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 😭😭

Yeh a very recent ed psych report and updated ehcp
as well as physio / OY and SLT reports.

Private or LEA?

So my parents preference were Sen schools.
I just do really struggle as much as I would like her I suppose have the change of mainstream education seeing how it would work.
even for things in how would she get to class ! They are huge and stairs everywhere !

All LEA.

her ehcp includes SLT : OT and physio provisions

daily interventions 1- 1 and small groups and then
6 OT sessions , speech and language and physio a year with the actual therapist to then give tasks to her 1-1
Hope that makes sense

She sounds like she should be in mainstream with support, ideally mainstream with a resourced unit for more intense contact with core staff.

What is the reason they are turning her down? If her EHCP is very tight, is there possibly something in the wording that is rendering schools unsuitable that actually would be ok? For example, someone has said that she must be taught by autism specialist teachers or some such - something that sounds good but means that in practice most schools are unsuitable?

If they are turning her down because of her health needs that will be their fear I expect. But in those circumstances a LA does has the power to direct a setting to admit a child, and I would be pushing for that (with appropriate care package of course).

She would use the lifts. Be escorted. Leave lessons 5 mins early. Possibly some classes would be timetabled in more accessible rooms (if there are multiple y7 classes, there are options).

DD has been on crutches last month. All went smoothly.

No it doesn’t state by autism trained member of staff
does state things that need to be provided 1-1 1-4 and who by ( her familiar 1-1 )

I don't think you can expect 1 familiar TA in secondary, and I question whether that's a good idea anyway, but I think you can expect a small, trained team of 3. I've seen that a good number of times.

"Mainstream does not have the time or energy to catch your child up when they are sick."

This child should be able to access hospital school when in hospital.

OP hospital school is a possibility, in my LA they have an actual school as well as offering tuition to those in hospital. Maybe that might be a possibility at least for transition? They could maybe support a move into mainstream too.

All various reasons 🤣

depending on the school type

the one Sen school can meet her needs physically and emotionally etc but they are concerned academically she doesn’t match their cohort,

mainstreams because her Sen needs are too high.

I can't reply now but absolutely do not put her in for mainstream with one to one support. I can't reply futher as going out but please please please look into all your options fully

Yes but the level of schooling is not great 🤣 used to be before Covid and then the hospital school cut way back and now you get a few sheets given to you and don’t want anything else.

Her SEND needs are too high - how?

She has medical needs but those are covered by the support raised.
She is mildly behind academically, they will have loads of students worse who don't have EHCP s.

I imagine it's to do with the complexity of the arrangements- eg she has multiple 1:1 sessions in her EHCP that would be very difficult to practically timetable in a subject focused high school and these arrangements will interfere with her ability to attend lessons therefore making her increasingly likely to keep having to play catch-up.

Could you suggest that she be disapplied from a subject so that her special sessions happen then? For example PE and MFL are used for intervention?

I think you might be projecting?

This child wants to attend school and is only mildly behind academically. I have known many many children succeed brilliantly in mainstream in these circumstances.

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it but a Steiner school soundsabout right ( not sure what the medical devices are though) They are super relaxed and really into nature. Just a thought.

@Newname85 that's a very unkind post

although academic

she can not physically write, she has sensory issues and high anxiety and she has caught up academically but has had a 1-1 in primary who scribes / breaks down things for her - speed is an issue.
so without the support in place by her 1-1 for her scribing, and interventions she wouldn’t have exceeded as far as she has.
she has speech issues so people can struggle to understand her
but yes exam wise with extra time snd scribing her levels are either average or mildly behind.

I will have a look - not heard of these before.

Shouldn’t the 1:1 package continue with her as she transitions up to secondary?
If it’s the same LA i would have thought her EHCP could allow for that.

I think You can if the ECHP sets provision for it

It it is specified properly in the EHCP, the school won't have a choice no matter what their views are about 1-1. For what it's worth, the LA can override a maintained school or academy that says no and simply name them in the EHCP anyway.

I'm surprised that you say there are only expensive and very academic independents near you if you live in somewhere so urban. Are you absolutely sure there no small independents within an hour's drive from your home? I would have thought that would be the best bet.

so in the area we can look at
there is 2 independent Sen schools - but she doesn’t match the admissions policies on these they are specific Sen.
and quite a few independent schools but they are very academic apart from 1 which was recommended but when we tried to consult they made it clear they have no spaces for ehcp available.

That's disgraceful. By law (s19 Education Act) she is entitled to full time education. It is recognised that, with 1-1 tuition, this may not mean classroom hours but she should be getting at least 10 hours a week tuition, plus the therapy in her EHCP

Only 16% of mothers with a disabled child work at all and only 3% work full time.
That's a lot of lost taxes.