We've just found out, our daughter will have to miss either year 6 or 7. Help!

[chuffinalong]

Hi, my daughter has learning difficulties and possible PDA, a form of autism. After a very negative start to her school life, which caused all kinds of problems, we home educated her from year 1 until the beginning of year 3. She then went back to another school, but they started her in the year below, due to her learning difficulties etc. She then made friends and never moved up. The school have said that the LEA want her to move up but have always stressed that it's our choice. Because she hates change so much and is settled now in school with her own friends, we've never wanted her to move up.
Anyway, the other day, I phoned SENDIASS, the people who can organise for us to look at secondary schools for her and they made some calls and said that schools won't take out of year group, so she'll either have to miss year 6 or year 7! This did come as a huge shock. When I told the SENCO at school that she'd have to miss a year, at first she said, "not necessarily" I said that it was definitely the case, then she said "oh well, we did talk about this at her last meeting" Sounding quite defensive now. I said that we didn't and that I'd have remembered that! She then said "oh well, it's a new thing schools have bought in." After speaking to SENDIASS again, I know that it isn't new at all.
We have decided that she will miss year 6 rather than year 7, so that means that her application will be late, we haven't even seen the school and there are all kinds of issues regarding her Statement being changed to the new format and her needing an ed psych report.
This has come at such an awkward time as she is starting to isolate herself, doesn't want to be around people, especially children, hates noise and is very anxious a lot of the time.
She doesn't know about all this yet, and we're waiting until everything is sorted out before we tell her.
Does anyone have any advice to give me, about how to prepare her for the news/ shock? What to get organised etc? Thanks.

[BoboChic]

In the circumstances I would keep her in Year 6 next year and have her jump directly to Year 8 the following year.

[Duckdeamon]

I would contact IPSEA and also take it up with the DfE: it's a disgrace!

[mrz]

It's possible to move into secondary out of year but you will need to work this through with the LEA and Educational Psychologist.

The proposed changes to parents rights to start summer borns in reception after their 5th birthday won't apply retrospectively.

[Needanadulttotalkto]

You have my sympathies. Unfortunately I don't have anything very helpful to say except to suggest appealing.

Sodding state bureaucracy!

[ReallyTired]

I think it would be better to start special school in year 7 when no one knows anyone and they all need to make friends.

[Tiggywunkle]

I am not sure where Year 6 is - is it the last year at primary? Is she in mainstream primary or special school primary?

If she is in mainstream primary and you are happy with this current provision then I would absolutely fight this. If she is definitely moving to special school secondary then I would probably want my child to complete mainstream primary and then skip the first year at special school. If she is in special school already then as someone else has said most special schools teach by ability rather than year group. So it often happens that children moving from mainstream to special school do lose the year of education that they repeated earlier. It is fairly normal but it doesn't need to happen either. I wouldn't be bothered at all about losing the year in the special school system especially as an EHCP now goes to 25.
If you are losing a year in the mainstream system then I would fight it. Bear in mind things like there is no legal age to leave primary school. Leaving early is not in your child's best interests. Most powerful of all there is a SENDIST tribunal document that states once a child moves into a new adopted cohort that they should stay with that adopted year group for the rest of their school career.

I personally would call an emergency annual review. The cut offs for school applications don't usually apply for special schools like they go mainstream. At the annual review, I would state exactly what you want. You should ask everyone to tell you why it's in your daughters best interests to skip school year. If it isn't agreed, I would go to appeal. My gut feeling is the SENDIST document would give you the case law. You will get the school choice written in with the new statement / EHCP.
I personally would also want to know why this transfer has not been flagged up with you as there are protocols surrounding transitions and planning and I suspect if you get the old SEN Code of Practice out, you may have an argument based on a failed transition plan alone.
IPSEA should help too. You can always wave the disability discrimination card too - moving your daughter back a year was a reasonable adjustment. Maintaining this would also be a reasonable adjustment too. Putting her back into her 'correct' school year would be disability discrimination because the reasonable adjustment is not being made. The Equality Advisory Service are amazing for submitting formal disability discrimination complaints.
Good luck but don't give up yet! Fight for that extra year!

[chuffinalong]

Thank you. I'm feeling far more positive about it all now. X

[Burnet]

Ah maybe it isn't such a nightmare then, still a surprise though! Hope it works out ok. X

[chuffinalong]

Thank you, yes it does sound as if it could be a blessing in disguise. She wouldn't want to join in the leavers service or take part in the play etc. She had to take a spelling test that the whole class were given last year and she was very upset, telling everyone that she got 0/10.

[mummytime]

I would seriously think avoiding year 6 in ms is probably a blessing in disguise - no SATs, which even if it's low key does make it a more serious year. And at this age she may well find that her friends at ms are developing away from her at an increasing rate.
In my experience of 3 DC having gone through year 6, there is a lot of unpleasantness and "false grown up ness" in year 6's, they actually often seem younger when they get to year 7. Also even some good friendship groups fracture when they discover they are all going to different schools (and some nasty things have been known to be said - "oh that school is awful, full of bullies" etc.)

[chuffinalong]

And yes, she is quite well developed already but it doesn't bother her in the slightest. She doesn't kike me shaving her armpits but I explained that she was going swimming at school and her friends would see it. Her response was "I don't care if they see it! That's the way god made me and if they like me, they just have to like my armpit hair." She is a real character! It does leave her open for teasing though...

