Norwich Free School - some questions

[redwellybluewelly]

I am beginning to look at school options for my older child, she has Cerebral palsy and is showing signs of some development delay including speech and cognitive function. However she will be expected to attend mainstream school with support.

This is doubly hard on her as she is an August baby and so will also have the summer born issues.

DC1 won't be a high academic achiever, end of, I would like a rounded education including music and art, and the chance to be outdoors and have a vocational element to school rather than a very academic one - very very unlikely that DC1 won't have a statement by 4yo.

A friend suggested the free school - I know absolutely nothing about it and the website doesn't seem to tell me a great deal. I assume it isn't fee paying? Do they have a uniform? To what degree are SEN supported? What marks it as different? What benefits are there to attending?

Would really appreciate feedback as we will soon be writing to heads of out local schools to ask about their experience with supporting children with cognitive challenges. Many thanks.

I know that free schools are free of the national curriculum however you MUST consider a school which has appropriate SEN provision. Therefore you need to visit and ask some searching questions about the provision they will make for your dd. Free schools have been set up by parent, faith or other groups to offer an alternative to local schools. This may be to have a different philosophy or to make extra places available . They are Government funded and parents do not pay. They have greater freedoms to decide on curriculum and policies for themselves. Personally I would steer clear as a lot of them are very newly created and have buildings which are not as good as well established schools. What would be wrong with looking at your local school first to avoid travelling? You seem to want to avoid local schools - grass is not always greener! You should also investigate Ofsted inspections to see if SEN is well catered for in the schools you are looking at but the free school will not have one of these yet. Do they actually welcome and include SEN children at the free school?. A free school may have different admission policies and may say they cannot meet your daughter's needs. I have never come across a vocational element at a primary school so your wishes here are a bit premature. Primary schools offer a similar curriculum but you may find one more musical than another. You tend to know instinctively where your child is best suited but as she has needs, I would visit soon - not sure about writing. Some schools may agree to her being down a year but that is not always the right answer for self esteem reasons.

Thanks for yhe input, I'm not sure where you got the impression I wanted to avoid local schools? In fact the Free School is not far away and certainly closer than our other choice of independent school.

When would be the best time to visit? Let the dust settle perhaps from start of term maybe? The reason I would write first then visit and meet the head is because we have lots of questions and if they cannot offer the support DC needs we haven't wasted their time or ours on visiting.

My absolute favourite primary school is unfortunately over half an hour from home and supports a huge range of children with outdoor space, lots of play based activities rather than formal academic targets. Wish more schools like that existed.

And we're also investigating the delaying of school but it will be a battle (not deferring the start which is different) and I really am not sure what to do for the best.

hi red i am in norwich.

the free school is a 20/25min walk from my house. yes they have a uniform. some parents local to me send their kids there.

i think.it is a lottery entry system and quite hard to get a place.

where in norwich are you? did you come on a night out once?

not sure about its special needs provision. tbh i havent heard good things about free schools and sn provision.

which other schools are you looking at? pm me :)