Inappropriate schools being consulted with

I'm assuming there's a lot more to it?
Its not easy to get an EHCP approved even with significant struggles, nevermind for a high achieving well behaved child. There's just no way they would be able to argue the child is costing the school so many thousands extra than other children in that situation.

You’ve posted about him before haven’t you?

Parental preference carries huge weight when it comes to section I (naming a setting). If your preferred choice have said they can meet need then it’s very likely that they will name them in the final EHCP. If, like they say, they can’t offer a place until spring (‘spring term’ technically being January 2026 so not long to wait) then they will probably just say he can stay in his current setting until then. The other schools being consulted will most likely say they can’t meet need if indeed they are the wrong sort of setting for him (I.e. not SEMH primary need). It might be useful for you to phone your SEN caseworker at the council and explain all this to them as it sounds like they’ve got the wrong end of the stick somehow. Best of luck!

If he is academically able, well behaved and friendly then why do you think he needs a specialist school? It sounds like he's well suited to mainstream, especially given he also has an EHCP to get some additional adjustments.

Mine used to laugh with the people laughing at him then get upset and cry when they pointedly told him we are laughing at you retard he wasn't aggressive why putting him in a school where the first choice of communication was fists was ever thought to be a good idea is beyond me

Hopefully you were far more ethical and made morally right decisions when you worked there but the case workers at the LA nowadays do almost everything possible to be as obstructive as possible
I wasn't involved in the decision making, just negotiating the placements so saw it from an uninvolved position.

Well, this provides an interesting insight into how the people at local authorities who obfuscate, dissimulate and otherwise keep disabled kids from an appropriate education justify to themselves what they do to make a crust
That's actually incorrect. It's not about appropriate education, it's about demanding the absolute best when the best was not be what that child was deemed to need. There are only so many placements and funding for these placements. When a parent fight for to top of the cream for their kid, it is sadly at the detriment of another one. What I saw is that money (as in access to it), access to legal advice and understanding on how to challenge the system not on need but matter of legal pointers, confidence to challenge and time to be persistent were the factors that got kids the best rather than their actual needs. I t was a shocker to see how far some parents were prepared to go because they couldn't have cared less about any other kid as long as theirs got the absolute best. A bit like those who lie, start to take their kids to church, rent so.ewhere close to school and really do anything to get their kid in the very sought after, excellent ofsted rated school when they would have done just fine in the local average school.

Hopefully you were far more ethical and made morally right decisions when you worked there but the case workers at the LA nowadays do almost everything possible to be as obstructive as possible
I wasn't involved in the decision making, just negotiating the placements so saw it from an uninvolved position.

Well, this provides an interesting insight into how the people at local authorities who obfuscate, dissimulate and otherwise keep disabled kids from an appropriate education justify to themselves what they do to make a crust
That's actually incorrect. It's not about appropriate education, it's about demanding the absolute best when the best was not be what that child was deemed to need. There are only so many placements and funding for these placements. When a parent fight for to top of the cream for their kid, it is sadly at the detriment of another one. What I saw is that money (as in access to it), access to legal advice and understanding on how to challenge the system not on need but matter of legal pointers, confidence to challenge and time to be persistent were the factors that got kids the best rather than their actual needs. I t was a shocker to see how far some parents were prepared to go because they couldn't have cared less about any other kid as long as theirs got the absolute best. A bit like those who lie, start to take their kids to church, rent so.ewhere close to school and really do anything to get their kid in the very sought after, excellent ofsted rated school when they would have done just fine in the local average school.

I’ve yet to teach an Audhd who didn’t have SEMH needs. It’s usually anxiety and nervousness. It’s not always about behaviour.

I used to teach mainstream and SEMH kids were usually scared of everything but no trouble to teach.

It sounds like the right place for him.

Well, this provides an interesting insight into how the people at local authorities who obfuscate, dissimulate and otherwise keep disabled kids from an appropriate education justify to themselves what they do to make a crust.

It’s bullshit, of course. Local authorities weaponise bureaucracy as a money-saving measure. It’s understandable in some respects, as there isn’t enough money to meet need, but it is inevitable that if you make forms as long as possible, and refuse everything asked of you in contravention of the law (which you do, that’s why you lose all your tribunals), the only people left standing are those with the education and resources to keep on going. You do that. The fact that there are a few bruised, burned out players on the pitch throwing their life savings at giving their child a fair shot in life doesn’t mean we’re weaponising anything. It’s you with the weapons.

but does not understand social cues such as doesn’t understand when he is being laughed at etc.

with what consequences?

