for it to descend into the mess we have today.

[Firsttheyignoreyou]

I wouldn't even contemplate it - but as you are up for a Tribunal: yes, you could. This time next year would make sense - as legally, ur present LA should have sorted transition out by then, and if they have named his present school, it gives credence to any case you might have to bring.

I think it is a dilemma an awful lot of people face - and most don't end up moving, which is dreadfully unfair. Good luck.

[ouryve]

DS1's school is 45 miles away. Never in a million years would we contemplate moving to the the LA it's in! They have a published policy of employing barristers against anyone who wants an indie placement, ffs!

Our LA is geographically huge, so we could quite easily shave 20 minutes off his journey by moving, but that would restrict DH work options, as we'd be a lot further away from the various cities where the jobs typically are for him.

We also have DS2's future schooling to think of. DS1 is fine with a 60-90 minute journey (it's 90, this week, as one of the taxis has broken down so he's sharing with another boy) but 30 minutes is about DS2's limit.

[fairgame]

Just got a letter today from school to say that they are planning on moving sites. It's currently a split site school and they are planning on merging onto a brand new site in the centre of a large city. This will have a huge impact on travelling and I'm not sure if my LA will be very happy about the additional travelling time and costs.
I'm going to try and find a backup school for secondary just in case i can't move to a nearer LA and in case my LA try to remove him due to costs and time travelling.
It just feels like it's one thing after another at the moment

[ouryve]

Aargh, now that is frustrating!

[fairgame]

Had a really good chat with the head of DS's school today and he was lovely. He said that the LA i want to move to currently has 39 children placed in the school and very few need to appeal. He feels that i wouldn't have any problems with them wanting to place DS elsewhere as they work very closely with the LA and the only state ss that could take DS is oversubscribed with a waiting list.
The plan is to wait until AR with the current LA and get them to amend the statement to include transport as we currently only have a letter stating DS is entitled, it is not in the statement. HT feels the new LA might try and persude me to transport DS myself where if its already in the statement then the transport is more secure. Then if it looks like current LA are going to name current school for secondary then we will wait until february for them to name and then move. That might be a gamble as current LA might change their mind due to the school moving further away so i might have to try and gauge which way they will go at AR.
It's so complex and it shouldn't take this amount of planning and strategy just to keep a decent school placement. It feels very unfair that you have to engage in gameplay just to try and keep a placement, but at least there is now hope!

[bjkmummy]

I got the letter as well about the school moving and wondered how it would affect you. makes no difference to us as I think its slightly closer to us and when my ds moves up in sept he will be going to school in the city anyway - he will also share from sept as he currently has a taxi by himself.

good that you now have a plan and a way forward. the 39 children placed by one LA is a big chunk of children placed at the school.

the school miving was muted before a couple of years ago and then the idea was shelved but looks like its all back on again now

[fairgame]

That letter was kind of the icing on the cake tbh.
But when i spoke to the HT he was very transparent about where the site is and when they are planning to move. I've never come across such honesty as my LA are very cloak and dagger!
39 is about 40% of the whole school so its really encouraging. He was adamant there won't be a problem. I just need to figure out whether to move before or after current LA name his secondary placement but i'll see what they say about the move when its his AR in summer. I think they will name his current school as there is nowhere else to place him.