How to chose SEN or mainstream

[Mummalovescoffee]

Hi, looking for a bit of advice. My daughter is due to start primary school this year. She has global development delay and possible autism. Currently she goes to a mainstream preschool with a full time asn assistant. When applying for primary schools we were giving the choice of the mainstream primary school which is attached to the preschool she attends now or a SEN unit attached to a different primary school in a different catchment area 20 minutes away (the council would provide transport for her). How do I choose? what should I be looking at in these schools? Choosing her preschool was a no-brainer as its the only one in the area. Thank you for reading :)

I assume she has an EHCP If you're being offered a place?

If you are being offered a place in an SEN unit, it's obviously agreed that she needs it and meets the criteria. These places are like gold dust and so many children who desperately need these places don't get them and have to go down the mainstream route, which is tough on them and their peers/teachers.

Obviously visit both, but I would strongly advise taking them SEN provision which is being offered, as long as you like it. The smaller class in the SEN unit will likely be run by a specialist SEN teacher. They will be able to cater for her needs so much better and will allow her some form of independence, rather than relying on a 1-1 to help her get by in mainstream.

Take the SEN place. It is SO hard to get a place later - if it is being offered now, seize the opportunity with both hands.

The only time I would advise against it is if you genuinely believe that your child will thrive fairly unsupported in mainstream up to 16. Otherwise, specialist from the earliest it is offered.

I'd go sen every time. My kids were mainstream and because they needed one to one support they felt very different, got teased and excluded a lot. SEN was worlds better, much more inclusive

I agree you should definitely take the place in the SEN unit. Having gone through this myself, although my son is a teenager now I can tell you they will have very limited places in the SEN unit and it may be impossible to get a place in the future should she not be able to cope in mainstream as the years progress and the work gets harder. My son started reception with an EHCP and full support. He has Autism and ADHD. By year 2 he was distressed every day and we were lucky enough to get him moved to an ASD unit and he was a totally different child. Happier, calmer and he made friends and did very well. Although many kids with SEN start off in mainstream lots can't cope and school becomes too stressful and overwhelming and they struggle to make friends.

Have you been to see the unit? My son had transport once he started in the unit and it was a great help. I would give serious thought to this option as it will no doubt suit your child much better.

Take the sen place, gold dust and if your child is being offered it then it’s unlikely their needs will be met in mainstream. More likely they’ll be keeping her safe whilst trying to adapt a mainstream curriculum with little resources or experience.

I'd take the place in the specialist provision now, and keep an eye on the school nearby, incase they open a provision (the government appear to be planning to open more). If the nearer school does open one, try to get moved, because there are some advantages in being in a neighbourhood school (friendships, clubs etc). How easy that will be won't be clear till then (if it happens) but in the meantime you will be ensuring she has the best possible start to her education. Good luck.

Take the sen place.

Agree with what everyone says, take the sen place - they are so hard to get and who knows how much harder the government are going to make sen places to access.

Thank you all. I visited the SEN place a couple of months ago and really liked it, i will be going for another viewing to meet the teachers later this month. She does have an EHCP and a full time 1 to 1 but I do think it will be reviewed when moving to Primary and I'm not sure what that looks like for mainstream. I think i will take the SEN place because going by what you guys are saying they are like gold dust which I never realised. This is my first time round as a SEN parent.

Polite reminder!
You won't be able to decide after meeting the teachers later this month.
Final day to apply is almost here, put them both down but the SEN one first if that's the one you prefer. Good luck

The system if different with an EHCP. You don't need to use the standard admissions process.

Do you know how the unit runs? Different units run differently. This means not all units work for all. For example, the proportion of time in the mainstream class vs the unit varies. As does the qualifications and training of the staff in the unit e.g. some don’t have any qualified teaching staff. The opportunities outside of lesson time to integrate with DC in the mainstream classes varies e.g in some all DC go into the hall and out to the large playground which doesn’t work for all. At the opposite extreme, some units have their own little playground which works better for some but doesn’t work for others… You get the picture. Some are more flexible than others.

BTW, you can state your preferred placement. You don’t have to only choose between these two options if you have another preference.

