To move my DS year 10 who has an ECHP from a mainstream secondary school whose target grades are around grades 2/3 to a Private School and ask DS to start year 8 in January at the Private School to a Private school and ask him

This really doesn’t sound like the right school at all for your ds. He needs somewhere small, sensible and nurturing, not an academic hothouse that gives 2 hours a night of homework.

An obvious question is why are you not privately educating already? You have plenty of money. Why was your son not in a lovely, cosy, nurturing school with 6 in a class and lots of teacher time for each child at the age of 4? How on earth did he end up in “a secondary modern with 42% FSM”?

Having btdt myself, I would advise going nowhere near an independent school and a child with an EHCP. By the very nature of it, an EHCP suggests that a child's needs are of a complexity that cannot be met within whats ordinarily available in a school. Some schools will actually publish what they offer ordinarily for SEND children- you might need to ask though.

At the moment schools are expected to fund the first 11 hours or so (varies by LA) of provision in a child's EHCP from the high level needs block of the SEND funding given to a school. This is based on census figures and generally runs a year behind 'real time'. Top up and/or emergency funding is also available LA dependent. This level of funding doesnt exist in independent schools. Anything over and above the core (or ordinarily available) offer is expected to be funded by the parents. This can get very expensive, very quickly (private EdPsych tends to start around 2k for example depending on whats requested). Independent schools dont have the usual 'feed-ins' to the usual LA services so it'll all be private. If your son has ongoing support needs e.g. needs someone to support him in maths for example then the school are going to be billing you for it.

The school also sounds like completely the wrong environment for your son already if they are proposing to put him in a class 2 years below his actual age. Would your son find this demoralising if he's covering work he has already done? Also with a lot of private schools its not just about the academics. Children are expected to get involved with extracurricular stuff like sport/music/drama as well. Its as much a lifestyle as it is anything else. There's also a huge difference in maturity levels between a year 8 and a year 10 child. Other posters have covered this as well.

Exam results. You say your son is predicted 2's and 3's across the board. Is there any guarantee that your son's proposed school will even let him do his GCSE's. Will they want those results adding onto their official stats? Private schools very much make a big thing about their results because its how they get bums on seats. Or are they going to offroll him just before his GCSE's or insist that he's entered as an external or independent candidate (more £££) so it doesnt affect their stats? Most schools will state in their t's & c's that they have the right to remove a child before GCSE's if they are not achieving expected grades.

Of course, this is all assuming that the school arent saying they'll welcome your son with open arms purely because they really do need as many people as possible at the moment. Or assuming that your school arent just paying lip service to their SEND offer. In my case, despite what the school said they permanently excluded i.e. expelled (and did it very much illegally) my son when it became clear that despite their so called kind and caring ethos they just CBA. It was easier for them to label my son as violent and defiant and tell me it was all my fault because I was a bad parent than actually do anything to help.

Would agree with @Lougle your son needs a proper assessment of his needs which will identify the right provision. Dd went to independent specialist, did half a dozen GCSEs got really good passes. They didn't study a huge range of subjects but realistically 6 GCSEs will allow you entry onto whatever course you wish to do next.

This is what I would do too. By professionals with experience of writing Tribunal standard reports. It will help everyone better understand DS’s needs and the provision he requires. Since money is no object, I would also look at CP and ISW assessments.

What does he want to do with his life? Does he know or have any ideas.
You sound obsessed with pushing him into an academic future. Does he actually want that?

Agreed it may not be the right fit.

The two hours of prep a night is onerous. The school sounds very academic.

Sports are a very important part of the curriculum to build confidence. By sports, not just ball games. But cross country, climbing, sailing, canoeing, surfing, skiing, . Sports build coordination which aids enormously with learning and confidence.

Year 8 is to cover the schools ass imo .

I've seen a 12 year old arrive at our school who couldn't read and write. He's now a celebrated artist and sculptor. There's a documentary about him on you tube.

I've been a reader scribe for GCSEs.

I've seen children bloom and shine become CEOs, vice presidents of international companies. I've seen amazing artists, craftsmen in wood and stone. Architects, engineers, surveyors, they're incredibly talented.

They've left school with GCSEs, A levels, gone on to shine at university.

