Mainstream or special school- experiences please

[Lazymazy1]

I would describe my ds as having mild to moderate learning difficulties. (School is saying moderate - severe) global developmental delay, no diagnosis.
Special school around here is ofsted reg terrible ( I've visited and very chaotic and wasn't favourable).
Anyway, my initial thoughts were to keep ds in mainstream (has FT 121) just for better chance in later life with jobs and less stigma, however, speaking with another parent who says it's like trying to fit square peg in round hole. Child would be unhappy.
Prepared to move away to get a better special school for him.
What are your experiences ?

All about the money isn't it never a truer word said

My oldest struggled in primary beyond year 2. But the school were amazing and really supported him including getting him into a specialist unit for some of the week. Thankfully the school had zero bullying policy and they stuck to it.
However because they managed him so well (asd, adhd, Tourette's, dyslexia, ocd, and more) the la thought the secondary school should be a breeze. They had a fab unit and excellent provisions.
One of the things that worked for him was it was a small school, single class years and two buildings so years years 3-6 all had shared play, lunch etc. Secondary a thousand students. Sadly the fab school that the la deemed could support him expelled him with 6 weeks.
Having exclusion on your record is extremely hard to then get another school placement. He spent all his education until college in a behavioral unit. Which for him was great because they were used to handling aggressive behavior. The place was smaller, one year there was just 3 of them. And he came away with gcse's.

The other thing to be aware of is that funding for 1-2-1 is being cut so at secondary age it might not bein place.

Something I wish I knew then was that sen schools don't have to be in your area. Just las don't like sending out of area because it costs them more. School I work for around 20 of the 80ish on role are from our la. There may be a school out of area that your la do work with. Ours have such an arrangement with another borough who have provisions we don't and vice versa.

If you aren't already join support groups
And parent partnership.

Keep him in primary for as long as possible and look at sn for secondary.

Post 18 it's a lottery on where you are. We have colleges all over London which have specialist units integrated which operate
Up to the age of 24 or 25 (I forget which) but for some daft reasons unless you know, you don't know they exist. They generally have different pathways - life skills, academic, apprenticeship type or a combination depending on the individual.

Oh an leaving sn with qualifications an decent school will treat the individual differently and cater to their needs. If the school feel that they will gain gcse then that's the route they follow with those students. Others btec or equivalency. But I suppose this is one of the many things that made outstanding. Another thing to factor is that a lot of sn schools have their own in house therapists so work is constant not a block of 10 sessions and have to get an extension.

I think a lot depends upon the secondary school and how your child copes with the larger environment etc
I moved DS to a special school at the end of Y7 after a year of drama, rages and a totally lovely but completely ineffectual SENCO.
my son used to leave the school looking pale and shut down. It was an awful year.

The special school is fantasticc but I faced a huge fight to get him moved. The LA were just about delays to making a decision and. Suspect would have pushed me all the way to Tribunal if necessary. It was just hugely fortunate that a new Free school for children with additional needs opened in the next town and he got a place there. Best decision I have ever made for him. He is thriving with them and making progress again both academically and socially.

Forgot to mention out of LA placement until you mentioned it bloody DS went to an out of LA school but he was already there when we moved (it was still the closest as we live on the border) and his current college is also out of LA. The college though LA want to push him to is in LA but we are pushing for our preferred (also out of LA)

OP, take a look on your LA's local offer website, it will have a list of all the schools in your LA (mainstream and special, S&L units, ASD units, MLD units etc) it will also have a list of all independent schools both those in and out of area.

My DS is in an out of area special school, it is an hour's journey away, tbh it was the only school that would take him that was close enough for a daily commute, there were at least 3 other schools that he could have attended as a residential pupil but that would have completely destroyed him, his current school is not the school that I would have picked if there had been more to choose from iyswim but they have been amazing and what DS has achieved is way beyond what I would have expected.

DS struggles with independent travel, independent living skills, he has yet to fully understand about the value of money eg yesterday he wanted to go and buy an item from a local shop instead of ordering the item online for £150 less, just so that he could have the item right then rather than wait for less than 24 hours, he won't be able to use the item for a couple of weeks anyway and knows that, a difference in cost of £150 has no real meaning to him.

My main worry about education is if the academic Disabilities that DS has prevents him from gaining the required GCSE's then he won't be able to take the course that he wants to do at college, he would have to do 2 or 3 other (1yr) courses
(and pass them all) in order to progress on to the course that he wants, he would also have to gain a good level of understanding in certain core subjects in order to be able to then get a job in the field that he wants.

I regret not getting DS out of mainstream education sooner than I did, but I listened to and believed the so called professionals at that time. I wish I had listened to the nagging doubts.

Also look on neighbouring LA local offer websites.

Look up your local IASS they can help and advise you.

IPSEA and sos!sen websites are also good for advice and support as well as information.

Thank you enter
That's really helpful will have a look and do more research.

I wish there were more Steiner schools about, love the alternate curriculum.

"Aeroflotgirl

I wish there were more Steiner schools about, love the alternate curriculum."

