To send my SEN child to boarding school abroad?

Absolutely not. What on earth makes you think a child who has special needs would be happy living away from her parents? The fact you are even thinking of this is shocking.

Is it a SEN specialist boarding school?

Or just a generic private school?

Assuming the school you have been offered is a mainstream UK school and the boarding school is a generic private non specialist one, it's hard to envisage which SEN could not be managed at that school but would thrive when being sent away from home to board in an entirely new school environment in another country?

You haven’t mentioned once how the child in question would feel getting shipped off to another country just to save you money.

YABVVU for that alone.

It depends what the bigger disaster would be for her - a school that doesnt suit her needs or living apart from her parents.

That's what it comes down to.

I think you are placing all the emphasis on school and none on home. Sending any kid, but especially one with SEN, to a boarding school in another country would surely be far more stressful than being in a close by school where she gets to live at home with family?

There are smaller cheaper independent schools in England. Also some LAs in some circumstances will allow you to choose an independent school that can meet your child's needs and you pay the base fees, they pay what they would have paid a state school.

This

*understanding

I personally think this is a horrid idea. Simply horrid. Keep your dc close and parent them, no one will do it as lovingly and with as much care and undertsanig as you. I know from personal experience how messed up some people in the sector are and it leave life long scars. Don't do it is my advice. Instead, get a team of excellent tutors and help your dc find hobbies they love. Stand by your child especially if they have a neuro diversity.

Send her away?????
What are you thinking?????

Im surprised boarding school in Ireland is much cheaper than private day school here. I wouldn’t send my child abroad to boarding school personally,
moving to Ireland with her could be an option though

Would this school be suitable?

limpsfieldgrange.co.uk/

Welsh person here and we have immersion centres for children who want to move into Welsh Medium Education from English Language schools. Surely the Irish would be able to be taught. I would hope so.

That matter aside, I would sooner sell my soul than ship my child off to boarding school abroad. You state that your DC is intelligent, so I assume difficulties are with the classroom setting rather than the work? How will they manage without the people who know and love them best? Honestly the thought of it makes me so sad.

OP, I disagree with most people replying to. I think the right boarding environment for her would allow her to flourish. There are many superb boarding schools that would be well set up to manage her, and you.

I would however want to be closer and on hand if needed. Have you looked at bursaries and scholarships closer to home?

There's a long (though not large) tradition of Irish children going to boarding schools in Britain and British-born children boarding in Ireland.

If you think it's best for the child and you can afford it, it's worth thinking about. I was tempted to move to Ireland for the educational system.

It would be a better option to move somewhere else in England where a suitable school has places.

If she has an EHCP then doesn’t that have to name schools that would be able to meet her needs?

would sending the sort of child who needs small classes and a lot of pastoral care to live abroad away from family, friends and everything she knows be better for her than a local school which may not be an ideal classroom environment but would have the support of her family and the familiarity of long term friendships? Because I think it would be really traumatising and sending her to a local school where she has these things would be by far the lesser of two evils. Even if the learning environment is not what you had hoped for.

I’d definitely consider moving before I considered that!

My daughter is sen/asd and I personally would never send her away to a boarding school.
She has a ehcp, LA named mainstream sch which would of been a complete disaster so I stood my ground snd refused to send her. After a lot of work and fustration I got her a place in a independent school which has been the best thing I could of done for her.
Explore independent schools in your area

Rep Ireland education system is not same years as uk. Lots don’t start till 5 and do 8 years in primary school.
you need to check that your child would be able to start at 11.

what message does it send your child - you are sending them away to another country

My daughter is sen/asd and I personally would never send her away to a boarding school.
She has a ehcp, LA named mainstream sch which would of been a complete disaster so I stood my ground snd refused to send her. After a lot of work and fustration I got her a place in a independent school which has been the best thing I could of done for her.
Explore independent schools in your area

Its not taught like french or german. Its basics are learnt at primary and in second level its comprehension and poems and such. If you have no irish at 12 you wont be able to learn it in school.

I guess you could consider boarding at a public school. There are a few girls schools that still do boarding. They might be a better option for provision for SEN but would your child cope?

Because if she goes into 1st year in secondary school, she would be in the same class as those who have had eight years of lessons in Irish. They won't be learning the language, they will be studying novels and poetry. It wouldn't be the right place for her.

What’s wrong with learning Irish language? We aren’t proposing to teach the kid to pole dance! Perfectly sensible language to learn since she actually has an Irish passport and will be living in the country