AIBU to send DC to private school funded by the LA

[missrachelsavesmedaily]

I was taken back by best friends response to my DC getting a new school setting come September.
we have been friends since we were children and tend to discuss a lot of things that I would not discuss with ofhers.
we struggled to find a school setting for DC come September when they start secondary school.
I have 3 children and we are financially comfortable I could pay the fee for private school for 1 but not 3 without it effecting our lives too much although 100 percent would not be able to do the same for the others.

DC starts a private school that was named on EHCP in September and we are extremely lucky to have been granted the school without tribunals.
we have accepted the place and the LA accepted the cost - I didn’t really think anything of it to be honest there was no other choices of schools such they are entitled to an education funded.
she got quite opinionated about the fees being covered !
should I be offering to pay towards the fees ?

It is not a special independent school they couldn’t meet needs.

@missrachelsavesmedaily @BusWankers and anyone else who has posted; how exactly do you get your LA to fund private school fees? DC2 is extremely high functioning Autistic, pretty much non verbal until recently but with Mensa level IQ. He doesn't meet the criteria for any Sen school, yet mainstream school just can't teach him!

Its a lot cheaper for the LA to pay for a private school than a special SEN school. Your friend probably doesn’t appreciate how costly a SEN school is. Not very supportive of her though.

The problem is ,is that there is not enough adequate provision. For children who have SEN needs and are academically able ,but can't manage in mainstream

Ignore your friend. If there was a cheaper option that could meet needs the LA would have named it.

@Roothewheel you are wrong. Mainstream independent schools can be named in an EHCP and thus funded.

From what I know from others even in my LA our case was particularly easy.
however we did already start with a very solid EHCP.
first you have to make sure that EHCP identifies all needs and section F is appropriate.
when choosing parental preferences you can choose a section 41 independent or a non section 41 independent non section 41 is harder.
they have to consult with your chosen school but don’t have to name it. If the chosen school day yes but another school that is cheaper and closer can meet need they will auto name that school. You can then go to tribunal but only if you have a yes from the independent school and you would have to prove that the named school can not meet needs even though they say they can.
for us it was about the ehcp no la maintained school said yes so we got independent fairly easy

If you make it impossible to name independent schools, there will be an increase in expensive EOTAS/EOTIS packages, which is not the cheap option. A comprehensive EOTAS/EOTIS package is very expensive.

Yes this was our only other option if independent said no.

You only need an offer of a place for a wholly independent school. You don’t need an offer of a place from a section 41 independent school.

It is possible to get a wholly independent school named even if the LA’s proposed schools can meet needs if it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. This can sometimes be the case where the preferred school is a mainstream independent.

Yes I did mean non section 41 ( we have no 41 section ones in area )
they will consult with any school they feel can meet need with mainstream you are right though
if no mainstream can they may choose parental preference independent mainstream depending on cost vs the cost of Sen school.

for us it was pretty straight forward but I know it’s not always the case.

LAs don't agree to fund a private school at the drop of a hat. If the LA have agreed to funding a private school they must agree that there is a need that can't be met in a state school. Maybe your friend needs to view it from a different perspective - she is lucky her child does not have the need for an EHCP. (Unless they do have a need and have had the EHCP refused - in which case I would her to be more understanding of why you have agreed to the place that has been offered, without expecting to pay).

But you have no choice. There wasn't an alternative. All sounds a bit unpleasant. I think I'd just be happy for my friend despite all the grey area, whataboutery and the likes. Your child is lucky to be offered a place that can meet their needs. Would she prefer the alternative? Think she's shown you a new side to her maybe.

What I think this thread demonstrates is just how bloody hard it is for parents to navigate the system and advocate for their child. Imagine parents with a not great education themselves, with the national average reading age of (I think) 9 and full time jobs trying to do this as described above..section 41 etc. It's Labyrinthine, combative and in worst cases deliberately obstructive. Shameful. It's lovely to hear the OPs case has been straightforward but even then I bet there was hours of leg work involved.

I worked in our local sendiass team for a few years. I also have two children who had ehc plans - one went to an independent sen school and the other to a state sen school.

Local authorities will usually only fund private non sen schools in the most exceptional circumstances. Most will try to make mainstream work and put pressure on these schools to say yes.

The fact that your son is being funded for this school must mean that it is the only realistic option.

You need to be sure that they can indeed meet his needs though. Independent schools often don't offer the same levels of support as in mainstream.

@RoothewheelI know an SEN child who goes to a very prestigious mainstream private school via LA funding. Nobody is ‘fibbing’ 🤨

Oh I’m more than aware that people think it’s a terrible thing. But just to be clear, there is no legitimate debate over whether a LA needs to provide an appropriate education setting for disabled children, to make sure they have the access to the same education as their non disabled peers.

If you want to be immoral and make it all about money, it is also the most fiscally sensible thing to do. OP states her son is very academic. If he is educated properly, the chances are he won’t grow into an adult who needs to be taken care of by the state. I’m sure you think too many people on income support along with their PIP could be out working and supporting themselves and we can’t afford that either. Spending money on OP’s child now will save £££ in the future. We should be making sure all kids are properly educated and not just the ones who fit the correct mould for mainstream. If more funding is needed that’s where your focus should be, not on excluding disabled children.

You pay your taxes, youre child is entitled to a suitable school place.

It is not about wanting the best for DC. The LA doesn’t have a legal duty to provide the best possible education. Only an appropriate education and the provision reasonably required.

Exactly. My daughter has just achieved top marks in her exams. She couldn’t have done it with the additional support provided by the local authority. It’s been an 11 year fight to get her what she needs. And that is on top of everything else she (and we) have to deal with. I daresay those calling for this to be scrapped because it costs too much wouldn’t want to swap with us.

‘There is no legitimate debate’… really?

State spending can’t just rise above inflation forever, it’s not realistic.

There will be changes in both education provision and PIP (along with other benefits and state spending) in the coming years - as the state cannot afford the continued increases, and there is limited appetite for further tax increases to fund them.

You aim to make it emotive, but there also needs to be pragmatism - and noting the huge increase in children needing this support, and query that what, why and how of that - is entirely legitimate debate.

My LA has placed several children with high functioning ASD at a private school - Scarisbrick Hall - it’s a mainstream independent school. Why are you insisting otherwise? Friends son was funded there for secondary

A damn good Educational Psychologist who is tribunal hardened as your main witness, an offer of a place from a school and any other evidence that you can throw into the mix. There are SEN lawyers and advocates out there too but if you have the sharp elbows it can be done with good evidence.

PIP is irrelevant to OP’s thread. Her child isn’t even old enough for PIP.

What else do you suggest? Disabled children not having an appropriate education? Not providing the right support costs society more in the long term.

There hasn’t been such a huge increase in SEN over the last few years as some people like to claim. For example, the latest SEN statistics from 24/25 show there were 1,766,942 children and young people with SEN. The official government statistics from January 2014 show 1.49 million pupils had SEN. Down from 1.55 million in 2013.

You need to ensure B&F accurately reflect DS. To do that you need evidence. An EP a pp mentioned can help, but OT and SALT can too. Many have to appeal.

For wholly independent schools, you need to show the LA’s proposed schools can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure. You also need an offer of a place.

There is not a question of how, what, why.

These children/people have always existed.

A lot of them unfortunately just were left to it in the past.

Excluded for being 'naughty' or bullied/couldn't do the work and refused to go in.

I can think of children from my own class only 15 years ago who absolutely should not have been in a mainstream classroom and were having a horrendous time. One of them very sadly took their own life at only 16 years old.

Everyone has a right to a suitable education in this country.