Private school fees - act now for SEND!

SS deal with the highest need so of course they’re going to be more expensive. Children who attend absolutely can’t attend MS. The safe guarding issues are separate.

That’s not about what DC actually need though. Or the law. It is about LAs saving money at all costs. State at all cost, leads to LAs acting even more unlawfully.

So you are happy for LAs to fund independent SS but not independent MS? Despite the former being significantly more expensive. And arguably having more problems, particularly safeguarding concerns. Despite independent MS often not being unreasonable public expenditure. Despite the alternative for many being more expensive provision rather than state MS.

Have you seen any plans on how they'll do this? I don't think they can seriously improve 'mainstream' without diversifying school types personally but I hope you're right and they do have some ideas

Yes I dont disagree with that however special school aside I don’t agree with local authorities diverting huge sums of money to private schools
for a few children at the expense of the rest. Schools should be supported to provide better provision for more. Isn’t that what the current focus is on in some areas? Schools being supported to provide better provision so not so many EHCPs are needed?

Forgive me for being cynical but I wonder if the govt has looked at the SEN costs, and decided that our kids aren't worth the investment.

I see really no investment in SEN from labour. No new ideas. If anyone is excited by any new labour SEN ideas then I'd love to know about them.

And yet your posts are ignorant enough to think just because some can manage in state schools everyone can.

@DarkM3l0n and I'm glad that works for you and your family - we're not all the same are we? In fact we really are all very much needing different things in the SEN area.

There is a huge gap in state provision for pupils with autism who are academically able but need a particular type of sensory environment. A 1 to 1in mainstream doesnt work because they need small classes and a state special doesn't work because they don't offer the right curriculumn. There is a particular shortage of schools for girls with autism as a lot of special schools are built around a male presentation.

These pupils are often completely out of education as there are no state options. Some of these children are awarded an ehcp at an independent school If they fight for it. Other families realise that what their child needs is available privately and pay.

Obviously the right solution is the government builds a series of autism schools nationwide and there aren't children sat with zero education.

This isn't going too happen.

Absolutely @Grasshopper7 completely understand what you mean.

We need to encourage all the alternative provision - the online schools, the online/in person hybrids, the specialist autism tutoring groups, the handful of schools (is it 1?) that specialise in autistic girls etc. There are more ideas out there.

The very last thing we need is everything being shoe horned into one size fits all state options that reduce parents trying to do what's best for their child.

Yes all my dc have an ASC and ADHD dual diagnosis. All severely impacted.As do I and as do their cousins. We were/are all state educated in classes of 30.

For some DC, all schools are chaotic enough to mean they are so overwhelmed their needs can’t be met.

For some DC, all state schools are large enough and busy enough to mean DC are so overwhelmed their needs can’t be met.

😂

@DarkM3l0n
I can assure you that we have explored all options available to us in the state sector.
Do you actually have much experience of ASD? What you may not consider chaotic is experienced very differently by my DC. They need a small, calm nurturing environment. Not a class of 30 children, many of whom have there own significant Sen/ behavioural needs.

You have misunderstood. By ‘for some’ I meant for some pupils. Not some schools. For some pupils, no state school will be able to meet their needs. For some pupils, no school at all will be appropriate.

However, some schools can provide small class sizes, specialist SpLD tutor on-site, onsite SALT…

I’ve done all of those things literally - and more. I don’t have an SEN child and am governor at a school with no connection to me and still do it voluntarily with a FT job.

You are conflating 2 things.

So there will be other state schools
in your area. I doubt all are chaotic. Very few are in complete confusion and disorder.

If it can be met in some state schools it can be met in all. What Dyslexia provision can’t be provided in some schools that can be provided in others?

@DarkM3l0n
I described my DC primary as chaotic, not all schools are the same obviously. Neither are all high functioning autistic children.

@ThursdayTomorrow so,e independent mainstream schools are poor with SEN, but some aren’t. Some (but not all, obviously) with ASD, SpLD, SEMH can have their needs met in an independent MS but not a state MS. Then there are independent SS too catering for the whole range of SEN needs,

Dyslexia absolutely can be and is met in the state sector.

For some it can. For others it can’t be. There are independent SpLD SS. There are also some with EOTAS/EOTIS.

Some primary schools are a chaotic experience for some children, yes. You can't characterise other people's experiences. My dc found their school environment chaotic, noisy and overwhelming.

I don't know what you look at but I follow Beth Morrison's campaign on X and if you think that SEN isn't desperately in need of reform for all levels of need in the state sector then you perhaps haven't looked around enough.

My son has an EHCP and the LA pay fees at a local MAINSTREAM very small independent school for him because all the evidence provided said the child needs small classes but not a special school place. Was moved by the LA from a large mainstream state. Presume the LA will not be paying an uplift 20% on these fees?

The primary school I work in has several high functioning/ high need children with ASC who cope with good provision and support.

I don’t think it’s fair to describe primary schools
as chaotic.

This

@ThursdayTomorrow
My DC has ASD, high functioning so does very well academically. Cannot cope in the chaotic environment of our local primary.

Dyslexia absolutely can be and is met in the state sector.

Its interesting as I suspect those with the greatest need are catered for in the state sector as these kids will have parents struggling to cope let alone argue that a private education is needed above and beyond anything the state sector can offer.