Does DC have an ECHP? I guess you know this already but the last offered place for APS is normally 0.5miles so unless you live that close or are in the higher listed admissions criteria you are unlikely to get a place. School rolls in London are seriously dropping but APS holds its small catchment pretty well.
My DC start at Fortismere in September and have SEN (ASD and dyslexia – no ECHP for any of them) so I don’t have first hand experience yet. However, I can tell you what the relationship with the school has been like since we got a place in March and the info we get for September.
DS attended a couple of extra supported transition half days which were aimed at children with ECHPs and their parents. However, our primary SENCO said that of all the secondaries she had to contact for others in Y6, Fortismere were the most accommodating at including a child without a plan but that had been identified as needing extra help with change.
The school sent everyone a link to register their children with the school, emergency numbers etc which included a page on SEN where we had to tick if they had an ECHP/SEN register/formal diagnosis. On the back of this, the SEND team then contacted families of kids with SEN and sent us a detailed questionnaire requesting further info on the type of support primary provide, challenges, likes and ways to help your child. There was also a SEN parents meeting last week were we have been asked to send in all diagnosis reports if we have them and to fill in a short pupil passport for each SEN child. These are uploaded into the school register so form tutors and subject teachers see how the child prefers to learn and top line dos and don’ts (I.e. please do not cold call on me, I need instructions broken down). They have reassured us that they ask for all info from primary schools too but they often find that there are gaps so they go belts and braces at collecting all of this from parents in June and July as well. There will be general and SEN specific parent meetings in September to communicate how they support students more.I know they run a homework club in the SEN unit that is staffed until 4pm and help students organise themselves and implement interventions as needed. Parents have access to a dashboard that will show all their school data including behaviour, attainments, learning assistance etc when they join the school.
DC are on their second full transition day today and so far they have enjoyed it – which is a baby step in the right direction. I am expecting a lot of anxiety and meltdowns in September and October and no doubt the wheels will come off at some point. Up to now though I find that Fortismere have been supportive and DC have been happy with their interactions with the school. The next secondary open day is in early October and you can talk to the SEND team then. Fortismere gets a back rep on Mumsnet but I have found then good up to now. Let's see what September brings.