Is this school being unreasonable? Or is this common practice??

[benetint]

We recently relocated to an area with supposedly one of the best state schools in the country (results wise and ofsted wise). The general local opinion seems to be 'wow, you are so lucky to have moved to our village, our school is AMAZING' however when you talk to people privately you get a somewhat dismal view. For example:

• my hairdresser (with dyslexia) was recommended to go to another school (she thinks so the overall league tables weren't affected)
• a neighbour's child (with mild special needs) was told not to apply as they would not be able to support him
• another neighbour's child has just started A levels there and got a D in their first test - they were told 'either drop the subject or pay for an hour's private tuition a week, orherwise there are lots of other people waiting for your place' They are heavily oversubscribed
• most worrying, a child from our church with moderate special needs was apparently put into a room for half an hour with some 'posh, academic type kids' who had been bullying him, unsupervised. They provoked him until he snapped and hit one of them and he was excluded permanently, again saving their precious league tables.

I'm surprised by the assumption on this thread that it's a common thing for schools to try to manipulate an Outstanding OFSTED result by avoiding taking children with SEN.

it isn't an assumption. It is common knowledge amongst parents of children with SEN. I personally have heard from far too many parents who have been told that schools they are looking around won't be able to meet their child's needs. These aren't children who need special schools. They just need support.

The schools cannot select their pupils openly but what parent is going to send their child to a school that clearly doesn't want them?

Your DS's school sounds lovely but, sadly, I suspect it is very much in the minority. League tables and Ofsted requirements like SATs results and attendance figures make it much harder to effectively meet the diverse needs of children with SEN.

SEN budgets are not ring-fenced. If head teachers, especially in academies, want the spend the money on mugs, banners or anything else they can.

well, one question, how old were all these people and how recently did these things happen? If your hairdresser was in her 20s, she could have been talking about when she was applying for secondary school, so 10 years ago. Again, the other might be a while ago.

Most 'good' schools will have some people who had a bad experience, and for instance, I've heard my DH talk about schools being good/not good at XYZ based on when he was there, in the last century. People don't accept that schools change.

It was common practice to 'dump those who won't make the grade on someone else's stats" 17 years ago when I did my A levels, most colleges and schools did it unless they couldn't fill their places, but that doesn't mean it's still common practice. Oddly, I have heard people ask others in their 20s who went to schools for their opinion on them, without considering there's unlikely to be the same staff at the school still.

I would look at it yourself and decide whats the best school for your DCs, are they likely to have SEN? If so, then this probably isn't the school for them. That said, a school that's got outstanding provision for SEN can often be the wrong environment for a child without SEN.

I think I'm understanding it a little better now. So these schools are basically being obstructive when it comes to children with additional needs. They are not saying they cannot attend, but telling the parents there is no provision for SEN whereas in the school down the road there is?

Parents of children with SEN are often very, very tired of fighting (well, just knackered generally, in many cases) before they even get to secondary applications.

So if the school special needs coordinator is prepared to say out loud that they won't be bothering with the extra provision and help legally specified for that child (which is what Statements of SEN used to mean), other schools start to look much more appealing.

Bird I totally understand that. It's really appalling and depressing.

apologies if i[m repeating anything as have only read page one and three. We moved from an outstanding junior school in one area to a good primary in a new area. I have found that the whole county is seriously rubbish at dealing with emotional issues, SEN etc. Partly because previous area had so many more children with issues on its intake and new area is richer. I guess schools attempt to deal with the majority but a very good school should have some flexibility imo.

In the new area there are a number of secondaries. there are two that are particularly lauded and get excellent gcse and a level results, akin to those in private school. They have always had a semi selective (more hidden in the past) way of ensuring those in the school came from certain background and have not served less academic children particularly well. People fight and pay huge amounts to tutors (as there is now an exam system) and rent houses to get in.

My kids so far don't have sen and are quite average so moving has not been a negative thing and the house we bought is just what we wanted but I am slightly sad that they have left a creative, welcoming and engaging environment to join schools which are so dull and unimaginative in the way they teach the children and which offer less variety in their intake.

I think in the face of rumours like this its always great to ask to see the head. If they are a great school wrongly accused they need to know, and if they are a devious school then they need to be shamed into sorting out and addressing it. Don't tell them who told you though, play the innocent

Sorry op I admit I haven't read the thread as I don't have time to read all 3 pages right now! Feel free to ignore if it's irrelevant.

But one thing that strikes me with these threads is that there seems to be an expectation that all schools are going to be equally as good for all pupils. I just can't see how that can be true? If you want a cancer specialist you go to an oncologist, feet - a podiatrist etc etc sure an oncologist might be able to do an ok job as they've done general medical training but not as outstanding a job as if you'd gone to the right person. I think it's the same with schools.
Bright academic child? Send them to this school. Child who needs a bit more nurturing - a different one. This schools strength appears to be academics, they'll probably do a fine job of a non academic child but you may find a school that can do better.

Also, it's probably just tittle tattle. Stop gossiping and go and see the school to make up your own mind.

Wow, some really interesting responses and advice here thank you! Sorry to those who have had bad experiences with schools like this