Securing a place at a Special School nursery

[HLG01]

Hoping someone can help.

My son has Prader Willi Syndrome. He is 3 and I would like him to attend the Assessment Nursery at the local special school. Our initial application was turned down and now our appeal has been turned down. The response is that he would 'cope' at mainstream.

I've also been told there are no written criteria for assessment for admission to the nursery. Can this be right?

My plan now:

1. Ask for a meeting with the chair of the panel who rejected the application. Request specific feedback as to why a place hasn't been given.

1. Request a meeting with the head of SEN at the LA to talk about the process and next steps.

1. Start the EHCP process - I will lead. Start with a TAC meeting.

1. Speak to local MP - is this worth doing? Can they help at all?

1. Seek legal advice - again, will this help?

I'm off to browse the forums, but any advice or help would be gratefully received.

[Ineedmorepatience]

I wonder how they manage to fill any places at the nursery, if they wont accept applications?

Maybe they are taking children referred from your local child development centre!

Many LA ' s are making it seriously difficult for parents to access specialist provision!

Hang in there and stand your ground! If you dont think mainstream will be right for him you are probably right!

Do you have a helpful professional?

[HLG01]

I have been told that they prefer children try MS first. I'm not happy with this.

How do I locate my nearest child development centre?

It would be good to know what others feel my next steps should be.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Hmm, GP, Paed, health visitor?

Trying children in mainstream is the cheapest option and its ok for some children with the correct support in place to keep them safe and enable them to access the EYFS! It can work I was a one to one in an early yrs setting!

But you are the parents and you know your child best!

Definitely get your EHCP request in!

[HLG01]

GP and HV simply don't know him. Is it still worth approaching them?

When I request TAC meeting I will ask the paed to write a letter of support.

He would cope in mainstream especially in EYFS. However I want him to thrive not cope. I also don't want him to have to move. Finally mainstream won't have on site access to OT, SLT, physio etc. They won't do weekly swimming or rebound therapy, they won't have a behaviour management policy that fully emcompasses SEN, they won't have staff with the same level of experience and training, they don't use Makaton or PECS or visual timetables.

[Fairylea]

I think you need to get the ehcp. The ehcp is the gateway to getting a chance to get into special school as you can't apply to most without one and I would assume that the special needs nursery is at least looking for one as an indication of level of need. Having an ehcp is taken to mean that the child has significant special needs that require care over and above the budget of a mainstream school. By not having one I would imagine you are getting overlooked in favour of those who do. I would apply for one right away and start the ball rolling.

(I have a son aged 3.7 and I applied for an ehcp for him and was successful and am currently battling to get him a place at special school for September. He has asd).

[Ineedmorepatience]

Nope you are absolutely right about all of the things you are mentioned that they wont have in mainstream!

I was just thinking that you GP or HV would know where the child development centre was not that they would help you!