To be upset over school allocation

[Wineandpyjamas]

I know I probably am BU but surely I can’t be the only one?

We are 0.3 miles from our preferred school - it’s the closest one to us. My DD has a physical disability and this school is the only fully accessible one in the area. Looked around it and loved it.

Our 3rd option was the huge, estate primary which hasn’t got ‘requires improvement’ on its last two inspections with particular improvement needed in... SEN provision. It’s been undersubscribed for years.

I wake up this morning and DD has been offered a place at the third choice. I suspect it’s all sibling intake at the others.

I’ve ended up in tears thinking I’ve failed DD. I don’t know what more we could have done. It seems so unfair the way they select these things.

I know OFSTED isn’t the be all and end all of everything and I am trying to think positively but it’s early in the morning, I’ve just found out and I’m very emotional.

AIBU to have a good cry and wallow? (And then put my big girl pants on and get on with it!)

SEN only has priority if there an EHCP in place, otherwise nothing

Again, not necessarily true. Where the SEN constitute a disability such as serious VI they may well give priority - in this case on the basis that the child needs a fully accessible school.

It might be an idea to contact the team for the Visually Impaired teaching based at your local authority SEN department. They could give advice regarding level of need. Also find out if there is an discretionary funding for pupils who don’t qualify for an EHCP. Some areas still do that and it might provide additional support in whichever school your dd does get. Also remember there is usually movement and people don’t accept their places as they go private or move.

Definitely appeal. You have good cause to need that school.

This sort of thing is what annoys me about sibling allocation. Children who live almost next to the school can be made to travel miles because someone with siblings who now lives miles away has a sibling at the school.

Round here you would have got second priority after looked after children, thankfully we have done away with sibling priority after so many parents we’re moving into the area renting somewhere expensive for a year getting their eldest into the desired school then moving miles away and allocations were given to the siblings.

Good idea to contact the ophthalmologist for a report OP. EHCPs are difficult to get and the more evidence you can get, the better. Presumably she is on SEN Support at the moment so you will have copies of the IEPs or provision maps. As part of the EHCP application, the school or nursery will have to detail all the provision they’ve put in place and the impact of that. They will also have to explain why they can’t meet her needs using the allocated SEN budget (up to £6000 per child) and that, therefore, they need additional funding from an EHCP. Good luck.

OP, as a PP advised, repost in the Primary Education section. There are experts there who give invaluable advice.

Did you apply for exceptional circumstances? And provide proof etc?

At the same time as doing your appeal it maybe worth a visit to the school she has been allocated. Sometimes schools that look the worst on paper or have bad reputations can actually be very supportive. My Ds with possible sen attends a very popular Ofsted outstanding secondary school close to where we live, they have been awful totally unsupportive of his needs.

@Wineandpyjamas you say you don’t think the school gives priority for disability - but this is the first thing you need to check:

What are the oversubscription criteria (from the school’s website)?

Armed with that knowledge you can then ask the admissions authority which category DD has been placed in, which will enable you to assess whether she was placed in the correct category.

• the desired school, that is.

They will also have to explain why they can’t meet her needs using the allocated SEN budget (up to £6000 per child)

Not a lawful criterion for allocating an EHCP. specialneedsjungle.com/faq/must-schools-spend-6000-on-support-before-requesting-an-ehc-assessment-for-a-childyoung-person/

@LarkDescending - I’ve just checked and it looks like they’ve given 2 places to children who are looked after and 0 to kids with a SEN plan. I definitely ticked that she had a care plan in place on the application and so for some reason she hasn’t been counted and I want to know why.

I’m going to discuss with her SENCO at nursery and hopefully will get armed with all relevant paperwork.

Thanks to everyone for the advice - it’s honestly been so helpful.

Interesting Acis. That’s not my experience in reality (as a former SENCo) but it’s good to know.

I’m afraid a care plan isn’t the same thing as an SEN plan OP.

