Appealing post-16 placement for son with ADHD and autism, worried

[TheOpalFox]

My sons got adhd and autism. He don’t get in the post 16 placement I wanted If I appeal. We could still lose 😞
It’s heartbreaking as I know he will struggle so much at the placement they have given us 😰😰😰😰

Something like 99% of parents win their appeals. Can you get support from your local sendiass? I'm not sure if your son is entitled to legal aid support with this at 16 actually?

What were the reasons for him not getting a place where he wanted?

Because there’s not many spaces there due to it being a small placement :(

I assume DS has an EHCP?

Is the placement wholly independent? If not, on its own, being full is not enough of a reason to refuse to name your preference. The LA would need to show the placement is so full placing DS there would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others or efficient use of resources. This is a higher bar than LAs and many schools admit. It has to be something tangible and specific and is more than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”.

So you need to appeal and ask for specifics. Not vague reasons. What other pupils? What incompatibility? Is it really incompatibility with efficient education or only incompatibility with providing an education in excess of what is considered an efficient standard of education? Could anything reasonably overcome the incompatibility?

As well as appealing section I, you should appeal B&F.