Worried about ds going to secondary

[Imagoodperson999]

Ds will be going into year 6 in September. Im really worried about him starting secondary school. He has autism is on an ehcp. He's had his ehcp updated recently. He's working at year 1 level.

He's very sensitive and can get withdrawn emotionally/mentally. He will completely close down and won't/can't communicate.

SENCO have said he will be ok at mainstream secondary. With support and neutering.

I find it hard to believe a secondary school can be understanding of him . Have the time and patience to listen to him and be neutering.

I have spoken to one secondary school which my dd still gos to and my adult son went to. They said Ds would be put on the lowest level which makes sense. Home work must be done. The thing with this is they do sparkx? Sorry I may have got the name wrong and if they don't get 100% right they get detention.. so ds will get punished for not knowing answers . He also can't obtain information very well . So he could have been helped with the answer in class but he won't remember that by the time he gets home. And that would be in school at well so he would come across as if he's nkt paying attention. He can't start hus work on his own so he will just sit there and not communicate.

He's ok socially with friends.

But also I know SEN school would not be suitable for him.

I just want him to be happy . Not scared of going to school. Not punished for having special needs.

Home education would not be suitable and private is out of the question

IPSEA is the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice. It's a free, legal adviser in the UK and can be very helpful.

As for the other mainstream school, however nice the SENCO, they cannot realistically provide the education that Max so obviously needs. He has complex needs. I would go and look at it to say you have been but stick to your guns about specialist education.

Is the IPSEA different to this https://sossen.org.uk/

As im waiting to hear back from sossen

IPSEA has similar aims but is not the same as sossen. It might be an idea to contact both and see which approach suits you best.

I have already sent the ehcp off to sossen so I may wait to hear back from them first.

He is almost 11 but is working at the same level as a 6 year old?
I can't see how he will cope at mainstream secondary if that's the case. It would be miserable for him mainly, for you and the teachers.

See this what I don't understand. Why are people ie senco transmission person plus one of the secondary schools saying they can reach his needs. Like why say that whats in it for them if that's not the case.

Im not disagreeing with people on the thread. I just dont get why the school is not seeing it

This sounds as if it is the best idea.

Money. The school will get extra money for a child with special needs. It also costs a lot more to send a child to a special school.

Perhaps because then he can be 'dispatched' off into secondary and then lost in the system. Getting him into a good SN school involves hard work and a huge amount of paperwork.
So sorry OP. In the right setting kids like your son can thrive. But this would be like asking an accountant to perform brain surgery - he simply wouldn't be able to and he is being set up to fail.

But the primary school gets nothing from it.

Im sure I have hus funding cost in an email im gonna look

Some schools give incorrect advice to parents all the time.

if it could be possible for your son to transfer to a special school in year 6, l would go down this route as he will be well established and transfer straight into year 7.

OP would be able to appeal, but attending a school in Y6 doesn’t always mean the LA will named the same school on the amended phase transfer EHCP. Not saying OP shouldn’t pursue SS though. She should, IMO.

Which London Borough do you live in, OP?

Riverston is a private school, but local authorities can fund a place there if it gets to mediation/tribunal. Bexley council fund some children who go there.

If you are in Bexley take a look at Cleeve Meadow. If you are in Greenwich take a look at Serenity Eltham.

I didn't see the comment in bold . Im not going to do that. Im Alresford confused i don't want to rush it . Plus I dont want to cause upset for ds

Im in Lewisham borough. I spoke to riverston they said they can only take children working from year 3 and over.

Another sen school i have in mind in Brent knoll.

The mainstream with sen department is addy and stanhope.

How does the named school part work ?

Do I name a few schools i like and then the education department decides if it's suitable?

When you get the draft proposed amendments, you get the change to state your preferred placement.

If your preferred placement is not wholly independent, the LA must name it unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.
The bar to do this is higher than LAs and many schools admit. If the LA can’t prove one of these, they can and must name them even if the school objects. However, they sometimes refuse and force parents to appeal.

The rules are slightly different for wholly independent schools. Other than to say you need an offer of a place, I won’t explain the rules in this post so as not to confuse you.

Despite what LAs sometimes say, you do not have to state more than one school, include a mainstream, use another LA form, or state your preference before you receive the draft proposed amendments.

Im already confused. Is it possible to explain in a nut shell?

Is it a bit like if I choose a school that's for highly academic children and then i put ds down for the school who only working at year 1 level. Then the school say no we cant reach his needs.

Or if I choose a school with a sen department and they say we can't meet the needs of the child the education department say to the school well why not . You will take the child unless you can proove why you can't reach his needs?

Sorry sounds stupid il just trying to understand in a basic way

Ignore your SENCO. I used to do EHCP assessments for a LA and our threshold for Special varied according to the child (it’s illegal to have a blanket policy) but we commonly placed children 4 or more years behind in Special. Research your Special schools and speak to your LA. Request the one you want and push for it. At the Annual Review get some advice from SENDIASS or IPSEA or Special Needs Jungle to make sure the EHCP is accurate. For example, try and get them to put that he needs to be taught in small class sizes in. All of this will make a difference. Good luck.

Im in the process of something simlar.

Im not sure what you mean by talking to my LA im guessing you mean to talk to my council education department? But im not sure what im saying /asking them ?

I can pretend the senco doesn't exist 😅 but them when they see the schools i have written down could they undo my choices?

I think there's some sort of meeting or something that happens regarding ds schooling . Im a bit worried that they could take advantage of me because they probably know I'm not well educated and lack of understanding and probably could take advantage of it.

your SENCO cannot overrule you, as the parent your voice is the most important. You need proper advice from a service that can offer ongoing support. Google SENDIASS for your area, this is council funded but independent advice that you are legally entitled to. You are right that not knowing the processes in play can hinder your request, but you need someone who can assist you at every stage rather than Mumsnet. They can do this and they are free.

If the school is a state special school, like the school Brent Knoll you have mentioned, there are only very limited reasons the LA can refuse to name your preference. That includes where it is unsuitable - so could include the example you mention where the school is for those who are academically able and DS is working at Y1 level. If the LA can’t prove one of those limited reasons, the LA must name your preferred school even if the school (or your current SENCO) say they can’t meet needs.

There will be a phase transfer review.

If small class sizes is included in F, it would need to be defined. Your definition of a small class will not be the same as the LA’s. Is it a class of 4, 6, 8 or 15 or 20, 24…

Be careful with SENDIASS. Some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.

Im getting help from sossen.

In his ehcp in section f it says about small groups but not small classes.

Unfortunately, from the information you posted earlier in the thread, the small group provision in F currently is too vague and woolly. It needs to be detailed, specified and quantified.

We have lots of autistic students but we are a mainstream school, so if he is working more than two years behind for English he would likely find it a very challenging environment.

We also have very high numbers of students with SEND, which means we have to share resources many ways.

Thats reply from addey and stanhope.

I feel like its written almost for a primary school setting . But would not work in a mainstream secondary.