Good news re secondary transfer appeal

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I applied for a statement for DS last January when he was in Year 5, with a view to getting it in place for Year 7 (this September). By last summer, in the middle of a refusal to assess appeal I had realised that we wanted him to go to an independent special school rather than a mainstream comprehensive, it all seemed like an insurmountable task.

But, we did it. The council conceded the refusal to assess without us having to go to tribunal, his statement was finalised in Jan. I appealed his secondary placement with a hearing date due in mid July and the council has backed down. Every single point conceded including the secondary placement.

Anyway, the point of this thread is to day that I have been using these boards for 7 or 8 years, mainly as a lurker, but occasionally posting. I have learnt so much along the way, much of it directly from other posters, also much of it indirectly from the resources people have linked to. Also credit to a couple of real life friends who have been through the process. So I just want to say a massive thanks to every single person who posts on these boards, everyone who posts here is doing a massive service to others, and I am so very, very grateful.

[Ineedmorepatience]

YAY!! Well done whoknows , I hope your Ds is very happy at his new school. It is a really hard thing to do to stand up to massive authorities but the more parents who can do it the better!!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Thank you. We're both a little nervous, the school starts at Year 4 so there will be established friendship groups to break into, but I think there will be quite a few other Year 7 starters and I am planning to try and meet some over the summer, the parents have an active FB group which is great.

I can hardly believe it's happened tp be honest, it seemed like such an impossible task, his primary school told me repeatedly he'd never get a statement (in mitigation they have been brilliant in other ways and he is happy there, despite massively underperforming academically and to some extent socially). I really have been inspired by so many of you on these boards .

[KOKOagainandagain]

Really pleased for you both

that your LA concede before hearing. There is a postcode lottery. Policy and habitual behaviour are different in LAs and the NHS according to bureaucratic regions. My LA wait for failure of transfer then still go to tribunal hearing. .

The recentish radio 5 research into different LA response was illustrative. Wasn't it warrington only went to hearing in one case whilst Southampton went to hearing in all but one case despite very similar application levels?

Not to diminish your achievement. Without your advocacy this would not be the outcome wherever you live.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Yes, I listened to that Radio 5 thing, my LA wasn't mentioned but it was quite shocking. I have to say that although I avoided tribunal, this has been an exceedingly difficult process for me, but I had an excellent team of professionals (EP etc and solicitor), I am in no doubt that without them I would have been at tribunal both times and quite likely unsuccessful.