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Secondary education

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Original poster

Managed move in school

42 replies

Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 00:31

Hi I'm hoping I've posted in the right section.

My son is 14 and has just moved to upper school in September. He is diagnosed ASD (PDA) I'm awaiting mediation for an appeal against the refusal of an ehcp. It will be in a fortnight.
My son has been disruptive and defiant since he started at the school. They have been bending over backwards to accommodate his needs.
On Thursday he swore at a staff member, was rude to the head and showed people the blade from a pencil sharpener in his pocket.
He has a 5 day exclusion and school wants to do a managed move to another school.
I don't see the point. He needs to be in a SEN school but has no ehcp. Mainstream school cannot manage him. He has spent so much time in isolation and being excluded that he's barely in any lessons.
What are my options here please.

OP posts:
Foxyloxy1plus1 · 27/11/2021 11:33

What sort of SEN school would suit him? Without an EHCP, a managed move is probably the only option, if a school can be found.

Is there a return to school meeting planned after the exclusion? If the appeal is successful in a couple of weeks, you may have more options, but it will take time and you have to consider whether he will manage to stay at his school if you reject the managed move.

What is his opinion?

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 27/11/2021 11:36

You need to go to appeal to get him an
EHCP, other wise a move to a special school won’t happen. You don’t want to get to the point where he’s managed moved you a similar school, the same happens and then he ends up in a PRU.

I would go down the route of appealing the EHCP, with this latest exclusion as more evidence

Slobberstops · 27/11/2021 11:40

Appeal the EHCP but a managed move can be useful. It’s very hard to access specialist provision but some schools have invested more in alternative provision, alternative pathways and internal support. If your school hasn’t worked out then another might have a better internal structure rather than expecting him in lessons all day. There is also external provision they can buy in including college courses. I would ask them about alternatives and you may find because of his disruption the school will be more likely to find the funds needed if something appropriate can be sorted.

Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 14:28

Don’t waste time with mediation just get the certificate and submit to SENDIST. You only have to consider mediation, not actually partake. LA’s often use mediation as a delaying tactic, if they are going to concede they will do so regardless.

You can refuse a managed move, but in doing so the school may decide there is no other option but to permanently exclude DS.

The SN boards on here are helpful with EHCP appeals. As is IPSEA and SOSSEN if you haven’t already looked at their websites or been in contact with them.

Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 17:35

Thanks. Does anybody know of an agency that I can contact about schools in my area? I'd like to look at potential options before the school meeting on Friday. Thank you.

OP posts:
Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 20:26

What do you want to know about the local schools?

If it is which are better at supporting pupils with SEN you could contact SENDIASS, although how helpful they are is variable.
If it is what schools are available you can search for schools here.
If it is more about what the schools should be doing try IPSEA or SOSSEN.

GiantCheeseMonster · 27/11/2021 20:33

Have you done a parental request for an EHCP? It doesn’t have to come from the school. There is a model letter on the IPSEA website you can download and adapt.

Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 20:37

GiantCheeseMonster OP posted the LA have refused to issue and she is in the process of appealing.

GiantCheeseMonster · 27/11/2021 20:48

Sorry, I missed that in the OP. Certainly get SENDIASS to support with the appeal.

Elephantsparade · 27/11/2021 21:04

We went through a managed move. What we found was other schools werent all eagerly wanting to take my son on. In fact they actively fought agaisnt it and it was an elaborate game between the school and the LA and the potential school as to who would buckle and pay. The move ended up with a lot of funding before any school would take him, but it failed anyway as my son needed a specialist school not a different mainstream.

Soontobe60 · 27/11/2021 21:15

@Lisamyoung

Thanks. Does anybody know of an agency that I can contact about schools in my area? I'd like to look at potential options before the school meeting on Friday. Thank you.
A managed move isn’t the magic bullet you might think. Basically, the LA send your child’s details to other schools asking if they can accommodate his needs. Schools then respond to say yes or no, with reasons. Schools that have spare places have less of a bargaining chip in refusing the move, whereas an oversubscribed school have a stronger reason not to accept. However, if, following a supported managed move, the child is still not able to manage in the new school, it gives you more of an argument with regards to getting and EHCP and subsequently a specialist provision place. I’d be looking at your child getting a place in a PRU in the meantime.
FrownedUpon · 27/11/2021 21:35

School essentially just want rid of him. Avoid PRU’s. My brother went in one briefly, there were a lot of young people involved in county lines/drugs in there. Also some really concerning violent attacks on staff. It’s not the best environment really.

Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 21:41

I'm not asking for the managed move. The school have said that we agree to it or he will be expelled. I know that he won't succeed in a mainstream school because his needs are too great yet my LA has stated on our ehcp refusal that school can meet his needs even after school has told them that they can't. I would dearly love for him to Sent to a sen school but have no hopes without an ehcp. School were supportive and were going to attend the mediation meeting with me on 8/12. I'm assuming they won't now. I have been in touch with sendiass but it's not really been helpful, she just sends me links to various websites to read information, much of which I don't understand. I feel wretched and have absolutely no idea what to do next.

OP posts:
Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 22:01

OP start a thread in the SN section for help with the EHCP appeal, and contact IPSEA or SOSSEN.

Don’t bother with mediation, just get the certificate. LAs use it as a delaying tactic. If they are going to concede they will do so anyway, and if they don’t by taking part in mediation you have wasted time.

Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 22:12

Can you please tell me what the SN section is please

OP posts:
Elephantsparade · 27/11/2021 22:14

@Lisamyoung - i really feel for you. That was exactly the position we were in so we agreed to the managed move. It did move the ehcp process along for us as there were 2 schools saying they couldnt support him. It wasnt a very positive experience for my son but i am not sure what i could have done differently.

I would just ask them to identify a school and support package and how they will be supporting and reviewing it.

Have they assessed his needs? Or was it a refusal to assess..

Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 22:16

The reason I went for mediation was because that's what the SENCO told me to do and she was going to come with me to explain exactly why he needs the ehcp. I'm assuming that she now won't attend because he won't be at the school. I don't feel able to cancel at this short notice but I am not prepared at all.

OP posts:
Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 22:17

SN Chat is here. There’s a few others as well, you can find them on the Talk page by scrolling down to the SN section.

Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 22:19

Try to speak to someone like IPSEA or SOSSEN. I wouldn’t take advice from the SENCO about EHCP appeals, you only have to read some of the MN to see some of the incorrect advice given.

Elephantsparade · 27/11/2021 22:20

The teacher may still come to mediation. A managed move is meant to be for a trial period and his existing school should stay involved during that time period.

Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 22:20

[quote Elephantsparade]@Lisamyoung - i really feel for you. That was exactly the position we were in so we agreed to the managed move. It did move the ehcp process along for us as there were 2 schools saying they couldnt support him. It wasnt a very positive experience for my son but i am not sure what i could have done differently.

I would just ask them to identify a school and support package and how they will be supporting and reviewing it.

Have they assessed his needs? Or was it a refusal to assess..[/quote]
Thank you. He didn't actually have an assessment but an EP visited him on the second day at his new school. He hadn't settled in yet and teachers were being lenient in the first week so it wasn't an accurate representation.
Can I ask what happened with your son in the end please?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 22:24

@Elephantsparade

The teacher may still come to mediation. A managed move is meant to be for a trial period and his existing school should stay involved during that time period.
I didn't think about that. I'm just so tired, annoyed, upset at the whole thing I'm probably not thinking straight. Yes it makes sense that he would still be on their roll. I was thinking perhaps they might not be so keen to help because they cannot enforce a managed move or permanent exclusion if he is granted an ehcp. And I think they have had enough of him.
OP posts:
Original poster
Lisamyoung · 27/11/2021 22:26

@Imitatingdory

SN Chat is here. There’s a few others as well, you can find them on the Talk page by scrolling down to the SN section.
Thank you
OP posts:
Imitatingdory · 27/11/2021 22:27

He didn't actually have an assessment but an EP visited him on the second day at his new school.

So is the appeal a refusal to assess rather than refusal to issue?

Both permanent exclusion and managed moves are possible with an EHCP, but further steps should be taken before them.

Elephantsparade · 27/11/2021 22:33

In the end he went to a special school, but before that he had some time with no placement and an LA tutor for 2 hours a week. The managed move was agreed on the basis the LA would assess his needs and at the end of the trial period the new school said they wouldnt have him and the old school wouldnt take him back.