Top school rejecting poorly achieving pupils?

[Mayamama]

Dear Mumsnetters, I wondered if anyone has experiences with a similar situation: an acquaintance whose child is 4 and has been going to the best school in their town (in the North) over the last year has just received a letter from school stating that her child has learning difficulties which are so severe that he should go to a special school. Apparently the first indication of this was 2 months ago when the school suggested he may have problems and the mother asked them to prove it, after which a psychologist assessed him. The child is from a non-english speaking home and has difficulties expressing himself in English, he probably also has some learning difficulties. THey do not seem to be on the level which comes across as below a threshold that prevents him studying in a normal school.

I will ask the questions regarding assessment and level of learning difficulties which requires changing schools in the disabilities section of mumsnet but if anone has any experiences with such assessments, please share them. BUt I would also like to ask have you come across top, or generally grade 1 schools making efforts to "get rid of" children who may bring their scores down? The tone of the letters to the mother has apparently been very harsh rather than supportive so it sounds that they are actively trying to push the mother to withdraw her son because of such attitudes towards her and her son.

? The situation does sound a bit combative - the school suggests that a child may have difficulties and the mum says 'prove it'?
Did the psychology assessment support the idea that there were problems?

Apparently the child had difficulties responding to the questions of the psychologists (not speaking English at home I guess it can be expected but if in addition learning disabilities, it may be even more difficult for him); then the report came back suggesting that the child had learning difficulties. I thought - but have no personal experience with that - schools cannot exclude unless a child has very serious disability.

Is this a state school?

How do schools get to be a "top" school? There are 3 ways to improve results; teach well, attract top pupils and remove those who may be less likely to perform well.

My DCs attended a very academic school in the NW. Entry was by assessment at 4, 7 and 11. The head told me that they rarely made mistakes on taking children they shouldn't but they often took top candidates on competitive scholarships at 11 who they had turned down previously.

Yes, state school. And the child went previously to a very good nursery from which they accept many new pupils.
Tranquil - this is interesting, but surely this should not work this way? Are you talking about a state school? How can they justify such limits?

Unfortunately it is true that many state schools operate selection by stealth. This is often by being hugely apologetic at open days about how bad they are with sen, this putting off potential parents. Or there are schools which require attendance at church as part of their entrance criteria-thus deselecting those children whose parents don't commit to attending. And there's just a feeling of being unwelcoming to certain parents. I've seen it in action.

I had assumed that this was a private school, given the speed at which the Ed Psych was rustled up.

The current school cannot expel a child just for having SEN and should be working with the parents to agree on and provide appropriate support.

Has your friend told you what interventions the school already has in place?

Dear posters, this is so interesting and also tragic. I will forward your thoughts to the mother, and will also ask what the current interventions have been (I have understood there are none but maybe I am mistaken).