Admissions: can applying under social and medical need count against you?

[BlessThisMouse]

If you make an application stating social and medical reasons for the school being the best / only one suitable, could that actually count against you?

My child has a hip condition and sometimes finds it hard to walk, uses crutches, but is generally independent. We applied to our nearest school citing it as being the only one with a manageable walking route and other factors. Our consultat's letter, as professional evidence, stated that occasionally a wheelchair is necessary (which is true - it's about once every few years).
We are almost cedrtainly within catchment for the school on distacne, but could the school decide that it is not wheelchair accessible and decline our appplication, even if we would have been eligible under the distance criteria?

I don't think that they can count it against you as that would breach the disability discrimination act!

That's what I would have thought, but so schools have to conform in the same way? Not many are physically accessible. (This one is partially accessible). Do new build schools have to be built to be accessible?

There is no way that they can discriminate against your application because you r child has mobility issues. Do you know whether your application has been accepted as coming under social and medical? Some LAs are very strict over this criteria and it might be best for you to check with them. If they do not allow it then you would just then be counted under the distance criteria and there is no way that they can in any way refuse entry for poor mobility.
All schools are expected to make appropriate reasonable adjustments to accommodate such pupils. Part of the reasonable side of this statement will be about money and whilst it is unrealistic to expect the school to spend a lot of money for one pupil making some simple adaptions to accommodate your child should be carried out .
New build schools are designed to be fully accessible, but some I have seen I wonder about how accessible they really are.

Thank you, Admissions, that is very reassuring.

I don't know whether they would tell us in advance whether the she had been accepted on Social & Medical criteria, I didn't think to ask about that. I suppose we'll just wait til March 1st. She was placed in primary school on SEN / S&M criteria, and come to thnk of it they did tell me over the phone - the school told me when I rang up about something else.

And I agree about some of the new builds, though I have seen some fantastic schools. Mainstream schools don't necessarily get any awareness training at all about physical disabiliries.

I have to disagree, when the DDA came in most schools I know we're very aware of it and how it applied to them. Even the local school which because of its site and age, is really not very accessible. So much so that when a pupil had a broken leg a lot of their classes had to be moved to the dining hall for a while. (They would love to do better, but there is no money for the total rebuild needed.)
So if the school is suitable (and I know in another local school they took great care to timetable one girl to always be in ground floor classrooms, although she could also access the library), then I cannot see it could cause any negativity. Most schools bend over backwards to help such pupils.

"the school on distacne, but could the school decide that it is not wheelchair accessible and decline our appplication, even if we would have been eligible under the distance criteria?"

No the school cannot refuse to take your child. If you are concerned then it might be worth making an appointment to discuss the matter with the head teacher to allay any fears. Most schools want to accomodiate special needs and they will want to know what your daughter needs.

Thanks, Reallytired.

Mummytime, I'm pleased you have had good experiences, and I remain ever hopeful and positive minded, but I'm not sure where you get your 'most schools' info from, because my own experience would tip the balance of 'most' the other way!

Some schools are still catching up with the strengthening of the DDA in 2010, we did meet with outright refusal to accommodate dd at primary admissions (at 2 schools), and even her lovely primary now have to be nudged to address all their responsibilities.

This is why I have suddenly become struck by doubt and worry!

I guess it's the luck of the draw - and surely things are improving.

I based my comments on the number of schools I have worked in. The schools I have worked and my son's school have all been positive about accomodiating special needs. My impression was that schools tend to be more understanding about obvious disablities like hearing or mobility than hidden disablities like autism.

The teachers I have worked with have all been deeply caring people. They have meant well even if they have made mistakes.

Prehaps some LEAs are better than others. I suppose that funding cuts make life difficult. I'm sorry you have had such a negative experience. Its sad that not all schools want to make inclusion work.

I wonder OP if you experience is from primary schools? Because most secondaries I know, and I know a few having worked in them as well as having kids there, really do try hard with the obvious physical disabilities. I think it is the hidden ones like autism or dyslexia or ADHD where they can fail more.

Really Tired, my comments about my experience were to Mummytime, who said most of her experience had been good!

Anyway, I'm glad that your experience has been good, too!

I would agree that there has often been a will to make inclusion work, and that staff have generally been very well intentioned. Just not always knowledgable or well informed. DD's class went on a day trip and I was told that they had done a risk assessment and decided she couldn't go on the bus (they were using public transport) and they wanted her to stay in school or else me to take a day off work and take her in the car. I said if they could not find the assitance to give her a helper for the bus (she was using one crutch at the time, and capable of getting on a bus) perhaps they could send her in a taxi with a TA or teacher, which they did. After some polite suggestion from me.

She was left at school every week when they had swimming, although she can manage to get in the pool. Again, they were worried about her on the bus, which was a LA bus or slipping in the changing rooms. Risk assessment, H&S = exclusion!

Another school refused to have her in the holiday club (the schools make a cluster to offer holiday activities).

But 2 schools said they could not and would not accommodate a child who needed a wheelchair sometimes. Maybe we could have fought a big legal battle, but as we were offered a school which is doing it's best we preferred not to fight for a school that didn't want her!

Anyway, thanks for your input, you have put my mind at rest about our secondary admission.

Mummytime - thanks, that's interesting, I have no experience of secondaries yet, so that gives me hope

Primaries have so much to cover with their staff, and even the SENCOs do not seem to get extra training to do the job, so they are making it up alongside parents as they go along, I think.

The refusals from primaries were before the 2010 additions to the DDA.

Blessthismouse,
I would wait and see what happens March 1st. When you have confirmed your acceptance of a place I would contact the school and ask for a meeting to discuss your child's condition and what the school will do to help them.
I can't speak for all schools but in mine, which has 1700 pupils, we have at least 4 pupils with mobility issues that I can think of and there usually are at least a couple with plaster casts on either in wheelchairs or on crutches. We tailor the needs of the pupils and so for some they finish the lesson 5 minutes early so they can get to the next lesson before the whole 1700 pupils move, others we have rescheduled lessons so that they do not go to the few classrooms we have upstairs. All our doors are on crash buttons so that they open automatically when pressed.
It is not a problem in most schools and you should not be afraid to ask (or maybe tell) the school what you want.

That's a good idea, Admissions, I will do that.

I am sure we will get the place, the experiences you all report are very re-assuring (I had worried that secondary would be harder than primary), and my worries have been allayed.

Thank you all!