Primary school admission for SEN child

[chimwemwe1981]

I am the grandparent and have been a full time carer for my nine year old grandson since just after his birth and have a residence order.
He has fetal alcohol syndrome and ADHD and has been doing well in a mainstream primary, with one to one help, as he has a statement of educational needs.
We will shortly be moving from Wales to Leicester where my oldest daughter will be helping with his care. He will still be living with us but will spent some time with her, she will take and collect him from school and in an emergency or if we need to go away he will stay at her house. Possibly in the future as we get older he will move in with her. This is necessary as my health is poor and caring for me and our grandchild is becoming too much for my husband. We are both retired.
Obviously he needs to go to the same primary school as my daughter's children but we have been told they have no places. There are no grounds ti refuse his admission on either behaviour or attainment as he is doing extremely well with both. He keeps up with his peers, has lots of friends and recently won a trophy for best sportsperson in the school.
I have been told that as a child with a SEN he should have priority and that I can somehow 'make' the school accept him. I can't find any information on this online in school admission policy documents so will be really grateful if anyone can give me advice. I haven't yet officially applied for a school place but was told by them on the phone that there was no point in doing so.
Thank you.

Hi I don't know the answer to your question but I wanted to suggest that you repost this on the SEN boards. There are some very knowledgable people on there who maybe able to help me.

As he has a statement you should apply for a school place via the SEN team in Leicester rather than direct to the school. Unless attendance at the school is deemed detrimental to that of existing pupil(s) they should be able to get you a place at the school you want.

When you move the file should be sent to the new local authority who will decide whether to review the statement or accept it as it is, and they will obviously have to consider what school to put your grandson in. You will be consulted as to what your preference is, and they must meet it unless it would prejudice the efficient use of resources of the efficient education of other children. The school may argue that because it is full it would cause prejudice, and the LA may take the view that it would be cheaper to put him into a school nearer to you to save money on transport. A lot will depend on whether there is another school reasonably close which has vacancies.

Thank you everyone. We haven't found a house yet but will be renting until we do and will certainly live very near to our daughter and the catchment area for the school her children go to. There are other schools in the catchment area though.
Another consideration is that our grandson easily gets very anxious and is very worried about changing schools and leaving this area where he has always lived. He really doesn't cope with change at all well and I know he will be so much happier and settled in a school with his cousins who are very close in age to him. He has progressed so much recently that it would be such a shame if this set him back.
I will contact the LEA and ask to speak to the SEN team and have also posted on the special needs board as suggested.