Applying for primary school place help SEN

[danglingmonkeys]

I posted this in SEN but that board is so quiet I got no responses so posting here in the hope someone knows more than me!

Wondering if anyone can help me please? I've had a good look through our county council website and it's beyond useless.

I have to apply for my DDs primary school place this term. Shes recently been diagnosed with ASD. She's 3.5 and starting school next September. We're looking to send her to a small village primary attached to her preschool as the transition will be easier for her (they start doing assemblies/PE at preschool with the reception class from January to get to know the environment and teacher) a lovely school and only have 90 odd children there. DD is a fab learner, but she struggles with large groups of her peers, transitions etc.

We're just outside of catchment though last year only 11 children applied for places and they're not expecting much more this year. She should get in just based on where we live. However, I've been told by the preschool that because of her SEN, we should be able to just choose where she goes.

Is that how it works? Does she get special consideration? All it says on the CC website is that if your child has SEN then read the information page but it doesn't actually say anything about admissions!

The alternative is another really nice school, but of nearly 500 children and with no transition to ease her in.

"Get to choose' is not technically correct. If your child has an EHCP, which it doesn't read as if your dd does, you have more flexibility of choice, which may or may not be upheld.
As it stands, you can request your preferred school through general admissions. If you did not get it, you can then appeal for the reasons you state, ie better for your child because x, y and z.
Rushed answer but it sounds like you should be fine as it is.

EHCP is in the pipeline, but in its early stages. The info I've read so far is that they can take quite a while so I doubt we'll have it by the time we need to apply.

EHCP is in the pipeline, but in its early stages. The info I've read so far is that they can take quite a while so I doubt we'll have it by the time we need to apply.

Be sure to put this information on your application. We got an out of catchment senior school place with an ECHP application in the early stages.

Your timings should be fine. It should be 20 week process from start to finish but it will be longer; it just always is. You need to apply for school place by end January roughly but they don't allocate places until may. As long as you're down the ehcp process far enough to name this school in section I , they should allocate it to you. Provided the school can meet needs! So basically, read up on ehcp process on ipsea or sos:sen website and keep on everything to keep it all moving along.