To move house for this reason?

[trebless]

Many won't understand if they don't have a child with special needs.....

But I do. He's autistic. It's it's time to look at secondary schools for him.

Where we live they aren't many options. He needs to go to a special needs school over mainstream. Everyone agrees - his school now, support worker etc

However....where we live, he won't get a space in the special needs school due to us living 1/2 a mile out of that local council.

In order for him to get a place in the special needs secondary school, we need to move. No questions asked. The spaces are so limited at the school that they prioritise the local children before the ones on the outskirts. That's how it works.

I've looked around this secondary school who have said that yes he should have a place there but due to the school being over subscribed and where we live, he won't get a place.

There are no other schools. I've looked around the mainstream schools here who have said they would do their very best for my son but they probably couldn't accommodate his needs.

We rent. We need to give one months notice.

Dh is my ds step dad. He doesn't want to move. He said he won't move from one house to another for this reason.

I need to move. I need to do what's right for my son. It won't affect anything for dh as far as his life changing. We just need to move 1/2 a mile up the road!

Aibu to move?? I'm just a mum putting her son first.

Please don't suggest alternatives as there really isn't any. We don't move then he goes into mainstream

Its your call. But they arent correct in their advice, but it does probably keep things simpler for them. The people in azulmariposa are the ones to get proper advice from.

If spaces are so limited, you could move with all the upset to your marriage and still end up in a tribunal to get them in. Only by then you will be even later because you will have gone through the rigmarole of moving first.

As someone else posted it really only matters if its different educational authority. Even then same basic principles appeal its just harder to get the funding sorted so more likely to land in tribunal

Does his EHC name specialist provision at the moment? The local authority's first responsibility is to name a type of provision then decisions on placement tend to lead with the LA's provision. If the local school is full, as long as specialist is named, the authority then has a responsibility to find A specialist provision and should ask you for preferences to consult with.
Oh and I would move like a shot if I needed to. Same issue in reverse here- I'm trapped in a place I don't like so dd can keep her specialist provision. If you h doesn't like it, tell him to do one.

Move 100% no choice.

@fourplusfour

A tribunal has final say. A school can be made to admit.

Of course you should move.

I don't know all the details as I only know the family a little but I know of a child who wasn't able to get into the school that was named on the plan as it was full, as far as I understood it there was no way round it, they went on a waiting list and luckily didn't have to wait too long.

YANBU, move!

I would move. Good luck 💐

I would move. But also have you looked at alternative schools as well. There may be another option that LA could pay transport for meaning you would not have to move.

Ordinarily the LA will not pay transport costs to one of their non preferred settings unless they cannot find a local provision or it is tribunal ordered, you can't just tell them where you want to go.

I'm only concerned that you have been given wrong advice OP. I 100% agree with moving if needed ( and even if not strictly needed but to smooth the way).

All I would say is that being informed about the law is absolutely necessary for SN Parents. For too long I trusted "professionals" who were often misinformed themselves or worse had an agenda that meant they were being deliberately misleading.

It's critical when you advocate for your child to be ballsy and to not take what you are told at face value. If I had listened to our well meaning SENCO I wouldn't have looked at an EHCP for another year - if I'd have listened to our local authority we would never have secured the private OT Report that highlighted significant sensory modulation disorder and sensory-based movement issues that mean our ASD / Dyslexic child simply cannot access education in any mainstream setting.
The LA would have kept him in mainstream with some bare support and he would have eventually failed. My story is very typical and we are prepared to go to tribunal if necessary ( and then to move house to live nearer the specialist school). We also know it won't end there.

Absolutely move for the right school but do not allow people to fob you off, the law is the law.

Its all very well saying "legally they have to....." if they simply do not have the space.

If there are 20 spaces, enough money for staff for 20 spaces, and no more, what are they to do when there are 30 applicants?

30 into 20 won't go. There is no way to magic up more money, staff and infrastructure so "have to take you" may be legally correct but simply isnt always possible.

I understand what those are saying about what the schools should do.....however it isn't that simple when schools are so over subscribed as I keep saying.

This year, I think there were 17 children with an EHCP who applied for a place at the sen school....the school has 3 places for new admissions. That left 14 disappointed - 2 who I know quite well. Their children got offered erp places instead. And that's where they are going unfortunately. And these children actually do live in the right area.

