Help me decide mainstream or Sen

[firstofallimadelight]

Firstly I know that we are unlikely to get the final say but we are currently trying to choose a school for secondary for dd, she’s autistic and has full day 1:1 support. She is taught outside the classroom by the 1:1 for a large portion of the day as she struggles to cope on classroom. Doesn’t go outside at break or lunch as can’t cope. She’s highly academic and above age related for most subjects. Until last term ourselves and school have been confident a good secondary mainstream is the way to go but as time goes on dd is struggling more and we are starting to be concerned she may struggle in mainstream without a full time 1:1. (Secondary’s we have visited stated they with have support staff in classroom but no assigned support for a student) we have visited a couple Sen schools and are more confused than ever.
options-
mainstream 1
800 pupils school over two sites (including a road crossing) roughly 25 kids in a class, big focus on emotional needs, on site counselling. A semh hub on site plus a nice Sen room. Large support team. Heard positives re Sen.

mainstream 2
600 pupils school for yr7-9 (older children go to another site) lots of different blocks for classes, roughly 30 kids in a class, no real Sen space just a empty class kids can access if needed. Heard positives re Sen.

Sen 1
sen school for semh and communication issues , works similar to a regular school except 10 to a class and 3 staff in each class. Has animals and allotment. No 1:1 support. Option to do around 5 GCSE’s inc eng, maths , science. Can also do life skills/diplomas.

sen2
an independent school currently has 20 kids (total) won’t take more than 28. Lots of staff, small building, bit chaotic but very much tailored to each child’s individual experience. Most children do around 3 GCSE’s plus life skills may be able to do more but not guaranteed.

What would you pick?

Just because you haven’t come across it doesn’t mean it can’t/doesn’t happen. It can and it does. It often takes an appeal and then sometimes enforcement but it is possible.

1:1 can be provided in all subjects.

As I said, when faced with enforcement action LAs can and do provide the SEP in F. As I also said, where necessary, more funding can be provided to enable a higher wage to attract more applicants.

it is worth talking to SoS-Sen or Ipsea. There are schools that can work and LAs can be forced to pay for right provision. If funding is already at £24k a year then an independent school with good support is probably going to be around the same price. Look at all options and try to connect with local parents. A secondary with usual change of rooms/teachers, noise and petty regulations sounds v hard. My DC had different needs but right school where teachers taught several subjects, uniform was relaxed and there were longer breaks between lessons all helped on a path to university in the end

There is not an endless amount of money. Our county is bankrupt. Maybe you live in London, which has a very different budget.

No, I don’t live in London. Despite what some LAs think, the law is the same regardless of where in England one lives. I have supported parents across the country. As LAs have been shown repeatedly, lack of funding is not a lawful excuse for failure to secure SEP. A section 114 notice/report doesn’t automatically relieve the LA of their statutory duty. Councils don’t go bankrupt in the way an individual does.

I live in cambridge

i retired recently but my school definitely had students with 1:1 TAs. These were usually students on enhanced funding packages.

usually this was because they posed a danger to either other students or property if not supervised eg we had one down’s child who often set fires. There was an autistic boy who if not supervised sexually assaulted random girls. Etc etc.

secondary schools vary massively, some do not take many if any with severe special needs and do some schools won’t have 1:1 TAs.

Mainstream one but fight for continuing 1-1 on her EHCP
Good Luck x