You can say no i put in a complaint about the schools they were consulting with for my son they were up to 60/90 minutes away for children with a history of violence i needed local (we have loads locally) and ones that catered for autistic children with sen (he is five years behind academicly) it was a simple request realistically but they failed to find him a space in fact they found children spaces who could have continued in mainstream they got a school that costs a fortune he finally got one about 35 minutes away (we have a school 10 minutes walk away) and that took so much work for them to think of it its not even private! It should have been first choice not last

The system is so messed up

Also be aware transport funding stops at 16 and restarts at 18 just to add to the bullshit

Op I echo the posters above who are wondering why on earth he can’t go to mainstream? If he is academically able he should be attending maintain school with his peers with asd friendly reasonable adjustments put in place - if they’re considering tens of thousands on a special school place they could literally employ an additional teacher just for your son in the mainstream school to do Asd specific support or a full time LSA plus speech and language therapy every week. Special school wouldn’t be good for him surely?

I worked in a SEMH primary and there were autistic boys there too. They fitted in very well. Go and see the schools before you get more into a panic.

True, but have you worked in or visited any SEMH schools? The vast majority of the ones I've seen or heard about are primarily or almost exclusively for children with really extreme behaviours. I think OP's concerns are valid.

Have you got an offer from one of the places you want? I was in the exact same situation as you but without any offer. At tribunal there is no way they would go for a school £30,000 more expensive if you have an offer from a suitable school.

Agree - SEMH is not just behavioural difficulties. My DD is ASD, likely ADHD, has EBSA and significant sensory issues, yet the only need really recognised by the school is SEMH. Despite (or maybe because of) the fact that she is a champion masker and apart from being a bit chatty at times, is outwardly the model student.

Hopefully you were far more ethical and made morally right decisions when you worked there but the case workers at the LA nowadays do almost everything possible to be as obstructive as possible.

Especially as you say DC is friendly. If he makes relationships with mainstream peers, I really would hold off on moving him out to specialist.
Most kids in year 1 in specialist schools have either got very significant learning needs or behaviour challenges or are pre-verbal.

Why does he need specialist? I am not getting it. In my LA very few able autistic students in year 1 would need to be out of mainstream, and those who do it would usually be because of total overwhelm leading to complete shutdown, or severe behavioural needs.

I would be pivoting to ask about support in mainstream tbh

I didn’t have money - we borrowed off both set of grandparents £4000 in total and paid them back over the next few years. It was a sacrifice that we all considered worth it so my son could get an education. You only get one shot. He’s now a skilled tradesman with a full time job

It was a real light bulb moment for me, he told me that every SEN statement issued by the LEA was unlawful and why and he really empowered me to take on the LEA in future myself
I too worked for a while with social services placing young people with care needs and my light bulb moment was the unfairness that was allowed to take place with parents with money and power challenging the council so their kids could got the most expensive placement which then couldn't be offered to children with higher needs with parents who only cared about themselves.

Oh yes...the threats of being taken to court and the council relenting under the unreasonable demands because the process going to court to defend the council decision would end up more costly than the actual care.

You might feel been proud of yourself but my time dealing with such parents left a very bitter and cynical taste in my mouth.

Is there any reason why he cannot stay in his mainstream school until a place comes up at your preferred school?

My son had an inappropriate semh school named in his ehcp at one point.

We went to tribunal to get a more appropriate (was still semh) (cheaper and closer too) school named. The LA conceded quite a while before the tribunal. It didnt cost us anything.

What we had to focus on was evidence of why the named school couldn't provide an adequate education and why our prefered school could.

This was by using our EP, SaLT and OT reports and diagnosis document. We hadn't paid for these, they were the LAs own reports.

The senco at the school we didnt think would work agreed to speak to me and walk me through a typical day and it was really useful in showing what wouldn't work. Ofsted had also just been and some qoutes from thier report were helpful to.

If your son is academically able and can socialise day to day etc I dont understand why the school have said they cannot meet his needs? It's a high bar to get over for a school to say they can't meet his needs and I dont see how just not understanding some social cues would trigger a referral to a SEND school? Is there more to this OP? What happens when he doesn't understand a social cue?

But your son does have social issues. The S in SEMH literally stands for social which refers to difficulties with communicating, including, understanding social cues. SEMH needs often stem from ASD, as autistic individuals experience challenges with social understanding and emotional regulation, and even though SEMH is not exclusive to autism I can bet that the vast majority of those children in a primary SEMH school are there because of SEMH needs steaming from their neurodiverse profiles. I wouldn’t write them off, they aren’t schools for naughty children, and ‘trauma’ can often be trauma experienced because of the needs not being met in previous educational setting or peer or peer bullying etc.

I work in a SEN school (previously worked in SEMH), that would probably on paper fit where you would you want you son to go, it is a brilliant school, but there is so much overlap and 100 percent of our pupils have SEMH needs which mostly stem from their neurodiverse profiles. Perhaps, if your son is academically able and otherwise manages day to day with minimal effect on his behaviour that neither a SEN or SEMH school is right for him? People often have this notion that other neurodiverse children are more accepting or forgiving of individuals who struggle socially, however, in my experience they respond far worse. My day, while teaching , is mostly spent putting our figurative fires because all of them struggle to understand social cues.