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Original poster

Bristol: schools for autistic kids

59 replies

AlittlebitofMonica · 16/05/2024 19:25

Looking at secondary schools for my 9 year old (year 5) son. He’s autistic, but will be in mainstream.

He's bright, not sporty, and quite anxious, so needs a lot of encouragement and reassurance to do his best.

Can anybody recommend any schools in particular? We can pay for private if that’s the best option.

OP posts:
RMNofTikTok · 20/05/2024 22:14

@AlittlebitofMonica

Even with a good solicitor, your time line is likely to go

Apply for ehcna

Get rejected 10 weeks later

Apply for tribunal, who will take 5 weeks to respond.

They'll concede about 6 weeks after that

You'll be waiting minimum 7 months for Ed psych assessment, they may not accept a private one even though this is unlawful

8 months after conceding they'll refuse to issue

You'll apply to tribunal, who will take 5 weeks to respond to your application and 5 weeks to move the date forward.

About 3 months after that they'll concede again.

It's going to take about 18 months, unless you are prepared to throw a lot of money at it. And I mean a LOT. I had to do 2 JRs, nearly got to hearings on both.

According to school guide uk there are no private schools in bristol with any students with an EHCP currently.

I honestly wish I had just moved into a better catchment!

Techno56 · 20/05/2024 22:03

Very unlikely to get cathedral without it being named on an EHCP, due to their admission criteria.

Original poster
AlittlebitofMonica · 20/05/2024 17:59

@RMNofTikTok thank you, yes we’ve been warned about the timing issue! We have a lawyer and educational psychologist lined up so will push through as quickly as possible.

@Daisy12Maisie thank you, QEH would be one of the private options we’d look at. We can do private, I hear a lot of conflicting opinions about sen support in private school but I suppose it varies a lot by school.

OP posts:
Daisy12Maisie · 20/05/2024 14:18

I love QEH and they are amazing with welfare. My own children don't go there as I couldn't afford it but a friends child does and I have also visited due to work for a safeguarding issue. The issue was related to the child, not the school but the school were amazing with him.
For a state secondary Broadland is amazing with children with sen and autism.

RMNofTikTok · 20/05/2024 14:17

Cathedral choir is VERY loud and perhaps not the best for someone with sensory processing differences...

OP, if you are in bristol and your child is in year 5 now it's very unlikely that you will get an EHCP before the start of year 7 due to the high number of applications BCC reject. I managed to push DDs through in a year but that's only because I was relentless in pursuing judicial review and an earlier tribunal date. It took 13 months from start to finish, she's now in year 6, and they still haven't named a mainstream secondary setting yet 😬

Original poster
AlittlebitofMonica · 20/05/2024 13:57

Ah thank you, I hadn’t realised that.
many thanks we’ll take a look at those schools :)

OP posts:
catndogslife · 19/05/2024 18:31

The reason I asked is because if you have an EHCP there is a different application form for secondary transfer to make sure that children with additional needs are prioritised and that includes both mainstream and specialist schools.

My suggestion would be to try for Bristol Cathedral Choir school (state school) - it's smaller than a lot of other secondaries which may suit your ds. I do know of bright autistic children that have attended that school. They do also have a second school Trinity Academy which is fairly new and therefore will be quite small.

Original poster
AlittlebitofMonica · 19/05/2024 14:42

@catndogslife - no, we have just started the process. My guess would be he’ll get some accommodations but his needs are nowhere high enough for the specialist schools, he will stay mainstream.

OP posts:
catndogslife · 19/05/2024 12:02

Does you ds have an ECHP?