Considering changing school preferences because of recent diagnosis?

[Purp1e]

I’m a bit torn between what to do. DD will be starting primary school (reception) in September. The deadline for the forms was earlier this month (although ours went in about November because we were so confident what we wanted) but now I’ve completely changed my mind.

DD has recently been diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) (basically rheumatoid arthritis in kids). Although it’s not nice for her and to be frank, quite scary for us, it has come as a relief as the last few months been hell not knowing what was wrong with her and being able to do nothing.

Now DD has been diagnosed there are going to be a lot of hospital appointments for the rest of her life. I don’t want this to get in the way of her going to school. I want her to have as normal a life as possible. Because of this, I was considering trying to get her into a school near the hospital to minimise the amount of time away from school or tying to get her into a closer school to our home which has experience of SEND and medical conditions.

To me it seems like a good idea, she hasn’t started school yet so she hasn’t formed any friendship groups that will be broken up. A school nearer the hospital will be easier for the hospital and for my work so it makes it more convenient to pick her up and drop her off from any appointments compared to our first preference school, big plus point, the schools around the hospital are definitely better than our local schools. However, this means school will be further away from home and I will have to take her in the car every day which worries me that all her friends won’t live near to us. DH thinks it could be a good idea but isn’t overly convinced.

Another thing I’ve thought about is a school more local to us, which we did name as a preference but last preference. At the time, although DD was having her problems they were not as serious and seemed like a one off thing because they went away (turns out this is the nature of JIA). At the time we didn’t think it would be the best school because (and I’m regretting it now) their results are poor and the school requires improvement. However, this school has a lot of SEND children which they care a lot for. They seemed very supportive of these children when we looked around and it’s closer to our house and DHs work. DD will be able to have local friends and would be able to walk to school every day regardless of the weather (which we have been told is very good for children with JIA because it helps theirs joints). DH thinks this is a better idea than a school nearer the hospital.

On the other hand, our first preference school (which we are likely to get) is a very good school and are supportive of all the children. They do have a few SEND children but this is mainly dyslexia. This is even further away from the hospital than our local school.
However, it is still local and convenient for DHs work and DD will still have local friends. She will still be able to walk to school but only on good days because it’a further away.

I don’t even want our 2nd preference school any more. It seems totally wrong. It’s an excellent school with brilliant results but it’s set up for those wanting grammar schools and I’m concerned that DD would fall behind because of missing school and this might affect her in the long term. I may be totally wrong but I just can’t seem it working at all not if DD has to miss school, they don’t seem very well set up for SEND, and logistically for hospital it’s horrible for both me and DH.

Anyone else had a similar experience (not of JIA, but DCs which have conditions which required a lot of hospital visits). Did you move schools? Did you work with the school you already had?

Where we are schools tend to be oversubscribed. Would we have a chance if a place in a school near the hospital? Is it worth the extra effort on our part every day just to make sure DD doesn’t miss any more school than necessary? Is this even a good idea?

Is it worth asking if we can change our preferences to put our closest school first because they seem set up for children with SEND and other conditions?

Or is it worth working with our given school (when we get it and it’s likely to be our first preference) and see what we can put in place?

Are we allowed to change preferences? Has anyone ever done this? If we did would it be a late application?

Sorry for all the questions, I’m just worried that we have made all the wrong decisions and would like to make the changes now before it’s too late.

Do check with the LA whether changing your preferences doesn't result in your application being considered as late, and therefore considered after on time applications. If they tell you it won't be classed as late make sure you get their answer in writing.

As to whether you would get a place at a school near the hospital, it depends on if it is oversubscribed or has a medical and social needs category. If it is undersubscribed you would be offered a place. If it is oversubscribed and doesn't have a medical and social needs category you wouldn't unless you would get an offer ordinarily. If it was oversubscribed but did have a medical and social need admission category and you could show only that school was suitable and provide medical evidence of that being a professional's opinion too you may be considered under that. Any letter from a professional should state "In my opinion X is the only suitable school because..." Not "Mum tells me X school is the only suitable school..."

