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Original poster

Managed move

33 replies

youarenotkiddingme · 20/07/2016 21:12

My DS (11) has a school that has agreed to take him on a MM form September. Initially it's a 6 weeks trial.

He has DN and dx of ASD with associated LD (mild) and sensory difficulties and anxiety.

Current school are crap. They've tried to get him out and now have their wish!

MM is on basis DS is too anxious to attend school as he suffers anxiety and a pupil pulled a knife out and aimed it at DS.

Afget the 6 weeks I believe that a meeting is held where DS gets to decide which setting he'd like to attend.
Can current setting refuse to have him back or new setting refuse to take him on permanently?

Ds hasn't attended school at all this month so I'm keen to get him back into education and la are being tits over EHCP assessment. (They've refused and their argument is they don't have evidence DS has a dx of ASD Hmm)

OP posts:
Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 21/07/2016 21:14

DS biggest issue now Is feeling safe!
Other than that it's support to be able to communicate his knowledge etc. He has a very spikey profile. Think top 5%tile for visual spacial non verbal reasoning compared to bottom 20%tile and lower for verbal reasoning, processing speed, reading speed, word recognition.

Camhs describe his profile is dx report as DS understands some of the rules of social relationships but has no ability to fit himself into a role or understand his role.

As I'm sure you can imagine for a child about to start year 8 that alone makes him feel lost without everything else that goes on!

I'm worried if new school haven't been properly briefed (eg everything reported by EP etc) and have been old school briefed (child who scored 15/80 on English/ literacy test has no issues!) then if I go in and start saying but DS needs xxxxxx - then new school will think I'm this horrid monster I fear the old school will have told them I am.

Old school have bullied me horribly and unfortunately it's left me scarred alongside DS.

OP posts:
MsMermaid · 21/07/2016 20:57

If they aren't currently fully briefed then brief them when he starts, just so they know what issues he needs help with the most (it sounds like the anxiety and feeling safe is the most urgent thing to help him with) If they have an ASD unit then they sound ideally set up for helping your ds. A school with good provision for sen will not turn a child away for having difficulties, they will do their best to help him. If you like the new school then do your best to big it up to your ds, let him know that they will support him and that it won't be the same as his old school.

I'm so sorry that his old school didn't keep him safe and secure, that must have been terrifying for him. It would have been terrifying for me and I'm an nt adult, supposedly trained to deal with teenagers.

Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 21/07/2016 20:48

I actually really like the new school and their Sen provision.

it also has an ASD unit so I suspect they will be more rehearsed in DS needs as a general school population.

Part of me though can't help but worry that new school won't be fully briefed in DS needs and may find they are taking on a pupil who will require more support than they realised and then can refuse to take him on.

Ds won't return to current school. Massive history which includes a knife and lying in statements and to police has left already anxious DS terrified to attend.

So by half term he could have no school again. It petrifies me TBH.

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MsMermaid · 21/07/2016 19:20

I had a child who managed moved into my form 3 years ago and it was the best thing for her. She'd had a shit time at her last school with staff who didn't understand her, pupils who either bullied or were scared of her. She thrived at our school with a great learning support team who helped her deal with her difficulties enough to do relatively well in school. She's just left year 11 and has a place at college doing something she's always wanted to do (something to do with animals) but nobody had ever encouraged her before.

Yes managed moves do sometimes fail, so the new school may not keep him if it's not a good fit, but his original school have to make provision for him. Afaik that doesn't necessarily have to be him going back to that school, it occasionally takes the form of home tuition (rare as it's expensive), or alternative provision at a pru. Usually it's that the pupil returns to the original school.

I hope the school you ds is moving to are a better fit for him than the old one, and that he is happy there. It really can be a brilliant fresh start, especially if you are all on board and thinking positively about it.

Heirhelp · 21/07/2016 19:05

Yy if the MM fails he the new school will never take him back. Throughout the MM he will remain of roll of his original school so if the MM does fail he will still have a place at his original school.

MM, in the right circumstances, can be a really good thing for a student.

Lilly948204 · 21/07/2016 18:52

Yes the new school can refuse to let him stay after the 6 weeks. I'm fairly sure the school he came from has to offer him a place if the MM isn't successful.

Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 21/07/2016 15:29

Thank you.

I've been forced into MM but know deep down its best option. I just need to have time to get over the fact my DS and I have been cleverly bullied out. There's a massive history.

Current school have just emailed to say new school have agreed he can start with them in new term, have been FULLY briefed on DS needs (which the school deny half of them exist so I'll be interested in what that means!) and they will contact me with regards timetables and uniform ect and may want to meet with me before he starts!

OP posts:
admission · 21/07/2016 15:14

In theory a managed move should not take place without the consent of the pupil and parents. It should also be a two way thing with both schools contributing information, so that as far as possible the move is a success and can lead to something more permanent.
I would email the current school and the LA and ask them to confirm that at the end of the 6 week trial that there will be agreed options for son to stay at the new school or to revert to the original school. You just need to get it in righting so that nobody can wriggle at the end of the trial period.

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