Type 1 diabetic applying for secondary school

[Bex2019]

Hi,
I’m after some advice. My daughter has type 1 diabetes and is currently in her last year at primary school. I’m applying for a secondary school place in the same local area but 5 years ago we moved into another local authority area. The secondary school I want her to attend is near her primary school and I’m told I need to apply under medical reasons and there is a 50/50 chance she will be accepted. My mum lives near the school and looks after my daughter after school until I pick her up after I finish work which would be the same with secondary school. If my daughter didn’t get into the school she would have to attend a school around our area and that would mean her travelling on a bus by herself home from school and waiting until me or my partner came home or I leave my job to pick her up and look after her. Her diabetes isn’t stable so the first option isn’t viable. Her previous diabetes nurse said she would get in no problem and she would sort it out but she has since left and now we have a new nurse. I asked them if they were able to help maybe write a letter stating the reasons why she needs to go to that school and they said that I can use a clinic letter which states she has type 1 diabetes but it’s not going to support why it needs to be that school. I’m really worried about this and don’t know what I can do. Please help

[maternityleave234]

How far out of the catchment area are you? I’d look at last years admissions and see if they were over / under subscribed and how far outside the catchment area (if any) that they accepted from. The statistics should be available with this info.

Our local council guidance says essentially that medical grounds ie diabetes, eplilespy etc wouldn’t be grounds to get into a particular school as all schools should be equipped adequately to deal with it..
I’d prepare yourself to appeal should you not be successful, but also explore other options such as after school clubs etc

[LolaSmiles]

My understanding is that for diabetes, that's something all schools are equipped to deal with (eg. Along with epilepsy, allergies, bad asthma, etc).
This really comes down to transport and preferences to be near your mum (not from your perspective by the way, but probably in the cold light of admissions).

If the school is heavily oversubscribed, I think the first nurse has perhaps given false hope or over-egged the likelihood of getting the place you want.

Under social and medical as a criteria for oversubscription, the parent has to demonstrate (with supporting professional evidence) why school A is the only school that can meet the required needs and why schools B C D would fail to meet their child's needs. Schools aren't obliged to have this criteria either so that might be worth checking.

There's a few really good posters who have a lot more knowledge on this though

[mummeeee]

My daughter has a different medical condition. She's now in year 7. She is at our catchment school but we wanted to ensure she got a place (big birth year and oversubscribed) so I dealt with a similar situation a year ago.

I think firstly you need to check the admissions policy for your preferred school. If it has a medical clause then I would certainly apply under it. I would write a statement explains why your daughter needs to attend that secondary school and submit it with a consultant letter as part of your school application.
In the statement I would write the reasons why that school is necessary which could include

• near family member trained to manage her diabetes in the event of need during the school day
• near trained family member who takes care of her after school - manages food intake from 3:30pm etc alongside measurement of blood sugar/administration of insulin etc
• with familiar friends/peers who've known her since primary, thereby helping with transition to new school (psychological impact of transition)
• anything else that you think is related in relation to journey to and from school & needing supervision (if she does)

The school we wanted had just become an academy and removed the medical clause, meaning the only way a medical condition could be used as part of an admission requirement was if she had an EHCP. My daughter doesn't. If your child does have an ehcp then it would definitely be useful.

[RueDeWakening]

Write to her consultant, saying something like

"as discussed on xxx, we are applying for DD's place at xxx school under medical needs criteria. Please would you write a letter in support of this, explaining that .

IME it's the consultant's secretary who writes these letters, and they seem to copy and paste anything useful from your initial letter asking them to help.

[PatriciaHolm]

Check the wording on the admissions policy, It is likely you will need substantive evidence that she needs this, and only this, school, and it is the only one that can meet her needs (for example, are there other schools nearer her GPs she could go to that they could get to easily, if so why this school in particular?) That evidence needs to come from the medical professionals; a general letter just stating her diagnosis won't help.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

I know someone who get their eldest (who has Type 1 Diabetes) into the best local secondary school with evidence. Siblings have been able to attend the same very sought after school too.

Good luck OP.