Needing to be able to walk to school is the type of thing that would be considered under social and medical needs, as is needing to go to the nearest school or a school without stairs or with a lift or with a physio room. Whatever your DD needs.

I have DC with medical needs, not JIA, but needing appts and time off sometimes. We spoke to the schools to gauge how supportive they were and what they could offer. You could do the same. We personally went with the school we felt had the provision to meet DCs needs and be supportive. Also, a willingness to listen and learn goes a long way, even if the school initially haven't got a clue about the condition.

Being absent from school doesn't necessarily mean your DD will struggle academically. So don't worry about that just yet.

There are some extremely helpful admission experts on the main boards that will be able to give you the legalities of changing preferences at this stage if you don't get any more answers here.

Thank you so much. I will check with the LA and see what they say. I’ll have a look into the schools around the hospital (still unsure whether this is a good idea but looking can’t hurt while we make a decision)

Excellent advice about talking to the schools and about their willingness to listen and learn. I hadn’t considered this fully but your so right.

Currently we are unsure of what DD will need long term, we just know there are a lot off hospital visits to come and they are keen on her to keep moving and active as much as possible.

I might put this in the main boards as suggested. Again, thank you

The timing is all wrong for you.
If you go to the admission authority now to change your admission preferences then you will be treated as being a late application. That means you will not receive a place in April, unless there are plenty of spaces still available in the area. As a late application you will be added to the lists for the schools you prefer from April 15th, when others are allocated places. It is then a question of seeing what happens in terms of parents accepting and rejecting places that have been offered and hoping that you are offered a place.
I would suggest you do nothing at present and see what happens in April. By then you may well have more information on your daughter's condition. I would accept the school offered, as this then guarantees the place. Then you can decide whether you want to be considered for other schools and appeal for those schools. You should also put yourself down on the waiting list for any schools that you want.
What I think you also need to consider is the long-term effects of the schools you want on your daughter - do any have lots of stairs or on a slope which will cause more difficulty for your daughter.

Purp1e I think you should think carefully about your rationale for changing school choices. This time before DC start school is a very anxious time for every mum and on top of that you have had a diagnosis, but I'm not sure that that means you should change your school preferences. First of all are you sure that she will need that many appointments, my experience is with adults with rheumatoid arthritis and whilst it is a serious illness and the medication response requires monitoring they don't actually have that many appointments, it may be different with children but you could check with your GP? Also as someone who has chosen the deprived school with poor results that is good with special needs, I now regret it, I don't feel my child is getting the same opportunities and it is hard to make playdates for him as the other parents just aren't chatty in the playground. I wish I had taken the chance of the more academic but also more all round opportunities school- I could have tried it and they may have met his needs.

I'm glad you had your thread moved OP, and admission has posted.

A school who knows nothing of a condition but is willing to listen and learn is much more supportive than one who thinks they know what support a pupil with a certain condition needs because they've had a pupil with it before and everyone is the same . The later can be frustrating when you/professionals say X support is needed, but the school didn't do that for a previous pupil so decide it's not needed.

Spoke with the LA yesterday, as you say @admission they say it will be a late application unless there are very strong extenuating circumstances. I explained my reasoning but they advised not to make changes now unless we were going to get something like a EHCP in the next month or DDs condition, backed up with medical evidence, deteriates beyond what the schools we have chosen could make reasonable adjustment for. As we’re currently working with the hospital and the doctors to get her condition under control we don’t know how she will be when she is stable so we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
Looks like we are sticking for now.

I did investigate the schools near the hospital and 2 have a medical/social needs section in their admissions criteria. I will speak to them and maybe get on the waiting lists when the time comes.

@starpatch thank you for your advice and letting me know your experiences. I will certainly bear that in mind.

@10brokengreenbottles excellent advice to get me to move the post. And we will certainly be gauging the schools how well the are willing to listen and learn.