DS back to school tomorrow - but have no idea which school he's going to.

[cantmakepastry]

DS has some mild SN and as a result of not being properly helped at school we put in a request to move him to another local school just before the summer holidays. Friday afternoon at 4pm I get a call from the LEA so say there is a place at the new school.... Great except that the new school don't know yet and the old school have no idea we want to leave. School starts tomorrow! I am not overly keen to send him to old school for a very short time bearing in mind he has ASD tendancies as it will confuse him.

Does anyone have any idea how long it will take for the transfer to be authorised etc? Am going to ring new school at 8am tomorrow and try to find out. Stress or what?

Keep him home, phone the new school in the morning to arrange a meeting and a visit for DS, phone the old school and explain what is happening (that you are taking ds to visit the new school and he has been offered a place), chances are the new school would have been informed that your ds has a place there (theres often staff at school the week before they go back as they do training ect..) but don't worry if your ds doesn't actually go tomorrow, if he has ASD he will need easing in gently so wil need to look around and meet his teacher before starting and you will need to explain your worries to the head, teacher and SENCO. I'm sure the school can sort it all out within a few days.

My dd's (both ASD) are starting a new school on tuesday, i have not sorted all the paper work out yet so will have to do it on the day they start, but they have visited and i have spoke to the staff about their ASD and what help dd2 will need (she has a statement for 1:1).

Thank you Marne, used to be on the SN boards so am grateful for what I know is very helpful advice.

New school wont have a scooby doo he has a place there as they rang me Friday lunchtime and left me a message saying they had heard nothing from the LEA and had I heard anything? By the time I rang them back they had already left for the weekend. LEA have/are sending me out a letter confirming a place and I have verbally accepted it. Copies will be sent to new and old school.

Am just so nervous about telling old school why I want to leave. Its the same old stories we have heard a million times on the SN board and am not looking forward to having to 'tell' them why we are moving knowing they will get defensive.

I guess I am worried that they are going to get arsey with me that he NEEDS to be at school until the new one is all sorted out. Argh....! Will come back and let you know

Thanks again

I'm in a similar situation, although the details are different we're moving to a different town (bad timing, admittedly) and so we've had to scramle to get the school stuff sorted out before it all starts next week. My kids are 7 and 4, and so will be going into Yr 3 and Reception obviously, we'd like to try to keep them together, but given an offer of places at a less good/further school, we'd rather our daughter (7yr old) took up a place at a good/near school and our son (4yr old) kept going to his nursery until Christmas, at which point he might be able to sibling his way in to join her.

Ugh, it's just so maddening to have school 'starting' tomorrow and yet still not to know where they're going, what uniform to buy, etc. I've been bugging the local education authority over the phone, and they've been very patient with me, but I'm just hoping tomorrow that they give me a firm answer.

They're both at the top of the waiting list for their respective years in the nearest school (just around the corner!) and I really hope they get it. Otherwise it's all going to be very complicated for the next several months.

Stuff happens during summer, right? People move away? Kids take places in other schools? GAH!

Update

Rang new school at 8.05am and said that LEA have offered me a place and they were absolutely brilliant. Said they had worked on the theory he would be coming at some point so had included him in all the class preparations. He had a tray, peg all labelled up properly and acted like they had been expecting him all all along. Amazing considering they weren't actually sure of this until I rang them up this morning! They were so kind and caring and when DS was in a mass of sobs they were so good with him I left feeling confident they would handle him ok. Then I blubbed when I got outside Roll on 2.30pm when I can go pick him up, dying to see how he got on.

Nerv0us, how did you get on today?
Marne, really really hope all goes ok for your 2 DD's tomorrow, let us know

Glad it worked out! We're still waiting, as yesterday was what my kids call an 'Insect Day' at the school, so it starts properly today. We have been offered a place at a very good school but one that would require us to bundle into the car and drive across town every morning, which is less than ideal. Here's hoping the nearby school comes through with a place today.

Great news cantmakepastry , so please it is sorted for you and i hope he settles in and enjoys his new school. Took mine in this morning, Dd2 went in without crying (we had a few wobbles at home), she was holding her ears but said 'goodbye' to me, we have been lucky that we have taken her TA with us from the old school so she had a fimiliar face to great her this morning, just hoping the phone doesn't ring. I think i was more worried than they were (dd1 was very excited). Fingers crossed all goes as well for your ds.

Marne - Am so pleased your DD's got on well , wonderful news! Did the phone ring?

Nerv0us - did you hear anything today?

DS came out of school yesterday beaming from ear to ear declaring he didn't need his old school anymore . Was really excited to go today and went well right up until he set foot in the classroom and it dawned on him that he knew none of the kids and didn't feel he could join in on any of the table activities so chose one on his own. The bottom lip began to wobble but he insisted "I am fine mummy, I am fine mummy, you can go now!" Bless him So badly want him to hurry up and find himself a little mate. Sigh. I knew moving schools would pull on the heartstrings but blimey this is hard at times. Hoping in a couple of weeks he will have begun to feel more part of the furniture.

Phone didn't ring, she managed a whole day and only had one small meltdown because asembely was in the afternoon not the morning (like her old school), she came home very happy and can't wait to go again tomorrow. Dd1 made a friend but cant remember anyones names (hopfully she will tomorrow), she said everyone was staring at her because she's new , she seems happy though and understands it will take time to make friends, we are going to give brownies a go next week as some of the girls in her class go.