Current school and new schools contacting each other

[drspouse]

I have posted in SEN about this but this is a bit more of a general issue.

Our DS is in Y2 and his current school are saying they can't meet his needs. We're just waiting for the outcome of the EHCP panel but we are sure they are going to approve 1:1 (he currently has this) and then it's a case of what else we think he needs that we may need to appeal for.

Current school are pushing us to look at special schools so they can get rid. We think he could manage a smaller mainstream school (currently things like playground noise, noisy classrooms next to each other etc. are a struggle for him).

We rang one smaller mainstream school that was recommended to us by a carer who knows the local schools. Instead of ringing us back, the other school rang his current school (and didn't ring us back).

We are not sure if we can do anything about this. We wanted to contact smaller mainstream schools once we have his EHCP confirmed. But what can we do to prevent his current school from talking to them (and them from talking to his current school)?

Do we HAVE to tell other schools where he is currently? Are they allowed to talk to other schools about him?

The SENDCO who wrote the EHCP is perfectly happy with his diagnosis.
He's also seen the OT and the EP. Is that what is meant by multi agency?

The SENDCO shouldn't be writing his plan. The LA writes the plan based on reports from professionals from education, health and social care. These reports should identify, specify and quantify the provision needed.

Surely the new school would just ask to see the copy of the EHCP and give an opinion to whether they can meet your sons needs.

The SENDCO is the LEA person here. Confusing as the school person is SENCO but that's what they call them.

Maldives that was our assumption, and we've been asked to give permission to share it before, but clearly we need to see the school too.

Perhaps it is because he doesn't yet have the final EHCP? I wonder if they'd go about it differently then.

I would always encourage professionals to talk to each other rather than just rely on formal documents (assuming consent). You are going to get a much more detailed and potentially nuanced picture of any situation through conversation and documents rather than just documents, multi agency conversations are good practice.

amp.theguardian.com/education/2019/may/07/cuts-heads-refuse-school-places-pupils-special-needs

I saw this and thought of this thread. I think it is the real problem you are dealing with.

Why is he seeing a psychiatrist - I would think it's quite unusual for a seven-year-old?

Only a medical doctor can diagnose ADHD. I believe in some areas this is a community paediatrician but where we are it's a psychiatrist. We'd have seen a psychiatrist if we'd stayed on the NHS waiting list and as it happened we saw a psychiatrist privately (he also diagnoses ADHD through the NHS in the Trust he works for, but it's not our Trust).

Anyway to update school are now saying "maybe a smaller mainstream school would suit him". After having told us he's never going to be able to go to a mainstream school again...

Having had a 2 hour meeting with the LEA bod this morning to agree on what was wrong with the EHCP, and a migraine, I have not rung any more/rung back any mainstream schools but it's on my to do list for tomorrow.

I posted on my other thread but we've now seen 4 special schools (3 massively unsuitable, one possible but a few issues), two small mainstream schools and at least one or two more to see.

Back to your original question, yes it is usual for HT's to share information about pupils as part of a change of schools. In my LA we have an even more formal system than that with a document that needs to be completed and signed off by both HT's involved before a move is agreed. This includes the parents having to agree to talk to the next school too.

In my LA there were too many parents avoiding accountability by flitting on to the next school when things get a bit tricky in the current school. It maybe something simple like attendance but when pressure is put on to confirm, the child is moved. Sharing of information allows HT's to try and work with the family rather than them simply moving on and starting again. Very much in the interests of continuity for the child and if the move does go ahead allows for early support.

Hi, I posted but cannot see my post, so hope it is not a repeat. I wonder since this 2019 post how your journey is going? I understand where you are coming from!

The potential school should not ask for information about a child from the current school unless they have offered a place and it has been accepted.

If the potential school has concerns that it may not be able to meet the needs of a child, it should speak to the parents and ask for contacts names at the LA it can speak to who are involved in the child's case.

It is a breach of GDPR. One of our schools was approached for information from another school prior to an offer being made to a child and we reported concerns to the LA. They came down very heavily on them. It doesn't matter if the schools are maintained or academy.