Mainstream Special School for Autism

[StainlessSeal]

I appreciate the oxymoron! DD (10) has ASD. She is exceptionally bright, thought has a host of issues related to her ASD that means she's likely going to be much better in a specialist provision. We are going through the EHCP process now.

We love Limpsfield Grange, but are out of area. We have everything crossed that we can get her in, but need to look for alternatives, too. If she gets an EHCP does anyone know of ASD specialist schools commutable from South London that cater for bright ASD girls? DD really wants an all-girls provision, but I believe Limpsfield Grange is the only one.

@StainlessSeal a parent I know who loves in Croydon Borough sends their very bright austistic DS to Riverston in SE12. This is a co-ed non-selective independent with the Autism Accreditation mark. I am not sure if this is paid for by the parents or funded via the ECHP, or whether the location would be manageable for you. The parent is delighted with the support as well as the academic push her DS gets.

I can't find the school I was looking at in West Sussex now. I think it was on the border with Kent?

If you ask to join EHCP experiences Surrey, you can ask about all of the Surrey and neighbouring county schools on there. But answer all the admin questions.

I have a son in specialist school in Surrey sitting 8 gcses that runs like a normal private school. Shame it doesn't exist for girls. If you could get to Haslemere, there is a mainstream private I'm looking at for my dd if you want to dm me.

You need to get through the EHCP process and if LG is what you want, that's what you fight for. Your DD will be a transfer appeal if that's where it goes, so she'll have priority in the next summer SEND panels. Try to go on IPSEA and educate yourself on the process, the more you do, the better the outcome. Parental preference is written within the law, you have a good chance at appeal if that's the only place that could meet her needs. Your location is irrelevant.
I would also look at Burlington House. Yes it's SPLD but a fair number of HF autistic kids or ones without any diagnosis but that just can't manage in mainstream. Some of them are incredibly bright and get 9s in their GCSEs.

From what i gather- Limpsfield Grange is truly unique. It's shocking given how common autism is to find the lack of support.

Name changed as I don't want everyone knowing where I live.
I'm in Sutton with a very similar DD ( though we still have a couple of years). Limpsfield Grange would be my first choice though the distance worries me ( and getting in). The school Senco says most children like her go to either Oaks Park or Glenthorne base, but they are within huge schools. The other thing I hadn't realised is 90% of intake is boys.

Thank you so very much to those just above. So helpful.

@Foxesandsquirrels this is exactly the advice I need. THANK YOU.

For girls with autism, yes, the lack of support is astonishing. In general though, there are huge amounts of SEN schools for autism, state and independent. Next to nothing for SpLD, which is even more common.

Sorry yes I was thinking girls then.

However where I live there is very little for boys or girls who could access gcses but can't function in a mainstream setting. The specialist settings are mainly therapeutic or life skills based.

Yes, this is true. The middle kids have been failed in every area of SEN.

Look at Holmewood School (N10/12) & also Burlington House School (SW6) - both SSs that would support your daughter's profile

Also Portland Place have an interesting hybrid model that's definitely worth a look. They are 'mainstream' but have a lot of children that struggle in a more conventional mainstream setting.

My academically able daughter just about copes in MS with a lot of incredible scaffolding & support but it is exhausting for both of us!

Also Blossom House (down the A3) & The Rise School, Feltham
The latter was founded by an incredible mother who felt other SS options would not stretch her child academically.

I totally feel your pain. Ds1 is in a nurturing but mainstream independent as mainstream state was too hard to cope with. He is not super bright but with ASD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and spikey academic profile excels in some areas. He has flourished in the independent sector, even though moving away from state has been very ethically challenging for me. The small classes, calm focused organised atmosphere, clear reliable boundaries and individualisation have really helped. I really hope you get the EHCP with required provision. I would stick with what you want and maybe come up with some local independent options that you can suggest if specialist options are not forthcoming…sometimes paying for a child to be in independent school is much cheaper for the authorities than a specialist setting if the child can manage there okay.

It might be too far for you, but you could look at More House School, SW1. It's a small independent mainstream girls' school but does have many neurodivergent pupils and incredible SEN support.

You could check out lvs hassocks. At least you could get most of the way by train

Riverston in Lee is an independent school that only has children with SEN. Their y7 has three classes, grouped according to academic ability. One of the groups is of academically able
children working at or just a little behind curriculum levels. About half of the children are LEA funded, the other half privately funded. Might be worth seeing?

Oh and farney close farneyclose.co.uk/

Limpsfield Grange is a Surrey CC maintained special school. The admissions process is a completely different from naming a mainstream school on an ehcp.

I understand completely your situation OP. And whilst you shouldn't give up on Limpsfield Grange you are really sensible to look at other options.

It's really difficult to weigh up the advantages of an asd specialist school against the disadvantages of a cohort of students that is a majority of boys. It could be that a small girls school with asd experience could be a better fit than an asd special school with lots of boys with very different special interests. Apologies for generalisations but I'm sure you understand.
There is a massive gap in provision especially for girls.

Unless the school is wholly independent, which Limpsfield Grange is not, the LA must name the parents’ preferred school unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

The school being a SS in different LA doesn’t change that or prevent the OP’s LA naming it.

Vanguard School in Kennington? They do GCSEs and A levels. But it’s mixed.

Can anyone recommend anything suitable for autistic girls near North London? I am really concerned that Limpsfield is so unique and that autistic girls are so under-catered for outside of that one local authority. Why doesn’t every LA have provision just for girls? The massive increase in female diagnosis shows how much this is needed.

Limspfield students only board Monday-Thursday so your DD would need to live within easy reach of that school. The Cambian Group, The Priory Group or The Witherslack Group have schools throughout the country and some of those offer residential placements though if that’s what you want. There is also St Katherine's on the Isle of Wight. The NAS Directory lists schools if you put that in to the search box and you can search against your postcode.
https://www.autism.org.uk/directory

CoolLikeThat depending on where you are in North London Holmewood, Burlington House, Odyssey house, Gretton, Egerton Rothesay, Wemms may be within travelling distance. Although none are single sex.

There is Alfriston in Buckinghamshire. It doesn’t cater for quite the same cohort as Limpsfield Grange, but is a single sex secondary SS.

@SW1schoolquery More House looks amazing, but well out of our budget, unfortunately.

You can request for a mainstream independent to be named in your child's EHCP. You have to prove that it's the only school that can meet your childs needs but thats not impossible. More House already has girls funded by EHCPs. We very nearly named it but ended up going for an independent specialist. It wasn't easy but IPSEA is very helpful.