They really were and are the kindest, most thoughtful, young and middle aged now adults it's been my pleasure to know

Find the right school for him, he'll be the brightest star in your life

Whatever you decide do make sure you get the right access arrangements in for his exams. He needs something like an EXACT test. From what you've described he could well do better with a reader or scribe or both, as well as the extra time.

Another thought - have you looked into ADHD? There's quite a high co-occurence with Autism but it could contribute to the spiky profile.

I think moving down 2 years could be frustrating for someone so articulate, but perhaps there's a 3rd option?

If I were you, if you have money, I would spend it on a really good educational psychology assessment, speech and language assessment, and occupational therapy assessment. Then I would use that to get the EHCP to properly match his needs and get the right setting for him.

A year isn’t unheard of (DD has a few year above in her year 12)

the secondary modern was very much part of the tripartite system in the 40-70s where everyone did the 11+

so it matters because back then the wealthy would very much get the grammars

In fact they have a couple of year 11 pupils who are coming up to 18! when they take their GCSE'S. These two teenagers have made great progress from when entering the school
How are you party to such personal information?

There is no such thing as ‘Secondary Modern’ schools these days.
Dyslexia / Dash / Dyspraxia assessments only look at dyspraxia, handwriting issues or dyspraxia. So who did he see to give him a diagnosis of HFA (which Im assuming you mean high functioning autism)?

@redange Secondary Moderns haven’t existed since the 70s do you mean it is a state comprehensive?

and that isn’t always true it depends on catchment DD was a a Grammar until Year 12 and has just joined a state school (boys to year 11 and now mixed) and has really noticed a difference in wealth.

with the new school being far richer

it doesn’t sound as if you feel the current school is right.

it doesn’t sound as if you solution is right holding back is a terrible terrible idea

yiu need another solution

The written difficulties sound similar to one if mine with dyspraxia. We got there just about by really drilling/practicing mark schemes.
A 6 mark question in science requires 6 distinct bits of info, so write 6 bullets. English lang was hard ('how am I to know what the writer meant') but again drilling to mark scheme and loads of practice. Dropped history as though she was interested it was one mark scheme too many to practice.

Will he board or day pupil ❓

What made you choose this particular school?

Going back two years is extreme. What evidence do you have that being held back will actually allow him to blossom in ways that will benefit him in the future that he wouldn't have been able to do if he hadn't been held back?

Given how low his predicted grades currently are, academically would holding him back even 2 years actually help him to catch up to have wildly different grades in the end? Or are his difficulties with learning going to mean even an extra 2 years doesn't change things that much for him?

I wondered what his long term capacity is? I work with adults who we would be expecting to go from 2/3 to 5/6s in 2 years normally. Many of our students have had gaps in their education rather than being unable to achieve more than a 2/3 by year 11 in the normal course of education. I think if he has had a normal course of education, you might be looking at difficulties that require different specialist support than simply repeating years.

Will your council maintain his EHCP in this private school? Ours won’t.

That may be what your LA tells parents, but it isn’t true. It is unlawful for LAs to cease to maintain just because a child is in the independent sector. Parents whose LA tries to cease to maintain because they are in an independent should challenge the decision. (Although unless named in I the LA doesn’t have to fund the placement/provision.)

Will council maintain his EHCP extra years due to move to year 8 ? ours won’t.

Same for this. LAs can’t lawfully cease to maintain just be use a child is educated out of chronological year group. Although, if parents aren’t making their own arrangements, many have to appeal to get being educated out of chronological year group in F.

However, OP’s plan isn’t a good idea for many reasons.

Im a parent whose child has EHCP and I don’t think you get the system. Of course it’s difficult to advice without knowing your DS’s needs/ diagnosis but the main principles stay the same.
If he won’t pass GCSEs in year 11 he will continue maths and English at college. There is always option to resit GCSEs privately.
Will your council maintain his EHCP in this private school? Ours won’t.
Will council maintain his EHCP extra years due to move to year 8 ?
ours won’t.
What can he do after school without GCSES? He will move to a college (if possible for him) and will move slowly from level to level and it’s possible to get very high if he is making progress.

Is info about his sisters relevant? Not at all.