[chuffinalong]

Thanks everyone. LIZS- do you remember me as mummyloveslucy? I'm such a give away!

She's in mainstream primary at the mo with a full time one to one lady. We are going to view a special school soon.

[QuestionsaboutDS]

My initial instinct was that I'd fight....but...year 6 at a mainstream school can be particularly difficult for a child with special needs for all sorts of reasons (just been through it with DS) so yes, skipping it might not be such a bad thing if the special school she's going to is flexible.

[LIZS]

I hadn't considered the SATS and Spg test issue of y6, the build up as well as the tests themselves. Also they tend to have a post SAT residential and other end of primary events. If that is something your dd may find difficult , given that she is already isolating herself, maybe moving on at end of y 5 would be a positive thing. If she is physically mature for her age, dealing with puberty with younger girls around may also be something she struggles with and better supported at secondary. Ideally I'd fight for whichever option would make her happier.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

I'm afraid it is the case that many LAs have this policy and will not be moved from it. There are a number of reasons, but that is no help to you.

It sounds from the OP that a school has been allocated. Is this a mainstream or a special school? Which ever it is, I would be proactive in visiting the school, speaking of your concerns and getting to know the people who will be working with your daughter. If it's mainstream, I would ask about enhanced induction, so she has many more opportunities to visit the school before she starts.

The EHCP needs to be very specific about the amount of support she will have- what does she get at present? Is there a member of staff at her current school who could do some transition work with her?

[Lowdoorinthewall]

I think as she's going to Special secondary, so won't be moving on with her peers anyway, it will be fine sending her next year.

TBH, as PP implied, I would jump at the chance to miss the pressure of SATs preparation in mainstream. I think she will be very isolated next year if she can't access the practise questions etc the rest of the class will inevitably spend a lot of time doing.

Y7 in the SS will not be like mainstream, it will be much more sheltered and scaffolded. They may start doing a transition programme this year once the place is named which will help her to cope with the move.

[LIZS]

If she remains in primary for another year is it really going to be noticeable if she enters y8 at ss. Are her cohort likely to move on eksewhere. It sounds as if she has become more aware if their differences now anyway. Presumably the curriculum at ss would be tailored to her ability not age so she can be entered for exams as and when is appropriate.

Btw I think we used to "talk" under previous username.

[chuffinalong]

And it is going to have to be a special school. If it's not, then we'll have no choice but to home educate. She has behaviours which would make her far too vulnerable in main stream.

[chuffinalong]

Thanks everyone! Lots to read up on and think about.

She isn't a summer born child, she's March, so I'm not sure how that would stand?
No private secondary school would take her unless it was a special needs one. I have looked into those, but they are miles away and there is a far bigger mixture of abilities as well as challenging behaviour, which she would find very distressing!
It is very tricky knowing where to place her as she is such a quaint and polite little girl who enjoys the one to attention of an adult she likes, at school, she has no issues with behaviour and likes peace and quiet so that she can concentrate on her work. She has always been very popular with the children and staff. If she didn't have SLD's I'm sure she'd be known as a swat! She's also a great mimic which could cause problems...

The only issue with appealing is that they are holding on for her anyway, as the deadline for applications was last Friday. They can't wait forever and if it's rejected in the mean time, I don't want her to go straight into year 8!

Also re home ed, I did it for 2 years and it almost killed me! She is a really lovely child but extremely demanding of attention and always wanting to play with me. This play is very repetitive and demanding. She was very reluctant to learn anything, and started to not want to attend meet -ups. So in the end she had to go back... She is actually far worse now, wanting to isolate herself all the time. We see her school as her daily dose of 'social'.

Oh and we live in south Devon. I think that was all the questions...

[Stuffofawesome]

The FB group SEN action could be helpful. Run by chap who used to work for the LA now helping parents.

[MisForMumNotMaid]

In the English county I'm in SEN places get allocated in November/ December.

Each statemented/ EHCP child has a council school liaison person allocated for transition and they meet September/ October with the parent/ child/ current setting to discuss transition and wishes for secondary choice.

In parallel you have to submit your three choices for mainstream application to ensure every child is offered a place which depending on level of need can seam a bit mad.

Parents/ carers of SEN pupils then get notified end of Jan with allocated place be it mainstream or special provision and have feb to accept or see if they can appeal. Mainstream places for non statemented/ EHCP pupils are then allocated end March.

Our local families information service are quite active and helped talk me through the process. They may be a good point of contact to explain your countys process, dates and deadlines.

[ReallyTired]

Is the plan that she goes to mainstream secondary? If she goes to a special secondary school then she will not be with her peers.

[TheHouseofMirth]

I think this is wrong. Read section 2.17 of the Revised School Admission Code 2014.

My son is currently in Year 6 and one of his friends with SEN is educated out of year (he did 2 years in Reception). He will be starting secondary school next year in Year 7. Two children in last year's Year 6 with SEN were also educated out of year and were also going to continue to be educated out of year at their secondary schools.

[auntyclot]

Could you Home Educate her again if necessary?

[auntyclot]

You can absolutely fight this and if I were you I would keep her where she is and spend the next year fighting the decision that she will miss year 7 - it gives you time to kick up a stink, also to see if the admission guidelines change. Have you contacted the Summerborn campaign? They have a facebook group - flexible school admission for summerborn children - where people are very clued up and you'd get good advice there from people who have fought these decisions and won.