Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

Flip

Original poster

Specialist school and lea decision

13 replies

Daisy1975 · 11/12/2015 23:25

My son has developmental trauma plus autism. Warwickshire council sent him to a school 24 miles away as it was the best to deal with him. I protested but was told his mental health prevailed. A year on they were right. Best move ever . I have now moved a 15 minute drive further and under cov council. They have carried on his transport since April. Now they have pulled plug and say he needs to attend a nearer school unless I pay tranport. His school say the move will be detrimental to his health and well being. What rights do I have? I cannot afford the transport.the new school wasn't even considered a year ago. Now all of a sudden they can cope with his needs. ....now money is in question.. tia

OP posts:

FishWithABicycle · 11/12/2015 23:45

So you moved from a house 24 miles from your DS school to a house 30 miles (? Or more?) from your DS school? If that is correct then sorry I think they are right to say the free transport stops. I don't mean to be unsympathetic but it's taking the piss a bit to move further away in such circumstances.

ouryve · 11/12/2015 23:59

Might be better to go post on SN chat or SN children, Daisy. Much bigger.

Fish, Daisy has said nothing about the circumstances of the move, so it's not fair to judge her with no such knowledge. That said, I have no intention of leaving our LA while the boys are at school - DS1 is in a fab specialist school and I couldn't imagine doing anything to jeopardise the funding for that unless we were absolutely forced to.

I suspect, Daisy, that you'll have to as good as start again with demonstrating need and demonstrating that your new LA has no suitable placement for your DS. If they do have a school that is suitable, then staying at the current school would be deemed a matter of parental choice, rather than necessity (and yes, I've been having to read about this conundrum for DS2, as the school, in our own LA, that I think will be most suitable from year 7 is further away than the local SS, which they deem to be suitable because, well, it's a special school, duh! Never mind that the school I'm looking at has specific expertise in autism with communication difficulties - DS2 while the local one is more generic and adopts approaches which are completely inappropriate for him and would exclude him, eg all pupils learn BSL.)

ouryve · 12/12/2015 00:00

...Never mind that the school I'm looking at has specific expertise in autism with communication difficulties - DS2 is only just starting to talk -while the local one is more generic and adopts approaches which...

Original poster

Daisy1975 · 12/12/2015 00:04

U know nothing about the circumstances tbh which wasn't my question. The lea forced me to agree to send him there in first place. I moved literally 6 miles down the road to be near support of my family. ... tbh I think the original house which my son found his father hanging from a curtain rail when he was 6 years old was getting my remaining g children down a little... so no...it's not really taking the piss is it. Maybe u should read my question. THE LEA PUT HIM THERE. .NOT ME . Now they want to move him to a school that was not fit for his needs a year ago nor is it fit now.

OP posts:

ouryve · 12/12/2015 00:06

Has his statement/EHCP been reviewed, Daisy?

Original poster

Daisy1975 · 12/12/2015 00:08

And u make me sound like a freeloader. ... I have always worked and been told to claim for my sons autism but refused as I get transport....I suppose I could claim what I'm entitled to when I actually don't need it... that would be taking the piss

OP posts:

Original poster

Daisy1975 · 12/12/2015 00:12

Hi ouryve. ... it has been and he has the same needs and been working with the same therapists for over a year . His current school say it will be detrimental to his mental health. He was in an assessment centre for over a year with no mates as they normally only stay for 6 weeks but as his autism is teamed with mental trauma they didn't know what to do with him . He is stable now..but they want to move him

OP posts:

cestlavielife · 12/12/2015 00:16

First. Claim all you entitled to .

Second it may be Lea are arguing that he has improved enough that other school can cope. You need psychologist or other professional to say moving would be detrimental.

You need to ring ipsea about challenging the transport issue.

Original poster

Daisy1975 · 12/12/2015 00:26

Thank u cestlavielife
He is under camhs and they are all of same thought. The only 1s not are the lea as it's costing them. I don't want to cost them I just want my son looked after. Who is ipsea?

OP posts:

Tambaboy · 13/12/2015 19:09

IPSEA and SOS! SEN are two very good educational needs charities. They will both be able to advise you.
SN children and SN chat have very knowledgeable posters in these matters so you might want to consider reposting there.

Pythonesque · 14/12/2015 07:42

I wonder - don't really know - but there are great issues around what costs come from whose budgets. If you don't currently but could claim DLA, or whatever, would that cover the cost of transport?

Stuffofawesome · 14/12/2015 07:47

If you are on fb look up sen action. Lawyer on there gives free advice on Sen/Lea issues.

Homebird8 · 14/12/2015 09:09

Warwickshire is an odd country geographically because it wraps around Coventry. Your dilemma is possibly caused by one having to pay the other. It may. It only be about the payment for transport. I wish you the best in showing that the current school is the only one which can offer what your son needs.

Flip