AIBU that the system is leaving a whole group of children behind.

[Sendhelp20]

I know this will be down to location to but wow my mind is blown. We are in the middle of being allocated a secondary school for DD11 and there doesn’t seem to be a school that exists for her 🤣( I should not laugh but If I don’t I will cry )

she is academic although not advance and has gaps in her learning which does mean she is mildly behind this is due to missing 3 and half years of primary school.

all the schools consulted in a radius of 1 hour of our home which including

Sen schools - with different specialities
mainstream schools with units
and mainstreams have all come back
they can’t meet her needs

some she is “too academic “
others she is too complex

so now they are suggesting a mixture of home tutoring / online education but she wants to go to school 😭

where are the children who are inbetween going 😭😭

I am going to look at the local Independent schools a bit more today I think, there is 2 Sen independent schools but I’m unsure from the admissions requirements whether they will accept.

the other option is a independent mainstream with smaller classes along side 1-1 for medical needs by the LA but that would probably take a lot of me pleading and begging for the amount it would cost 🤣

If a child has an EHCP then they are very much the LA’s responsibility! That’s literally how the system works.

OP you have my every sympathy - there simply aren’t enough SEN schools to cater for every nuance of need. It’s so painful and frustrating for those who fall through the gaps. Does your LA have an independent advice service for SEN parents? Ours are brilliant and can go through an EHCP with a fine tooth comb to match need to potential schools.

Good luck 🥰

If they can’t find anything else to satisfy the criteria they may accept this as a compromise? Especially if you do the leg work on finding out who can support this plan and present it as a costed fait accompli - although I recognise that’s a phenomenal amount of work 🙁

Really ?
I do not even know where to begin responding to this.

A private mainstream with a 1:1 would be cheaper for the LEA than a private specialist.

Yeh definitely something to look in to and even just ask the question - they can only say no !

Our local state school where my DS attends has a nurture class (not called that but it’s in essence what it is) so the children do the lessons which they can access with their peers and then have other lessons in there. It works really well and is almost like a half way house so to speak. Not sure if your DD needs would be too complex for something like that but it was set up because despite having an amazing newly built SEN school 15 minutes down the road there was a huge cohort of children which couldn’t access fully mainstream provision but didn’t fit the criteria for an SEN school.

This is a massive issue and one our LA has only just started addressing - child gets independent SEN setting, but actually it doesn’t work for the child but the school continues to take the funds from the LA while not addressing the issues 😢. Too many independent SEN schools have got away with this for too long.

Can I ask why you feel she can’t be in mainstream? I work in a large comprehensive. We have students with needs similar to your DD’s with 1:1 (provided by a small team, not one individual, including the very enthusiastic TA who puts a PE kit on and does it with them!), they leave lessons 5 minutes early to avoid corridor crowds and get to the front of the lunch queue, can be in the support base at break and lunch and probably more stuff I can’t think of right now. Yes, there are days when it’s not quite right, but everyone does their best and the students I’m thinking of seem happy.

Have you contacted your local IASS team?
They can help advocate for you and help you through the process.

I would also post this is in SN Chat for more reach with families who will have gone through the same.

What is wrong with you? It sounds like OP is going above and beyond to secure appropriate education for her daughter.

And yes, it is the LA’s responsibility to provide an education. They literally have a legal duty to it.

I am not against mainstream of support was in place. Just so far no consultations have been successful.

It honestly doesn’t even deserve a reply.

Agree follow the links for finding people that have been through this - given the medical needs I also wonder if it's not the schools but that you need a suitable school plus bringing extra resource to them to help with medical needs and that's your issue.

But you do need to find people who've got your particular level of complexity to help - good luck, sounds like you've had a really difficult time @Sendhelp20

• Really ? I do not even know where to begin responding to this.*

Don't bother, you're clearly doing everything you can so focus on the constructive advice. It sounds like a 1:1 in mainstream may be the most viable way though it will probably take a few mountains moving to make that happen. Keep on researching and pushing for your DD. Kids absolutely do get left behind and the lucky ones need parents like you to keep on the fight.

What is it that they can’t do? I’m just thinking that, if it’s a specific need they can’t meet, someone might know how another school manages to do it so you could have some other suggestions to ask about?

