Travelling to school in different LEA.

[pixel]

I've got a horrible feeling there's a disaster in the making. Ds goes to a fantastic special school and is settling in well. The problem is we have been looking for a house to rent as we can't stay where we are after the beginning of January. We have found a lovely house, within our price range and paid the holding deposit and had credit checks etc done. NOW we have found out that the county border isn't where we thought it was which puts the house in the next county (but only just).

I have spent the morning making frantic phone calls (we were supposed to pay the deposit and 1st month rent today)and am now waiting for a call back. It all comes down to whether the other lea is willing to fund ds to stay at his school and if our current lea agrees to it. Also they would have to pay for his transport. Otherwise we will be house hunting again because there's no way we want to lose his place at the school.

Has anyone else had this experience? Have you moved and been allowed to keep your children at the same schools? Does anyone know how willing lea's are to do this? I was so excited about the house but now I'm worried sick.

[LIZS]

I can't comment on special schools or transport arrangements. However in the Surrey LEA Application brochure they do list schools in neighbouring LEA's which are within a certain distance of the border, implying that you are also eligible to apply there. I suspect it will be the transport rather than the school place which becomes an issue in your case though.

Good luck.

[pixel]

Thanks for that. I feel a bit more hopeful now. After all this situation must occur quite often musn't it?

[Doddle]

In London loads of kids go to school in neighbouring, and not so neighbouring LEAs, without any problem at all. It's really common.

hope you get the answer you're looking for.

[luckymum]

Pixel - You should be able to keep him at the school as he already has a place but as far as the transport goes it might depend on whether your new LEA could offer an equivalent special school place. They couldn't really justify not paying if they aren't able to do this. Also is this school named in ds's statement?

[Jimjams]

The special school we're hoping ds1 will get a place at takes children from 3 LEA's - tranport is provided.

Suspect it may depend on what area the school covers, and whether there is an equivalent (cheaper) version in your LEA. The school we're hoping for is SLD/PMLD but the local autism units and MLD schools don't seem to take children out of LEA.

[pixel]

Yes the school is named in his statement so hopefully that makes a difference. I've spoken to a very nice lady on the phone who has promised to find out what she can first thing tomorrow morning. She says it's not unknown for them to send children to another authority but it also depends on whether they are willing to have them as they are not really responsible and may need the place for someone else.

It will be an absolute nightmare if we lose this house as it took ages to find it and we are running out of time and we will lose our holding deposit and search fees. Dh and I are both agreed though that it is much more important to keep ds at his school. All this panic because we thought the road was the boundary but it turns out to be a little footpath just north of it!

[Davros]

DS's school has children from many different boroughs, all on transport except those from Islington. My understanding is that, if you move from one Education Authority to another they MUST honour your statement but can call a review in 3 months. They can then set out to move your child to a school they prefer. There are probably set distances they will travel too although I've actually heard its an hour's drive or less, any more and they can challenge the school's location and whether its the most suitable. However, I believe its also true that children with learning disability are not ENTITLED to transport to special schools but most LEAs provide it as its reasonable. However, they may not want to do that out of borough and also to certain types of special school (grant maintained or something?). I have heard personally of my LEA cutting transport to children with learning disability and trying to remove transport to an out of borough school.

[hana]

I work in a special school and we do have some students from neighbouring LEAs - their LEA pays for transport UNLESS there is an equivalent place in one of their own schools. If students have our school 'named' as the school in the statement, then the LEA where they live has to pay transport.

Hope your son can continue where he is!

[pixel]

Thanks everyone. I'm quite concerned at the review after three months part as it might be just prolonging the agony. We have arranged to look at another house this afternoon just to keep our options open. It is literaly a few minutes walk away but in another county, ridiculous! If we give up on the first house we will be back to square one but £300 worse off but it will probably be worth it to avoid all the school/transport hassle. Also there's ds's dla. I couldn't face filling in all those forms again!

[Davros]

Don't think it would have any affect on DLA would it? Have you asked IPSEA this question, now realise how obvious a piece of advice this is!

[pixel]

No I don't suppose it would affect dla. I was in panic mode yesterday! I just couldn't believe we had made such a stupid mistake!

Anyway it looks like problem solved as we have said we'll have the other house. We have lost the deposit which we can't really afford but it will be worth it to avoid the stress. I feel a bit disappointed as the first house was much nicer (and cheaper)but also relieved that we found out before we signed the lease. Hey ho! you live and learn!