Long & drawn out back story, will post a link to the old thread for those interested, but basically DD has health problems meaning we need a close as possible school with good pastoral care & deals well with bullying.
Not enough school places & a complete & utter fuck up of a system we have here means, we didn't get allocated any of our choice of schools, but offered the worst local school, which is a long way from us, starts the day earlier than other schools too & is renown fir bad behaviour & bullying - DDs older friend went there last year, she cried on DDs shoulder over racial bullying everyday, she was thoroughly miserable until she managed to get a place elsewhere - everything about the school is wrong fir DD - she genuinely cannot travel that far.
I thought we had a strong case for appeal for our close school, well known for it's excellent pastoral care, strong anti bullying policy .& general well behaved kids - I put do much work into it, despite my own health problems, I worked like a dog, checking & rechecking to make sure I had don't everything right. I had 5 medical letter support us, consultants letter naming the school - it has the kind of sports facilities that can help DD stay well too
We lost our appeal, they agree we need a close school, but won't accept we specifically need this school - next closest school not good with bullying & behaviour, good friends had to take their DD out of there because she was self harming as a result of ongoing bullying.
Now at Ombudsman complaint stage & I just feel crushed by this whole thing - LAs response to the complaint basically says that they sympathise, but won't accept DD needs this school, despite many valid reasons - LGO has said that they accept this & won't peruse the complaint further, pending my reply - it's like some soul destroying tennis game & I'm just not well enough to cope
Disability charity lawyer has now looked at case file - said I had a very strong case & doesn't understand why we lost - yet reply to LGO paperwork that it looks likely that there's no more hope, but will read through my response.
DD has been through hell & back, years of bullying & ongoing injuries as a result of the argy bargyb& bad behaviour, sometimes out & out bullying at her old primary school, fractures, sprains dislocations etc excluded & bullied for years - she was crushed & so ill.
We finally took her out of there & she's now in a new primary - she's not had an injury since, she loves it so much I have my shiny, happy, bubbly gregarious DD back :)
We got the news if losing the appeal - it contributed to putting DD in hospital, 2 weeks of hellish pain for her, with an intestinal blockage & colitis. Followed by laryngitis, flu, & a nasty chest infection
She thinks we will win, I have told her she won't have to go to the bad school she's afraid of, we will get there in the end, I believed this, because her medical need is genuine & it's our local school & it's just what's right -
but I'm seriously losing hope, I've lost all faith in our stupid fucking system & a legal right to a suitable school place for DD
Tonight she sat & told me how happy she is, she has friends that really like her, are kind & thoughtful, support her when she's ill & aren't backstabbing bitches who bully others & try & make her be like them & hurt her when she refuses, don't push her over & tug on her arms etc & cause real injuries such as fractures & sprains, that the boys don't grope & grab & punch in the face & they listen in lessons. She said she just wants to stay with them forever - 19 of them will be going to the school we appealed for, other friends go there too
Why the fuck can't our LA see that she has a genuine medical need - why does she have no high school to go to
I just want to scream
How can I help her through this when it all goes tits up - she's putting a brave face in it, but she's really struggling with all the high school chatter :(