The school cannot take 17 year 7s. It only has 2 classrooms and a maximum of 10 in each and that's right through to year 11. Not just for year 7's.

So even if all these Childrens parents went to a tribunal (I believe some have or are going too) they wouldn't all get a place would they? The school cannot accommodate that many children. So I really don't understand what would happen then?

As I have said repeatedly- move if you need to or even if it just helps!

A lot of SEN schools and units are over subscribed in every single local authority. What we are all saying is that by law it's but the distance you live that is the difference between getting the place or not, it's about the closest provision that can meet need.

I feel that you are getting frustrated with me when I am not even disagreeing with you, just telling you that the law is worth knowing regardless of what you are being told.

If there are two spaces and one child is a better profile fit with that school but lives 20 minutes further away with no suitable alternative, then that child is more likely to get a space in that provision than a child who lives 5 minutes down the road, who's needs could be met elsewhere and who is less likely to be a good fit for what that provision can offer.

If you don't want to listen then fine - it's an emotive topic I know and I get it , I'm not disagreeing with you moving just suggesting that you don't necessarily believe what you are being told.

All of us with SN kids face similar and a lot of us use advocates, legal experts and advice from charities like IPSEA and SOSSEN.

@missfliss not getting mad at you at all!!!! Not at all. I didn't tag you in my last comment, it wasn't aimed at you. I'm not getting angry with anyone. There has been other posters who has said the same as you. I'm just simply saying what I know is happening where I live. I'm really not get frustrated with you at all. The whole thing is frustrating, my situation is frustrating. My marriage may end because of this. But I'm not getting angry with anyone on here. I've come here for advice

Trebless- I don't think you replied, but from what you have written it sounds like your child is in mainstream. If you move, another authority will adopt his EHCP as a mainstream plan. In the first instance you need the plan to name specialist provision REGARDLESS of school - if the plan does not name special, he will not even be in the discussion anywhere you go when it comes to allocations of places.

Yes move, we moved from a very desirable London area and state secondary school as my DS has Aspergers and it wasn’t really working for him.
We used money from the house sale to pay for him to go to a private school.
It was a great move for him.
Must say it hasn’t been that great for me but now DS is older and off to university we will move again.
Happy teenage years are very important and going to the right school environment is a big part of it. The London state school has been brilliant for many of my friends children, just not right for us.

It sounds like moving would be easy for you as you don’t need to go far and you are in rented. People move for schools all the time.

I want to move in the next year to allow my daughter (not sn) to go to a certain school which I think would be better for her, so no absolutely not unreasonable!

It's not just sn it's a mum doing what's right for her boy. I would and have done the same in a heartbeat.
However you do only need an address, could you rent a room for a while in the catchment area?

@Nnnnnineteen yes he's in mainstream now which has the same LA as the Sen school. The specialist school will be named on the ehcp. Wether I move or not. However someone from my LA will attend the next EHCP meeting which isn't ideal.

It's okay trebless and I really hope you get some good advice here.

My only advice beyond it is really to get done good advice on how to strengthen your case - it sounds like moving alone may not guarantee the space from what you described ( but I get that it will help) . I really recommend getting additional support from IPSEA and SOS!SEN to help make the case for this school too.

Good luck with it, all us SEN parents have to make really hard choices sometimes for our kids

@missfliss thank you very much for all your advice, I know it will all work out eventually X

I'd move in a heartbeat for that reason. I don't understand why your OH won't. If I were in that situation I would prioritise my child over him though- your son needs you to advocate for him and make sure he gets the best chances he can have.

He will always be your son. Your OH isn't necessarily in it for the long haul.

A thousand times yes do this OP, even if your marriage is at risk (which doesn't say alot for your dh priorities).

It need only be for a year and you're lucky you rent so can do this.

I don't want to worry you but my sibling is autistic and went to a mainstream secondary for a year, I don't think they ever recovered from the bullying in terms of their self esteem.

Thinks might have been worse back then but a large secondary is different from a much smaller primary, teachers can't keep an eye on everything.

If you and your partner split up and you moved out to a house in the correct catchment area and he was awarded a place and then you later got back together at the old property would your son keep the place?

@iolaus good question and I have no idea....I think transport maybe an issue. But dh would have to move as he couldn't afford to live there alone on his wage