I did have a very long conversation with DD about mainstream as she had her heart on the sen school we visited.
just in case in did end up being a mainstream, I think she seemed a little less anxious over it after the chat but it will be a huge change.
will 100 percent start having more of a look and see what the LA can offer a school in terms of getting them to change their mind.

Hi OP, I've not read the full thread so apologies if thus is repeated.

1. do not agree to home Ed. This will take any responsibility from the LA and put it onto you to meet her needs including any therapies detailed in section f of the ehcp.
2. eotas- education other than at school is different to home Ed. The la retain responsibility but school setting isn't used. You can get budgets for anything that she needs if you evidence it and have tutors/ ta's etc support her. Look into this.
3. visit all the schools locally yourself. It could well be that one of them can meet need but with more funding or adjustments. Schools are broke and many won't take kids with ehcp if they can't afford if or the plan isn't correctly worded so the LA have to make the provision (section f needs to be detailed as to no doubt what is provided. Specified and quantified. All of her sen should be listed in section b with provision in f). Talk to the sendco and head if you think one of them would work with a ta, speech therapy, ot, laptop or other devices, physical adaptations and if they agree get them to put it in writing.
4. look at any local inde schools and see if they can (they can't be forced to take a child).
5. ipsea and sossen have huge amounts of info and resources. Sossen have a helpline you can call too for proper advice. Do use them especially if going for eotas.
6. see what other local parents do with similar kids- you won't be the only parent to be in this situation.
7. don't blame yourself or follow, the sen system is very broken and many kids are failed. Your daughter has you to advocate for her. Best of luck xx

Hi OP, well I think you've done brilliantly with her education considering!

Posters are often not aware how behind some "regular" DC are when they arrive at secondary age 11.

All comprehensives who genuinely serve the whole ability range have nurture classes because there's kids arrive every year who can't really read and write and definitely can't access the mainstream y7 curriculum.

You wouldn't know if you hadn't been in contact with DC in that position. The schools don't shout about it.

I’d say try not to see this as two absolutes: either mainstream and failure or home tuition. Ask the LA for alternative provision with a view to reintegrating into mainstream with the right level of support. Your child’s views are integral and the LA needs to listen to them. It may feel like there is no solution, but they can be creative about what they put in place. Try not to lose heart

OP’s DD wants to go to school. OP is asking for advice on how to find one that is appropriate. THAT is what she is doing 🙄

Yes she has done wonderfully, absolutely beyond expectations -

in theory if you read her medical background on paper you would not expect the child you meet which is of course fantastic just realising it’s causing a bit of an issue now 🙈

she was in a hospital for from birth - 2 years old so missed all of that part
then she spent 2 years shielding during Covid
and then there has been long periods of times when she has been in hospital since ( at least once a month )
so she has done amazing !! I just want to make sure she has the opportunity to keep thriving and not let any of that hold her back when it doesn’t have to. We are extremely lucky to have her and extremely lucky that she is in this position that she has able to develop this well

LAs will always try and place in mainstream first so if a package of support is available that can wrap around that m/s provision that might be the answer. They don’t just do this for cost, they also do it for peer group and life chances.

Sounds like you’ve both been through a lot 🥰. Does she have a health team that can support/advocate for her needs? Come to professionals meetings? Sometimes secondary schools feel they can’t meet needs because they’re concerned about medical issues they might not have experienced.

Hi op.

I'm sorry but I have no advice. I've been in almost the same position with my dd. She missed two years of education due to Covid, sickness and then a huge mental health breakdown due to the LA insisting she went to mainstream.

Then they conceded that she did actually need specialist provision. So we started to consult with schools. Our problem was that even with two years out of education my dd was not behind, was very bright, academic. And all our specialist provision schools were aimed at children with learning difficulties. We had to settle for a provision that wouldn't offer a full range of GCSEs and just did the basics. So we had tutors for two additional subjects paid for ourselves.

It's just so hard to know they can do really well with the right support but it's just not available in most schools.

Now we are consulting with colleges. Dd is predicted very high grades in her subjects. But every college is coming back to us to say they cannot meet need. So the fight rumbles in I'm afraid.

Best of luck