To think you only get a specialist school if you have a lot of money to throw

[Satanzlilhelpa]

on education solicitors?

Have you got a special school? If so, how?

By having a severely disabled child for which mainstream wasn't the remotest option. We still had to defer him a year until there was a place but no money changed hands and it was all very straightforward. I don't consider myself lucky to be part of this cohort, which is the majority of his school.

We were lucky, no fight. DC has severe learning difficulties and autism.

I work in a SEN school in Wales

I can assure you a lot of theparents do not have loads of money to throw at anything.

Every case is different.
We have PMLD pupils who have been in our nursery since 3 and the private SEN nursery before that.
Mainstream was never even an option
We have pupils who did fine in main stream primary but the transfer to us for seniors.

Then we have some who come in from mainstream who should've come sooner.

The reality is there just aren't as many spaces as needed.

We didn't, moving from mainstream primary into special, but this was in 2018. I'm sure it's harder now, but I do know plenty of people without loads of money who have been through it more recently. Don't be put off

I got mine into a specialist unit within mainstream.

Mainstream school didn't work out. Then we home educated for a while.
In the absence of school to make a referral- I persuaded the home education person at the council to do it.
The council's Area Integration Team considered his case and agreed to place him there.

I'm not sure, tbh, why it was so easy for me. We're in Scotland so the system is different. There's no need for an EHCP, for example. Which has advantages and disadvantages.
I think my slightly unorthodox route might have helped. Since home education officers have an interest in getting kids back into school. Whereas perhaps school SENCO's have pressure not to make too many referrals.
I wouldn't recommend anyone else follow my lead. Obviously if it didn't work out I'd be stuck home educating! Which, tbf, I would have been quite happy to do.

I think it did also help that the council were aware I would have gone to tribunal if needed. I wouldn't have needed a solicitor as I'm quite confident with law, having worked in a different legal field. Education tribunals are theoretically designed to be accessible to lay people so I was certainly up for giving it a go.

I feel for you, OP, and I hope you manage to get your situation resolved.
If you're in England or Wales, there's a facebook group called SEND Education for All, which seems good.

If you're in Scotland, I found the Enquire helpline very useful.

We'd been to Tribunal twice before at assess and issue stage, and I did all the paperwork.
Every single school said they either couldn't meet her needs or were full, so we got an amazing tiny Inde. Still pinching myself tbh

Well done NorthernChinchilla! What a great result!

Yes, DS in specialist school and we paid for a solicitor.

you don’t need an education lawyer to go to tribunal, most people don’t, and most appeals are successful. If you’ve got any money to spend the place to use it is on expert reports.

Exactly the same situation here. Ds is 12 and attends an independent specialist school fully funded by the local council. He has never been in mainstream.

I don't have money to throw at a school, my eldest is in a school 45 mins away and he got a space due to his needs and his EHCP supported this, I called for his annual EHCP early in year R and said to get him out of mainstream, I think I was lucky. My second son not so much and his needs are much greater.

Didn't cost a single penny. You just go through tribunal process to get type of school in ehcp. Obviously stressful and not easy but considering parents win 98% of the time I highly doubt they have solicitors. I wouldn't waste money on it. Evidence speaks for itself usually. If a child needs a specialist school it becomes quickly apparent

My experience is you need to fight for everything yes, but you don't necessarily need to spend on solicitors. We found the threat of legal action was often enough. My son has severe autism and local authority agreed he needs specialist but they wanted to send him to a one we really hated. We fought for him to go to the good one. It's absolutely not made easy and nothing leads me to believe they act in the children's best interests at any point.

We didn't pay. But I did phone/email/pester anyone and everyone until the council reluctantly agreed.

My nephew got a place in a specialist school as there was no way he will ever be in mainstream. His needs are complex.

It’s an independent mainstream but mainly for mildly neurodivergent children.

Many parents do hire a lawyer but we didn’t. However, we did pay for a private SALT, ed psych, sensory occ therapy and we had a SENCO fully onboard helping us fight to get the school named on an EHCP so it’s fully funded including transport.

My DN has just got a special school place for September. He has only just started walking and is pretty much non-verbal. No money needed in his case. I think it's much harder when a DC has significant additional needs but not learning disabilities.

My DS is in a special school. No lawyers. Offered a place by the LA. People talk about how lucky we are but I would give my right arm for him to be more able.

You don’t need a solicitor. You need evidence. If you have to appeal, as many do, and you need independent assessments but can’t afford them and aren’t eligible for legal aid, Parents in Need can sometimes help.

Nope, no money got my autistic ds a SS place. Years of fighting/writing/meetings/moving and appreciating the supportive people along the way did it.

It became the absolute top priority for many years and I still had to suck a bit up and sometimes still do. I don't think that part ever ends until we parents do.

That type of place would really suit my DD. Nothing like that round here, though.

I agree really. It is very hard. I did get independent specialist for my two. The first one I had help from IPSEA. The second I paid for legal help and it cost about 5000 plus cost of professional reports. You also need to pay for independent reports in many cases.

I would have said no you don’t, up until the last year, but things have got so bad now, that I’d say having money for a solicitor will absolutely help.

It is a real fight. So many specialist schools were closed down or reduced by this government. Its shameful that families are put through all this

My eldest son went to one - no money involved. He has very severe issues, couldn't cope in primary, and an amazing SENDCO. He got his EHCP without issue and got his school place without issue.

My other son also couldn't cope in primary, slightly less severe issues, completely useless SENDCO (different school). He is now in mainstream secondary except he isn't because he cannot cope and hasn't been able to go in for months, 4th round of EHCP applications because all previous have been refused to even assess, I'm currently finding alternative provision for him myself and expecting and almighty battle to get funded provision that he needs.

I think maybe it's luck which professionals are involved. A good SENDCO is worth more than their weight in gold.