Appeal it, there are loads of movements within primary places.

SEN only has priority if there is an EHCP in place.

Not true. I've witnessed with my own eyes as a previous 1:1 and a reception teacher. I've seen kids with transition funding for the year but not be granted an EHCP. They still took priority. And I've gone on to apply for EHCP's during the course of the year and have been successful, but the children in question didn't start with a plan.

I hope you get the outcome you desire OP. Keep pushing and don't let them fob you off. It could just be a case of human error.

I have not read the full thread. I would agree with those who suggest starting a thread in Primary Education. That is where the experts (Admission, myself and others) will be watching and offering advice. However, if the allocated school is not fully accessible for your daughter you have a good case for appeal. Reception appeals are usually difficult to win as they are heard under infant class size rules. However, even if yours is an infant class size case, you have a good argument that the refusal to admit was unreasonable.

For clarity:

• it doesn't matter whether or not the school has an admissions category for medical needs
• it doesn't matter whether or not your daughter has an EHCP

You told the local authority of your daughter's disability. Whilst their published admission arrangements may not take that into account, it is still unreasonable of them to fail to do so if the result is your daughter being allocated a place at a school that is not fully accessible for her.

I’ve just checked and it looks like they’ve given 2 places to children who are looked after and 0 to kids with a SEN plan

Did it say SEN plan or EHC plan?

You need to get this thread moved into Primary education. There are a couple of admissions experts who may be able to help so I'll ping them here

@prh47bridge @admission

I know they help with secondary school appeals but unsure about primary school but hopefully it will help.

If you report your own thread, I would ask MNHQ to move it to Primary education thread as this pertains to admission into primary school.

definitely appeal, but in the mean time, find out if your preferred school have a waiting list and where your daughter is on the waiting list. Quite often, places do come up, people change their mind, move, go private etc.

Not connected really to your current concern OP but just reading that your DD has a visual impairment - if she is ok with dogs it might be worth connecting with Guide Dogs to help minimise future issues with her being able to get out and about safely. [assuming she isn't allergic to dogs]

They often place 'buddy' dogs with children who may benefit from a guide dog in later life and they also offer other help to those with visual impairment.

www.guidedogs.org.uk/services-we-provide/buddy-dogs-for-children/

Please just ignore my post if its completely irrelevant to you but good luck with your appeal.

Sen children are only classed as such if they have an EHCP. It's unusual to have one before going into Reception.

Our school has a specialist centre for speech and language, taking 20 children from across the county.

Every child in it has an ECHP. The majority come to us in Reception year.

We also have children in every class with a Support Arrangements Plan, which means no ECHP, but supported according to the SEND Code of Practice.

If you get letters make sure that the professional says that it is their opinion that she needs school A due to being on one level, not that you as her mother would like her to go to a school on one level.

I’d definitely appeal on the grounds that your DD needs to be at an accessible school.

It would seem very unreasonable for your LA to place your DD a place at a school she can’t physically access safely regardless of whether she has an EHCP.

@FamilyOfAliens I meant that sen would only be considered as a criteria for admissions if they had an ehcp. That's they way it is where I live although I know LA's don't all do things the same way.

An update - after a pretty hellish day where I’ve spent a LOT of time on the phone to various people the upshot is that the nursery and her HV have not decided to help us with putting an EHCP in place.

Apparently it’s up to us as parents to push for it if we deem it necessary. Due to ICS appeals it seems unlikely that we will win an appeal without an EHCP.

I took DD to our GP today who is more than happy to write a supporting letter saying in her opinion DD needs an accessible school but I don’t think it will be enough. I’m still going to appeal and have asked for nursery to send me all reviews and reports they have from them and the visual care team to send as supporting documents.

I’m now going to look on the bright side, look around the 3rd place school and see what SEN provisions they have in place.

It seems crazy to me that the first time I hear about an EHCP is when it’s already too late.

Thanks so much to everyone who has offered advice - I really appreciate it.