Should we move secondary’s?

[hydrangeasandroses]

Hi all, looking for advice on moving secondary’s.

DD is finishing year 7 and things haven’t gone the way she’d hoped. Extremely long story short, we didn’t pick her local school as she has some additional needs due to autism. She hasn’t got an ECHP and is scoring working well beyond across the board so is thriving academically. However, the support emotionally and socially that we were promised hasn’t really materialised. Ontop of this, she hasn’t made any friends. She has a few connections, but tends to just get picked up and put down as needed. The friend she started this school with soon dropped her and now is nasty to her frequently so this has been a sense of deep grief for her too.

All this said, we are going to put her on the waiting list at our local school and hope a place will materialise quite fast. Whilst it isn’t renowned for SEN or pastoral support (which is why we didn’t pick it) it is a 10 min walk from our house (I am currently doing 2 hours driving a day getting her to and from school) and she knows a few girls there (not really friends but people she texts now snd again). As she isn’t getting the Sen support anyway, I think we’re ready to give up on current school. We are not unhappy with the school and I think it’s better in lots of ways, but is it worth it?

DD is warming to the idea of moving now she’s looked through the website and there are some rules that would suit her better. But I think we both fear things would be worse and we’re scared of the change. We also know that there’s a high chance she wont find her tribe at new school either, but at least she would be close and able to walk and have some independence. Both schools are good academically speaking.

WWYD?

Academic success is great but that's not only what school is about is it? The social side of it is just as important for DC. It's vital that they feel they belong to the school community and it teaches them such important life skills. It's not good enough for schools to fob parents off and use academic ability as their only measure of achievement.
I appreciate there's only so much schools can do but it sounds like her school is doing nothing!

I agree with @Toomanyminifigs. Request an EHCNA now. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. Nothing has changed yet. The law has not yet changed at all. LAs must not base decisions based on the white paper. They must follow the current law.

Even without an EHCP, the school must make their best endeavours to meet DD’s SEN and they must make reasonable adjustments. If that isn’t happening and you aren’t getting anywhere with the SENCO, go higher up. If you have the contact details of DD’s class teachers, email them directly too. Don’t rely on information being passed on.