Would that be the same Steiner schools that believe special needs are the result of failed reincarnation?

Wrong face

logule I didn't know that, well my 2 with SN would not get on there. But there has to be somother way, than the ridid out of touch mainstream system.

My DS has been in a special school throughout. He is 7 but functioning 18-24mths.
I have lots of friends who had kids in mainstream but by key stage two the are full time in SEN school as the distance between them and peers becomes too wide.
I know my child Wont have a job or live independently.

I also have DS 9 with high functions ASD and ADHD. He's in mainstream and will stay there... Dues have done bullying and struggles with friendships especially as he's got older!

I just wish that this education system was more flexible and child centred. It seems that everything has to have a learning outcome, or targets, for example I helped with a short walk from the school attached nursery to the post box, no a walk is not a walk. We were told that we had to question the children on what numbers they can see along the way, if they could see a 3D shape, what colours they could see etc. It saddened me that this is the pressure very young children are put under now, and the teachers too for getting the right results.

Also another thing to consider. Recently sn schools have changed. They are more in control of their own curriculum so it's based on the individuals. Even assessments have changed. Hence we have students studying gcse's and others equivalents. When contacting sn schools ask about their qualifications. Plus a lot of sn schools do inclusion so also go to mainstream for certain lessons to gain their qualifications.

A key issue with the lack of awareness etc in mainstream boils down to training. There's little sn training out there and what is there isn't always that great. Unless the people delivering are experienced they struggle with anything outside what they are delivering.
I did a professional course and a part of it was sn. It was basic and covered mainly the obvious of differentiating the work. It was aimed at those without experience as well as experienced. The without lapped it up because they didn't realise the realities. Myself and a colleague had to stop asking questions in the end because the tutor struggled, and it was getting embarrassing with the I will have to email you.
Another course included an assessment and interview. During this process the person admitted I could have told him anything as he didn't know what the hell I was talking about. Nothing out there, just aac lol.

I get the impression children with additional needs are just metaphorically pushed to the side, forgotten about , that's why we have to fight ,swap info and understand the possibilities don't we? Perfect example of this bloody you know more than the course leaders .

A local play park was made inclusive, why shouldn't all new/refurbished parks be inclusive? A few of local people questioned this and pushed for this. why should less able bodied kids not be able to join in? I know a bit off topic...

Lazy mazy - it's not completely off topic. That angle is quite interesting. What did they do to make the park 'inclusive?'

They have used ramps for wheel chair access, have instruments and activities which are at such a level can also be used by wheel chair users. The bark was removed, using a flat surface for all to move around on. Just saving up for a wheel chair swing. Roundabout fir wheel chair access .Will also have sand and water play at suitable level for all users too.
I feel quite strongly that every child should be able to play in the park.
It initially started off contacting the local and parish council and went from there...

The Finnish education system, which this system needs to strive to become. Its not my 4 nearly 5 year old child that is the problem, and is broken, it is the education system.

curiousmindmagazine.com/25-amazing-facts-about-the-finnish-educational-system/

Yes. Great article.
Makes perfect sense. Sounds as though the leaders actually care about education. And the lack of pressure makes a big difference. The fact that the rich parents can't send their kids to elite schools
,maybe it spurs on the leaders to be greater effort in.

Thanks for posting.

I think so, big educational reform is needed, and the curriculum flexible and able to be accessed by most students. It is unacceptable that those who fall outside the box are seen by schools, government as a problem, or broken, being sent away to special schools, when there should be more flexibility within schools to children's learning styles. Yes there should be special schools, they are so important, as mainstream is not always the right environment for the child, if their needs are so great that the child absolutely could not cope in mainstream. But for those with mild/moderate sn, the curriculum should accommodate them and be flexible and adaptable.

My son who is nearly 5 and has dev and speech delay and loves school and is fine within it, however the push for academics at a very young age, and the pressures they put on very young children starting school, I feel he will loose heart, and his confidence will go down. They already underestimating him it makes me so 😡😡😡😡

My ds the same, school also underestimate him, hence why I thought/think their opinions are to ensure he goes elsewhere.

My friends ms school have point blank said we can't deal with her dd with sn, they have said she should think very strongly about placing her in sn school

what lazy schools! Instead of trying to change their teaching style for her and the way they do things, that little boy is written off and SS suggested. It's seen as a dumping ground for schools who are passing the buck. I want my ds in tge right mainstream, if he gets an EHCP I will be looking for one with a speech or communication unit. I know he will be absolutely fine as a teen/adult, he is really with it, and intelligent.

My husband and I are helping him academically at home, they tell me not to teach him pen control as he can't manage that, well we are doing that, and he's getting better and better, whatever school are telling me he is not able to do, we are doing at home. Nobody puts ds down.

He helps me set the table, load and unload the dishwasher, understands instructions, calms dd when she's having a meltdown, loves meeting his friends outside, and chats to them in an age appropriate way. Asking them questions and telling them what he has been doing. The boy they are describing at school is so different to what we are seeing. Tgey are not bringing out or recognising the potential underneath!