school haven't arranged AR - rant warning!

[fairgame]

DS's AR is due on the 23rd and i haven't heard anything from school. I rang them week before last to ask and they told me that they were trying to check the head and deputy head's diaries for dates.
I'm getting pretty stressed now as my boss is booking loads of things into my work diary that i can't get out of and school haven't asked me when i am available i think they just expect me to fit in with them.
DS hasn't had a review since Oct 13 as his old school said they didn't want one during my appeal. His amended statement was finalised last May and he started at current school in september.
Our LA requires 6 weeks notice to attend an AR so if they don't get a move on we won't get one in before the end of the school year.

The taxi escort is also pissing me off. She smokes in the taxi on the way to picking up DS (at both ends) so i'm having to put him in a fucking stinking taxi in a morning and when he comes back at the end of the day he comes in stinking of smoke. I don't know whether to raise this at AR or not as the escort is really defensive if she gets so much as a whiff of criticism (such as the time i pointed out the back tyre was flat) and DS really likes her.

I probably sound really petty and awkward but i've got loads of things that are really stressing me out at the moment and i'm feeling really low and unhappy at the momen and this is just getting to me more than it normally would.

[Ineedmorepatience]

I dont think you sound petty at all fairgame you sound like I feel, fed up and worn down with constantly having to chase everything!

I would definitely be having a moan about the escort, surely there are rules about smoking in taxis?!?

Also do you need something changing in his statement? If not I wouldnt worry too much about the AR! Remind them that you and the LA need 6 weeks notice.

[fairgame]

Thanks ineed.

The ironic thing is that there is a massive 'no smoking' sign inside the taxi. There has been a lot of friction between DS's keyworker and the escort so i'm a bit worried about rocking the boat as everything has settled after the transport department put them both in their place.

Nothing needs to be changed in his statement tbh but i'll chase them up again tomorrow because i need to give work a decent amount of notice as it will mean half a day off because school is so far away. The school is planning to move sites further away which isn't helping as im worried that the LA might say the new site is too far and ask me to look for another school. I've also heard rumours that the LA are setting up another 'bespoke asd unit'. They did this before and tried to put DS in it and i appealed and got his current school but i have a feeling they might try it again and say current school will be too far when it moves.
I'm probably getting too anxious about it and need to get a grip.

[bjkmummy]

sometimes you can feel that you are fighting so many small fires that your feel you are getting it from all sides. hope you manage to get the AR sorted out - are you going to the next parents evening?

[fairgame]

I am bjk. I was debating whether or not to go because its a bit of trek and DS hasn't done any work since Christmas so there won't be much for me to look at, plus its so close to AR. However over the past week he has started doing a bit of work and he will really like it if i go and look at it so it will be really encouraging for him hopefully.

[senvet]

I've also heard rumours that the LA are setting up another 'bespoke asd unit'. They did this before and tried to put DS in it and i appealed and got his current school but i have a feeling they might try it again and say current school will be too far when it moves.

I can see that timing the AR to dodge co-inciding with the move makes sense. So if you think the school will move, say, half way through the next acaedmeic year, then getting an AR about the end of this academic year would be good.

If the school is more likely to move at the end of next academic year ie Summer 2016 or Sept 2016, then delaying the AR into the autumn term might be prudent.

I hope this makes sense. The fact that you need to give lots of notice to your work will help you to stay on top of the timing. Just drop an email to the school saying that you have limited availability and will need lots of notice.

But I notice that the LAs are all inclined to look at school changes at transition times like year 6-7 and at 16+, and are less likely to move kids at other times, so with luck the school relocation will not be noticed.

If they do start talking about change, then the change of location will be disruption enough to DC without having to change teachers as well.

And taxi person? DC being happy as well as safe is key.

[fairgame]

The school have said that they children are moving in stages with the first lot hopefully moving in December. DS will be in Y6 in September so we will need another review before February to name is secondary placement so this will happen around the time they all moving.
I am quite prepared that i might have to go back to SENDIST to keep his placement or move nearer the school to another LA to escape the dreaded unit. The last unit my LA set up only lasted a year before they shut it down
There are no other ss in an 50 mile radius that can meet DS's needs - i looked at them all!

[Icimoi]

They should be doing a full EHC review and reassessment before the February deadline. If DS is due to move in September 2016 I would have thought it really unlikely that the LA will look to change his primary placement now.

Transport arrangements aren't really a matter for the annual review to deal with. I suggest you contact the department that arranges school transport now. Given that the taxi is a working environment, I suspect it's illegal for the escort to smoke in it at any time.