Managed out of independent

[gentileschi]

My 5 year old son is being managed out of his independent school, we effectively have 2.5 weeks to get something for Sept or come up with home ed plan. Any advise on how to navigate this? My son has an ASD diagnosis with PDA profile. He is not a school refuser and is up, washed and not in burn out or anything which is all I see advise for on pda sites. He just won't do anything he doesn't want to or isn't interested in. He is bright curious and interested in the world, his learning is coming along steadily. I can't see any places at any school let alone consider if he would fit there. Can online learning work at 5 years old? Is there a home education governing body? Who is supposed to look after us? Can you give advice on what I should be doing?

I realise the school are talking rubbish about getting the ehcp and that I can't find anywhere without it.

You can find a school without an EHCP. The LA must offer DS a place. It may not be a school of your choice, though.

Has an EHCNA actually been requested?

If I home school then he will loose his right to future education (easily) and this could be an issue later.

I’m not sure what you mean by this? EHE now doesn’t lose the right to future education. Although, personally, I wouldn’t EHE.

Unfortunately, the school does not have to keep DS on roll until you find somewhere else or say otherwise.

@gentileschi

Where do you live, OP?

The point of the Steiner system is that children's learning is mostly self directed. You've described him as motivated by things he is interested in and that's what they work with. His behavioural issues may be worse now because he doesn't fit into the regimented learning in mainstream settings. Even though he's young he still has to comply with what staff have planned and not what he wants to do or the way he wants to do it. An alternative style of education may be more suitable for him.

@No33 whatever you call it it's a family trait and they are all doing brilliantly under their own terms in leadership roles. PDA fits the bill but he is clean, in school, learning, not burnt out but causing them too much of a problem. He is very much unique.

@@gentileschi There are truckloads of kids like this in the university town where I live. It might be worth moving to a unversity town.

Having said that I'm currently home ed with an EOTAS package. There are too many kids and not enough schools here.

But he has an asd diagnosis, and the Steiner philosophy is that disabilities are a direct result of sin of the parents, so probably not the best place for a child with a disability, if they are going to blame the parents for sinning, is it

@SlowlyForward An issue in Silicone Valley too. Is this a gene pool issue? Parents too similar? I heard on the radio there’s been some research into this.

I think in our family yes. We met in research jobs at the university, so ds got a double dose.

Bruern Abbey would be a good fit if you're anywhere near there. Montessori wouldn't take him so I wouldn't pursue that path.

Bruern Abbey is only from 8. They are also unlikely to admit a boy with the profile OP describes.

OP lots of bright, able children with PDA can look like they are coping at 5, 6, 7... things tend to fall apart at the transition to secondary (if they haven't beforehand). It is unlikely that things will 'settle down' around 7 if indeed he does have a PDA profile.

My eldest is likely undiagnosed asd and pda.
And probably high iq/gifted
Issues at state from nursery right through to now y8.
Reeption particularly bad. Was ok for first 2w until all kids were in together.
She was very ahead with reading but got behind with maths which by y6 she wasnt really doing any work in lessons.
Lockdown was awful as she took all day to do the maths work.
Some things have got a bit better into y7 now will do the math (but is doodling art in most subjects). As i was certain she wouldnt choose to go into school or to any lessons..
She wouldnt do pe really in primary but will at secondary.

So it maybe that your ds may improve but certainly here 7yo is still in thick of avoidance.
Without an ehcp basically a dc can be left to it in state

The local education board have to find him a place.

My son has ASD with PDA profile. It’s been a rocky path although things are solid right now. He started really struggling at the end of Reception although signs were there from toddlerhood. By the end of year 2 he was not engaging with anything at all, spending all day with a 1:1 but not really doing anything. His reactions in the classroom had been either to run or fight - overturning furniture or lashing out at adults. He had some excellent professional help but ultimately lockdown undid some of the progress and the decision was made that he needed specialist provision. That was transformative and when we had to move house he was then able to go back into mainstream (with 1:1 support). He has just sat his SATS and will be moving to a specialist unit in a mainstream secondary. At the age of 6 I thought he might be a youth offender by his early teens (having read about outcomes) but he was lucky to be able to get the right help when he needed it. He certainly hasn’t grown out of anything but everyone around him understands very well how to approach things. I still worry that puberty will cause further changes but we’ll see. His needs do shape our lives but he is achieving as well as he can.

The ECHNA will include professional reports that will make recommendations for the best ways to support your son. They will become the basis of any discussions with schools about whether they can meet your child’s needs (state or private). They can make tough reading. I found the reality of how disruptive my child was in school very upsetting although he had some fantastic adults around him, and he was a little boy who wasn’t in the right setting. But I hope you get some clarity on what sort of support might help him access learning.

