Twins separated by placing them in different schools

[Ianos]

My twin sons have been given different schools even if both have been diagnosed with autism. The response we got from school admissions was that only one of my sons has a EHCP and the other doesn’t have one, he only got a diagnosis.
The distance between the two schools is 6.8 miles and can take up 20 minutes drive. It will be a nightmare getting them to school and back.
We don’t know what to do after making phone calls all day and getting nowhere. The boys don’t want to be separated and got really upset the other night, just can’t believe that families with twins are put trough hard times like this!

Ok. You need to break it down.

T1 with ehcp has the placement due to ehcp.

T2 was places through normal secondary allocations.

You can appeal. You can use the psychological argument but you'd need actual camhs advice that splitting them would be detrimental to either of their health.

You can ask to name other school on echp but I'd only do this if they can meet need.

How far is the names school? Is it nearest school that said it can meet need? Is this why it's was names in ehcp or was it late gal preference?
If nearest and over 3 miles away then you can request transport.

If T2 school is nearest school they could be placed in and also over 3 miles away then la have to provide transport to that too. Unless there was a nearer school you didn't apply for?

It is difficult. I've seen some schools state where last place is a multiple they'll accept the others even if over pan. But I've never seen it where one has an ehcp.

I feel your pain I have three DC. At one point, they were at three schools. Eldest and youngest have disabilities.

We were able to get youngest into middle ones school then get escorted transport for eldest as youngest also has additional needs and needs supervision to school, couldn't access breakfast/ after school clubs.

Logistics and imediate children who struggle with change and have only ever known each other's company reaction aside, what do you think of the schools selected?

Do you think that they could meet your children's individual needs well?

DS2, neurotypical, was in the same class as DS1 Autistic full time 1-1. It hindered DS2. DS2 flourished away from DS1. They were really worried about different schools. DS1 went to an Autism provision linked to a mainstream and he flourished too.

Once we'd got county transport on-board the logistics issue was roughly sorted and in my DC's case they settled.

I think I'd be appealing in your case too but I just wanted to say it can work out okay too.

I would look carefully at the admission process.
Round here it usually says that if you have twins (or more) who are number 30 on the list, then the other twin is an excepted child.
However some also say unless they get in with a named school on the ENCP. The same is sometimes true of a sibling link.

@RandomMess Why are you suggesting public transport for Autistic twins with needs that require a EHCP? Their Mum knows what their capability is

Yes this is exactly why the appeals process exists. It's a computer says no type of situation and once a person with any brain cells sees this situation they would overturn it.
Saying she's trying to get in through the back door thanks to an EHCP is a heartless and stupid thing to say.

Sirzy
It sounds like you where trying to use twin ones EHCP to get twin two in via the back door

No More than any other parent who applies for a place under the ‘Siblings’ criteria

I am familiar with one school where sibling priority is 6th on the list - but in the event of a place becoming available it's very unlikely that anyone would be on the waiting list in positions 1-5 so you would have it if twin2 qualified as a sibling. however in the case of the school I know this would only kick in one twin1 is actually enrolled as a pupil, so you would need to put in an in-year application once the 2020-21 academic year has started and twin1 is enrolled. do you have capacity to hone-school twin2 temporarily until a place becomes available? but with a slightly different policy wording twin2 could qualify as soon as you accept the place for twin1.

Have to agree with PRH that the issue here is that there has been an assumption that twin 2 without EHCPlan would get a place whereas they have not. You need to establish where about on the waiting list you are. You probably will not get that information for approx weeks but that will tell you whether you have any realistic possibility of getting a place off the waiting list.
You should of course appeal but I do think you need to rethink which school will have a place for twin without EHC plan as the backstop here. You can definitely name another school for EHC twin, even though I am sure that the admission authority will suggest this is difficult.

Thank you for all the helpful comments, its a bit complicated we will have to wait and see if T2 will be accepted after they proceed with the waiting list.
We live within the catchment area where T1 was given a school in Surrey and that is where his EHCP is with , T2 was given his third choice school but its in Croydon, so totally opposite directions, they are both closest secondary schools as we live in semi rural area.
We have talked to T1 case officer yesterday evening and she was surprised mainly because they both had on they separated application files as no to be separated, she also said that will make a few phone calls to see what else can be done.
We would not mind if T1 goes to T2 school in Croydon but it will be a lot more complicated with moving his EHCP as everything is setup nicely where we are. Thanks again for all the help

they both had on they separated application files as no to be separated

That's interesting as it suggests a mistake may have been made if the admission authority had accepted they should not be separated but then overlooked that fact, but it depends on the oversubscription criteria for T1's school. If there has been a mistake it gives you a strong appeal.

this happened to us at primary but one got in from wait list. however i was talking to the headmaster of the high school worrying this may happen again. he said to appeal if it did and you will win.

I didn't think Surrey defined catchment areas and would not have been relevant to T1 anyway as he has an EHCP.

Warlingham and Oxted have catchment areas don't they?

Oxted prioritises certain primary schools but not a fixed catchment afaik,

Good luck
I wanted my twins to be in different schools for lots of reasons and was worried that they would be forced to attend the same school. I have one with a echp plan and the other came under previous lac and luckily I did the forms correctly so the are going to the right schools for them. I know how stressful it is.

Just want to say best of luck with fighting this. Sounds horribly unfair and I really hope they are together by September.

The fact that they are autistic doesn't preclude them from using public transport. Asd is a spectrum and if they are at mainstream school then they will not be assessed as needing specialist provision and transport. Dd loved taking the (city) bus, the driver was usually the same if she caught the 7.40 and always said hello, she carried (still does) a card saying she's autistic and has seizures just in case.

That's your child @okiedokieme. Mine took about a year to be able to get the bus without huge anxiety. The transition to secondary was enormously stressful and if I could take the getting there stress out of the equation, it increased the likelihood of him actually going to school.

LIZS It says in Oxted Admissions

1. Fourth priority*: Children who both live in the catchment area and who attend one of

the following feeder schools:

Can I just say with regards escorted transport to school for special needs there is no 3mile minimum-it is assessed solely on needs of child