Can anyone help me navigate a sea of statmenting and admissions confusion?

[Blu]

DS, 3.9, has a mobility disability as a result of no fibula, short leg, small foot and no articulation in his ankle. He is independently mobile, and agile, but now uses a 5cm shoe raise, which can't be increased. He falls over a lot more than other children, can't run as fast (other children are already commenting on this - it is a fact), and has a hypermobile knee so needs a bit of extra 'watching'.
He will have v serious bone-lengthening surgery during his primary years, which involves having his leg in a fixator frame for upto a year, and probably two additional operations too. Our consultant has said that the ability of his school to support him during lengthening is vital as the child needs to co-operate. The charitable magazine we subscribe to has case histories in which children in fixators have felt severely insecure at school and it has given them psychological and educational problems.

In discussion with his consultant, Physio and GP, they have all agreed that he needs a small school with strong links to fmailies and other parents, and staff who can keep an eye on him.

But guess what - the small schools are the ones which are hardest to get into, and our nearest school is huge and a racetrack, with a high turnover of teachers etc.

I have been trying to get an answer from our LEA since 9th Feb on what 'SN' actually means in the admission criteria. No answer. No information.

We have just been turned down by our top favourite school - a small school with v flat access throughout the building, because although they put SN 2nd in the admission criteria, it now transpires that that means Statemented.

All the other schools we have applied to have SN way down the priority criteria.

Do children like DS qualify for a Statement? (he doesn't need an extra worker or anything - may need some physical support if he uses crutches etc after surgery)
How do I get a Statement? All the info I can find is how to get a statment once a child is IN school.
Could I get one by the deadline for appeal for the school we have just been rejected from?
What on earth can I do? Our aplications to the schools have consultants letters etc....but it seems to make no difference.

I am of course v upset about all this - and especially that the LEA won't even give me the info, and may have scupered our chances of our top favourite school by not telling me about Statementing in time.

We are contacting IPSEA but they seem only to deal with the problem a but later down the line, at appeal stage.

I also have lots of info about statementing but am assuming you won't go down this route due to time constraints?

Don't know if this will help but if you go to here and download the top Excel spreadsheet under Additional Information, there is a table (15) which shows that in 2003 Lambeth only statemented 1 child who was registered in an early years education setting.

Now that says to me that they don't readily statement pre-schoolers and therefore it makes a mockery of that being used as selection criteria for schools.

Bumping; and Heartinthecountry's last point is a good one - if only 1 or 2 preschoolers are statemented every year, then surely having a statement is an unreasonable admission criterion, which discriminates against the vast majority of children with disabilities?

Also, if it's the LEA's fault that ds hasn't got a statement, how can it be reasonable for the same LEA to deny him a place at the school most suitable for him?

talk to ipsea- they're your best bet for help.

something tiddlypom said though- there is no requirement - legal or otherwise-for the LEA to place your son in the best school for him, they only have to place him in a suitable school. This means that when you appeal you have to prove that the school they want him in is unsuitable and the school you want him in is the only school that can meet his needs.

Thank you all very much indeed. Tiddleypom, I will indeed CAT you becaause those books sound v useful.

I have now ascertained that the school will accept applications on the basis of SN without a statement, and having sent a v assertive message to Lambeth about the effects of their lamentable failure to give me any information since I first asked in Feb, and my intention to make this clear in a complaints procedure, the Head of SEN is calling me shortly.

One way and another, we are going to be all right - whether at this school or one of the other 2 schools that would be ideal for BoyBlu.

We are also getting some very solid support fro an organisation called parents For Inclusion - I will post details later, as they may be of help to others. they have a v soppy 'bad poem' song that they send out, but have been sterling on their helpline.

Thank you for bearing with me during my upset phase. BoyBlu is so perky and energetic, and agile at things like climbing, that I am always sure people will think I am a fraud when I talk about his less obvious and future needs, and worry that I am losing all perspective.