Oh my, I'm even more overwhelmed now

Please don't feel bad, OP. I think you are on the right track. Even though it feels overwhelming now, you have some positives.

You have a diagnosis. You have a school that has started the EHCP process and can vouch for his difficulties. You are prepared to home educate if necessary.
This is a great start.

I don't think it's necessary to rush into a new school placement in order to "engage with the state sector" or "evidence his needs" by letting him fail.

Don't send him anywhere that doesn't seem right for him.

Fwiw: I got my child into specialist SEN provision from Home Ed. And with relatively little difficulty, too. So it absolutely can be done.

In your position, I would see out the EHCP process while meeting his educational needs at home. Once a satisfactory EHCP is in place, you can approach the council and take up your right to a state education. If that's what you both want by that point.

Fwiw I found the Home Education Officer at the council really helpful in getting DS back into school when the time was right.

@unlimiteddilutingjuice thank you. I've got time to breathe and take it all in now I know there is no rush. I'll explore all options available which I'm looking at from all areas and see what I think fits him the best. Mostly I'd like to have some rest and fun and stop this stressy school's drama. I know he's just so funny, confident, and smart that he will be perfectly fine. He is just fine, it's the school that's not coping. I think he's dented the wrong ego.

@gentileschi

Could you say where you live, roughly, in case someone can give local advice pls?

Go and visit some state schools. Some state schools are very very good with SEN others are crap. You need to visit and chat with the SENCO. In some cases the larger schools are often better set up to cater for SEN needs as they often have a base/ learning mentor/ nurture groups/ more support staff/ occasionally a non teaching SENCO and often other students with SEN needs creating more of a peer group. A mainstream is often the way to a specialist placement as many LAs push until a failure at mainstream first. A good mainstream with a good Senco is very good at pushing back to the LA about not been able to meet needs and helping gather evidence for a SS placement been required whilst also trying to preserve the feelings of the student.

Get yourself an EHCP as priority. You may then also start exploring SEN provision as well. Again it's a matter of visiting and researching. PDA is an interesting one, we have 2 in the family with PDA, both at specialist ASD schools. They are absolutely thriving at their specialist provision so you may not need to Home Ed.

One thing I will say is try really hard not to take DS out of an education setting. Once you opt to home ed, some LAs basically wash your hands of you and educating your child becomes your problem instead of theirs. Some very callous LAs basically push parents to HE to get out of having to pay for educational provision.

I would head over to then SN boards as there are many posters there with a wealth of experience and know how to navigate the system better than many at the LA. It's worth also having a research around Special Needs Jungle, SOSSEN, SENDISS ect.

West Midlands but we're not from here originally and move for work so are hesitantly looking all over uk (well, Oxford/south) and possibly globally.

Thank you. I think this is where I'm landing. It's been such a roller coaster, I'm glad I've time to make the correct decision because I've changed my mind each minute! I have options and viewings booked. Let's see where I land.

Thank you everyone for all your comments and help. 🙏🏻

@gentileschi

This might be helpful, OP.

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education/extra-help-at-school/england/ehc-assessment

OP, has an EHCNA actually been requested? If it has, what week are you on?

I wouldn’t move during the EHCP process. And if you get an EHCP and move, you need to be aware the new LA will review the EHCP and potentially reassess, amend or propose to cease to maintain. You will be able to appeal, but it is something you need to be aware of because appeals take time.

Be careful with SENDIASS. Some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.

@gentileschi, Having worked in Sen, if the school can arrange an echp by the end of term it won't be worth the paper it is written on! It takes a long time and the LA have to do their bit. In my area, EHCPS are taking over a year from echp needs assessment. But, the school will need the echp to get funding to put other learning resources in place. This might mean he can attend eotas arrangements such as riding school, small base provision, forest school and so on. Google local offer for your area. Also IPSEA.

Additionally, if they've put him on a part time timetable, are they recording his absence correctly? Technically a part time timetable is an illegal exclusion if there is no intention to work him back up to full time school. Although this should all be used to evidence need for the echp.

EHCPs are governed by statutory timescales. While many LAs think they can ignore these timescales, if the LA fails to comply, parents can enforce them, via judicial review if necessary.

The statutory exclusion guidance doesn’t apply to wholly independent schools. The school must have a behaviour/exclusion policy which complies with the Equality Act 2010, but they do not have to follow the statutory guidance.

https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/life-with-pda-menu/family-life-intro/school/