Significant reasons

[emmajanep]

Help!
I am writing a primary school application for my son who has a language disorder and social communication problems. He is being assessed for special needs but this will not be finished before the application is due. I would like him to go to a school out of our catchment area because they have specialist speech and language provision. I need to make a "significant reasons" arguement for this on the application form. Does anyone have any advice on wording the application - I have heard it needs to be a really good case. All the local council say is that we need to prove only that school can meet the needs of our son.
Thank you
a stressed mum!

He doesn't have to have a statement for his Special Needs to count. What you need is a letter from a professional (GP will do) to confirm that he does have a genuine problem with language and communication- and then you need to argue for why this school is the only one that will do (specialist provision).

You don't, pace your LEA, need "to prove only that the school can meet the needs of your son", you need to prove that only this school can meet the needs of your son.

emmajanep,
A lot depends on exactly where you are upto with the assessment. Are the LA saying that the assessment will lead to a statement of need or not? If you have a statement of need then you can as the parent name the school you wish your son to go to and unless there are very specific circumstances you will get a place at the school. What is important apart from naming the school is that you get the place no matter the situation with whether the school is full or not.
Reading between the lines I suspect you are not at that point and you therefore have had to apply in the normal way. As Cory says you have to argue why this is the only school that is appropriate for your son. Evidence from your GP and reference to the current assessment (especially who is involved in the LA) will be needed also. I would also look to update the LA with the latest situation about 3 to 4 weeks before the places are allocated, so that they are reminded of the "significant reasons" which may by then be even more well documented.

The only thing I would add is to make sure that any evidence from your GP or any other professional says "in my opinion" or similar, not "emmajanep tells me".