Well done, blu. Hang on in there hon. I hope you get some good answers from the head of SEN. IME/O, don't get obsessed by the procedural crap- the LEA can decide whether boyblu needs a statement or not (not, it should be, but let them sweat it). You meanwhile, let them know clearly what Boyblu needs and wave any written and medical evidence you have in their faces. Be utterly immovable on the fact that you will accept no less than what boyblu needs but as flexible as you can be on accepting that there could be different ways of meeting his needs. The fact that you have identified three schools he could attend rather than one, for example, is great and will be persuasive in convincing any LEA tossers (unfortunately there are some, though they are a minority) that you are not trying to bypass usual admissions systems. In other words, you really, really, really are doing all the right things. Everything crossed for you and the boy. xxxxxx

Congratulations - really glad you got the LEA to pull their finger out

I'll wait for your CAT - I'll be glad to see all the info put to good use.

blu, glad you have put some wind up the sails of your LEA.

Can I tell you about a boy in my oldest son's class? He's had bone lengthening surgery too, and has been on crutches since last September, but is soon having an operation so he can walk without them again.

As 11 year old boys go, he is the most independent, sporty and tough person you could ever meet. And I mean tough in a nice way. He is extremely nice, polite and exceptinally single minded. He looks rather fragile, but my son (double his size) tells me no one ever gets on the wrong side of him, as he is a mean fighter and runs like the wind. I took a group of boys bowling a year or so ago - this boy beat everyone hands down.

He does everything the other children do at school - the surgery meant he couldn't go on the week long school trip to an activity centre, but that was the first time I have known him to sit out anything and my son tells me he is really looking forward to getting rid of the crutches so he can play take his place in the school football team again.

As for school layout - yes, our school is small and relatively orderly, but there are steep steps and stairs everywhere. AFAIK this boy has never had a problem, though obviously while he is using crutches, steps ares not ideal.

I don't know exactly what condition he has, but if you want me to ask his mother any questions, I will.

I bet you'll keep that gp's letter forever. It bought tears to my eyes, too.

Sorry everyone, I have been getting on with the appeal, and talking to the LEA. All your advice has been really useful - if anyone is making an appeal, I strongly recommend the DfES booklets that Tiddlypom passed on to me - and will happily pass them on in due course.

We are going to have to put quite a strong case, and to show that they can take an extra child, as they have filled all their places - but the DfES guidelines say that taking one over the quota in the contaext of SEN as a result of disability will be considered reasonable.

The Head of SEN told me that he considers that BoyBlu would be eligible for a Statement, and is prepared to agree assessment - but that a 'notice in Lieu of Statment' should suffice. This is v good grist to the appeal mill.

I am going back to the other schools now to ammend our application letters in the light of everything i have learned in thsi process. I need a contingency back-up plan, and the other schools do not allocate places for Jan 2006 until the autumn.

Tigermoth - I will e mail you about the boy at your DS's school - thanks!

I can't think how I missed this, not that I have anything helpful to contribute other than righteous indignation that all this was made so very hard for you at the outset by your LEA, Blu. Really hoping all the good advice you and others have now unearthed will get you your objective.
Have had a quick snuffle at that sweet comment about your dear boy. GPs can suddenly come up trumps can't they
Wishing you all the best in this XXX

Just wanted to bump this up to say a big thank you for everyone who helped, encouraged and commiserated on this thread.
My news is GOOD!
I finally have a very helpful connection with a case officer who will guide us through the ifs and buts of statementing, if necessary, I have submitted an Olympic standard appeal, and best of all, TWO of the other small flat schools we applied to (both of which are excellent schools) have offered DS a place! One does all allocations at this time of year, the other makes SEN allocations now even tho' the whole list doesn't get decided until later.
So I might actually withdraw the appeal to the first school - if they put SEN as a high admissions priority, but made it v difficult for us, I would prefer to go for a school which made DS a priority even tho SEN was a lower priority, iyswim.

excellent news

Fab.

xxxxxxxxxx

PS can he come round and mentor DD1 as she turns into Vicky Pollard at her prospective school from Sept?

great news blu!

Fantastic news - really glad to hear it!

Good news Blu, hope it all goes well.