Recommendations for mainstream schools in Guildford with SEN support

[EatPrayLoveMum]

Hello Mums,

I have recently joined work in Puttenham and have been travelling from London everyday. I have a 7 years old DD and 2 year old DS.
We are planning to move to Guildford and have been actively looking for a place to move on rent. My DD is a beautiful girl who goes to a main stream school in London and has a rare chromosome disorder which makes her a slow learner.She is a happy healthy and very friendly girl. She had TA support in her previous school. All her needs are not very pronounced and only lagging in Maths right now.
I am not sure which state schools have support for SEN in guildford.
I have been looking for accommodation closer to Guildford station as my DH still works in central London.
I have two schools popping up in my school checker often, Sandfield primary school and Pewley Down Infant school. I have looking at looking for a Ofsted outstanding and good schools.
Please pour in your thoughts on the preferred schools, school admissions and school environment. I would really be grateful.
Just want to see my little girl happy and learning!

Thanks in Advance!!

All schools will (should) have effective SEN support, but since your daughter has had more targeted support in the past, I’d be looking at schools with excellent SEND provision, rather then simply focusing on outstanding schools.

You need to be able to visit and find out what type of support your daughter could expect and whether the school will be able to meet her needs and of course, whether there are spaces.

Is she going into year three?

Do you have an EHCP? If so, I would talk to casework about which school could meet your DD's needs.

If you don't have an EHCP I doubt you will have much choice. You just need to phone the Council and see which schools have spaces.

If you do have choice, bear in mind that outstanding schools are not necessarily the most inclusive schools.

Hello @Foxyloxy1plus1 Thank you for getting back on this. Yes I think I will have to do that as you say this area needs to be discussed well with the head teacher and concerned SENco of that school.

Yes @AustrianSnow thank you for responding. Yes she is going to Year 3 now.

Hello @Harken53rig thank you for responding. I do have an EHCP for her because of which she has been getting the required support. But since the EHCP was processed by my previous school I had minimum interaction with the council.
Could you guide me a little on the casework, who would that be in my case. I think I would know the name just that I need a little reference on the term I am familiar with.

Your EHCP will need to be transferred from your London borough to Guildford and a new educational placement named.

I would phone the SEN team at Guildford Council. Explain that you are moving into County and ask them what their procedures are for adopting your EHCP and naming a new placement.

I expect what will happen is that you will be able to go and see schools (you don't need to worry about catchments) and then name your parental preference. The school you choose will be 'consulted' for a place (they will receive all your DD's paperwork and have a window in which they say whether or not they can meet needs) and you will be told the outcome of the consultation.

Thats excellent information @Harken53rig. Its succinct. I have the POC for my London Borough for the EHCP in my council. I will ring her up and say that I am planning to move to Guildford and can you help me with the transfer.
Hugs, thank you for helping me out!
Once I will have schools to visit I will also run it through this group just to get some additional information about the school. Something which doesn't surface in my discussions.

Thanks!!

Guildford is located in South West Surrey, so the SEND team will be the South West one (unless they’ve changed things since I lived there). I’d try looking on the Surrey CC website for information about the right people to speak to. They may be able to advise about vacancies too.

Spaces won't really matter Foxy as pupils with EHCPs can be placed over PAN numbers. Of course schools may object to a consultation if they are already full, but the council can place anyway.

OP, your London borough may not be that helpful TBH- you are moving away so they may wash their hands. Of course, if they are great, they may help. It's really Guildford/ Surrey that you need to work with.

Good luck with it.

For what it is worth I would look for a school with a resource base. Not in any way because your DD needs a resource base, but just because schools with these provisions tent to be more used to and better at inclusion in general.

Quick look at the local offers shows that Burpham Primary has a base. Not for the same needs as your DD, and I really don't suggest you try to get a space in any base as it would complicate things for you. However, you know somewhere like Burpham will be well used to making adjustments and providing the right support (rather than Velcro support).

Hello Foxy, I have been going through the Surrey website. I haven't yet mentioned it to the London Borough but as you say they would be less keen to advice and they might see the aid going away.

Dear Harken My DD was going to a main stream outstanding school with a very inclusive way of teaching and they were very open to all provisions.She was allowed to sit for her English SATs but not for the Maths. I would really love to see that kind of support extended to her in her future school.
Do you have any clue if schools in Surrey have that kind of outlook. I am going to make a quick call to the council and see how receptive they are.

I have had some wonderful Mums above with first hand information, and some of them have PMed with more information. I am really thankful to all of you. This thread had helped me a lot. [RESOLVED]