So depends on your dd. We chose mainstream because dd has no cognitive delays (was 2-3 years ahead actually) and I fought against her being warehoused with those who were disruptive and unlikely to study for exams later on despite the lea, medical team etc recommending a specialist private school … completely contrary to what many are saying. By my Dd wasn’t disruptive in school and actually would have thrived in an old school system of silence in classrooms all facing forward but her school was too noisy even the mainstream one. She was only in part time from 12 but no way could she have dealt with the mostly male students at any of the special schools I toured

Sen 100% im having to take my LA to tribunal for specialist 😔

OP isn’t talking about special/specialist schools. She is talking about a unit/provision within mainstream schools.You are aware that being in a unit that is part of a mainstream school doesn’t equal disruptive and never sitting exams. Many in units are not disruptive and many will go on to sit exams.

You’re extremely lucky to be offered a place. Definitely take it. To even be offered I’m very confident in saying her needs won’t be met in mainstream, this is the best possible start to her education. It’s awful for their confidence as well as not giving them the best start. The chances of being offered it again are slim, you’ll have to fight tooth and nail!!

OP's child has an EHCP which means she can name the provision she feels are most able to meet her child's needs best. She is being offered the place at the SEN unit if she wants it. It's entirely different to the usual application process.

SEN units and special schools are entirely different to behavioural units.

If your child doesn't have a cognitive delay, it definitely sounds like mainstream was the right choice for her. SEN units are not designed to cater for 'disruptive children'. They are for children who have additional needs which mean they require specialist provision in a smaller group. SEN units are part of mainstream schools and the children who attended them may have a variety of learning disabilities. By nature, some children in an SEN unit may display behaviours which would be particularly disruptive to peers in a mainstream classroom due to factors completely out of their control. They learn in different ways to their mainstream peers, which is why these small classes of mixed age groups but similar needs work so well.

Your post sounds like you're describing pupil referral units, which are largely made of children who have been excluded from mainstream schools, and are entirely different.

I was in this predicament a couple of years ago and actually chose the mainstream. It’s a very small village school and this suits my daughter. The transition was smooth as she moved up with her peers from preschool, and the teachers, TA’s and her 1:1 staff are very competent. With the special school I was concerned about how she would cope in a busy environment with children who would have more complex needs. It’s really worked out for us but it will depend on the school, the area, your EHCP etc. Good luck with everything 🩷

Look at both places

• what are the other students like? In terms of learning and behaviour does are the children in the unit similar to her or not?
• how would each school provide work at the right level?

My gut says your daughter would be better off at the unit because she will be working at a much lower level than mainstream peers, but I could be wildly wrong. Also the children at the unit may or may not display behaviours that your daughter would find distressing. Would she be more likely to make friends at the unit because the people are similar to her, or less likely because they are more cognitively impaired and more in their own worlds'?

Thank you all, this has been very helpful. Due to my DD having an EHCP means i have right up unti the end of June to decide, but obviously the sooner I do it the more transition time she will get. Yes this is a unit within a mainstream school, im not sure what/if any mixing they do with the mainstream but its definitely something I will ask. I definitely think i will take the place. It sounds like it would be much better for her to start in the SEN unit with the opportunity of moving to mainstream further down the line rather than the other way around.

As a Senco, if a parent asked me about an SEN place for their child that they had been offered, I would always recommend they take it. It can be absolutely impossible to move from mainstream to SEN as an in year applicant, which is what you’d have to do if mainstream turned out to not be working.
Your DD should have an annual review before she goes into reception, and the new school will be invited to attend. In my experience, SEN school staff will arrange several sessions for new pupils. This ensures a good transition.

Thank you all, this has been very helpful. Due to my DD having an EHCP means i have right up unti the end of June to decide

This isn’t the case. As per Regulation 18 of The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, the LA must finalise the phase transfer EHCP by the 15th Feb. This is important in case you need to appeal.

I'm in Scotland so maybe it's different, but I have been assured I have plenty of time to make my choice as it is decided by the local council.

If you are in Scotland you can’t have an EHCP then.