Admission Criteria - Vulnerable Children - PLEASE HELP

[AJcat]

My DD is currently in yr 5 and we will be applying for a secondary school later this year. She was diagnosed with Aspergers last September and although she doesn't have a statement she does recieve extra help at school. Would this be classed as a medical condition that would fall under the vulnerable children catergory? I have asked the question but can not get a proper answer. I am assuming that I will have to submit copies of her diagnosis letter etc. Please can someone who maybe has been a similar position shed some light !!!!!!

The short answer is that it depends on your LA or, if the school is an academy or faith school, the school itself. They decide who falls into this category. However, normally to get priority you would need to show that your daughter's condition means this is the only school that is suitable for her. If other schools can cope equally well with her condition you are unlikely to get priority.

I would agree with PRH. There is nothing from what you have said which would suggest that your daughter's condition is bad enough to warrant an SEN statement or that suggests that only this one school is suitable for her.

By all means ask the question of the admission office at the LA - I would leave it till say into July when they will be less busy with the current admission round before you ask. However I think it would be prudent to be thinking in terms of not being in this category and what this does mean in terms of sensible preferences being decided in the Autumn Term.

You have already had the best advice, but my ds also has aspergers, no statement but is on school action plus. He didn't get any special consideration when we applied to the comp for secondary, but they did tell me that if he went there, he would be on the vulerable childrens register. I didn't have to send in proof of diagnosis, but I did make it know that he had been diagnosed with AS on the form.

I got refused this critirea (a son with aspergers) , but my son got in on appeal as the panel deemed he "should" have been given it and that the LEA stood in the way of my application (maladmistration)

I've answered you on the special needs board if you have any questions about how i won my case please feel free to PM me.