SEND and Cambridge schools

Re St Bede’s - if you get an EHCP or had an adopted/fostered child they are one of the schools you could consider. Otherwise, it is a church school.

I wonder if the people commenting on the ‘doom and gloom’ on this thread have tried requesting an EHCP in this current academic year in the South East. Things are a hundred times worse that I have ever known them to be. Perhaps things are better in Cambridge, I hope so for the OP’s sake.

I’ve known parents who have sent their children to Holme Court and Landmark.

It’s my understanding that Holme Court is settling back down after a change of owner - back to the original owners. Generally this is thought of as a good thing. It used to be a high needs school about 10 years ago but now might suit your needs more.

Landmark was set up by those currently running Holme Court and CIS (I don’t think CIS goes up to age 12) in the period when they lost control of CIS and Holme Court. We know former pupils currently in mainstream sixth form that are doing well.

Flexibility on year of entry - I have some experience of this, but it dates back to 2015. We spent our DCs nursery years working abroad in a system where he would have gone to school a year later. When returning to the UK we had missed the timing for primary school applications. Our DC would have been very young in year, from a different start year system and we’d missed the correct application window. He was also very prem and really tiny. He went to a private school initially and deferred by a year. He was still the smallest by far even when oldest in year. Towards the end of his primary age years we transferred him to the village school. We used an in year application process but timed so he was ready to start at the beginning of the next academic year. We had to provide documentation to support him staying in a deferred year (2015 was before those young in year were given any regular consideration to defer). Bear in mind he’d always been in a deferred year and was just days off the regular cut off date. He had a lot of physio and some ops for prem related problems but not SEN. The private school was ultimately too sporty and not academic enough for him.

I do think small classes work for some kids but be careful where in the private sector. I think Sancton Wood might be an option. We looked at it for secondary but ultimately went for state sector St Bede’s. I can’t say a bad thing about St Bede’s in our DCs time there. He recently went back to talk at a sixth form fair and often says how much he misses it.

Also o.p I'm not saying things are easy but there is lots of doom and gloom on this thread and that isn't always the case. My dd is 10 and sounds similar to your dd. EHCP was applied for in November 2022 and finalised March 2023 so within timescales, she has good support st her primary and we are currently looking at secondary and looks positive ATM and thats state sector. Not the smaller class sizes but the extra tuition and support in class etc. We are miles from Cambridge though up north but I often think that's better as there isn't as many people so there isn't the same over subscription issue as much I don't think. Might be an absolute nightmare but also might not be sp try not to stress too much!

Be careful with the educational advisor. Not all understand the SEN system.

I second this. I have had the misfortune to have to deal with someone recently calling themselves an ‘SEND Education advisor’. Their knowledge of SEN was woeful, and their understanding of our LA systems was patchy at best and frankly just incorrect in many areas. She was being paid a significant sum of money as well!

The country we live in regularly restricts class sizes for SEND kids, schools have to make allowances for various group sizes and usually there's a SEND class alongside larger classes. Some SEND kids only attend specific lessons they need help with in a smaller class and rest with a larger group. Legally, Middle School is not allowed to have more than 24 kids per class anyway.

If you don’t have to move your child whose needs are currently being well-met and managed in what sounds like a great environment, I wouldn’t. I certainly wouldn’t bring them to England. Wait till she’s left school before moving. I don’t think you will get provision like this here, sadly.

EHCP overcomer here!

The provision she currently has is unlikely to be replicated here in the U.K. It’s possible but would require a considerable fight and a lot of time and money in legal costs. In the best case scenario you’re talking 2 years and £££££s.

I think your best bet at least in the short term is to fund privately an online school like inter high and a 1:1 who can take her to home education meet ups. It also means you can live in a location that suits your life and work rather than being tied to a school. Private SEN schools are also possible but will likely be around £100k.

Might be good to have a read at this thread and some of the other similar ones.

I think things are really very very hard in schools right now.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5035211-england-is-running-out-of-teachers

Be careful with the educational advisor. Not all understand the SEN system.

Being educated outside of DD’s chronological year group is possible, but in the state sector, you will find it harder to secure if DD is already 12 because she is not summer born. If DD does get an EHCP, it can be included in there, but again you may have to appeal.

So would I. The UK is really not functioning in any useful way at the moment. We're counting the minutes until the general election.

SEND provision in the UK is abysmal at the moment. Your DD sounds like she will end up in whichever school nearest to you has space and you will have to start the long and arduous process of EHCP application. Even if successful, it's highly unlikely your DD will get even a fraction of the provision she gets in her current setting. Don't know what your reasons for moving are but I'd consider staying put if it's an option.

When I rang before they only had boarding places available.

It would be worth phoning King's Ely. They may have a space now and if you have money and like to be near the countryside and horses, that would be a great place.

You could always try getting in touch with little miracles. They're a charity who help parents with this kind of situations along with applying for spectrum recognition so the parents can claim disability benefits
Personally not a fan but for your situation they might be a good first port of call?

I don't think that parkside or Chesterton are likely to be able to meet your daughter's needs unfortunately. Things are incredibly difficult for schools at the moment as the government is not supporting public services well at all. The salaries for teachers in Cambridge are not high enough to enable the staff to buy a house, even on two salaries so hiring teaching staff in Cambridge is very challenging, and there is high turnover of staff in the schools as a consequence. It makes it very hard to meet the needs of kids with SEND as they will be getting new teachers very frequently, and in classes of up to 38 in mainstream secondary. I think you want to be looking at private places.

Going into year 7 is a bit more difficult as applications for year 7 closed months ago. That's the big transition year here.
Does the education advisor you're paying have experience of Cambridgeshire schools?

I would make contact with Cambs soon.

@GoldQuoter , just an idea but would you consider living in London and enrolling your dc in a Scandinavian or German school etc and commuting to Cambridge during the week. The train from King's Cross to Cambridge is very fast. You should ask the educational consultant re your options if you lived near King's Cross.

I know you have your countries version of an EHCP but do you have any other evidence of need?

Your current EHCP will likely be dismissed even as evidence of need, the LA will not honor it while you are in the process of applying for an EHCP.
I'm not sure what the stance is on accepting reports from foreign Ed Psychs, OTs etc. It’s probably worth booking private assessments now as many of the well regarded Ed Psychs who are accepting new children have very long waiting lists.

How old is your child? What year are they going into?

Have you made contact with Cambs County Council? Here is a link to the local offer.

https://send.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/kb5/cambridgeshire/directory/home.page

As pp said the EHCP process takes 20 weeks. You can do the request as a parent and the form should be within the local offer. I have quite a lot of experience of SEND at Cambs cc so feel free to pm me.

Where will you be living?

My child has similar needs written in their EHCP and attends Holme Court in Cambridge.

The needs written in your post won’t be met at a mainstream school as you won’t find a setting with classes of 14 or less.
constant help and support from assistant teacher. Your DD is unlikely to be allocated a 1-1 without a massive fight. Also having a 1-1 in secondary is likely to single your child out which is uncomfortable for many teens in a mainstream setting.