No schools to meet needs

[silly248]

What do you do if there are no schools that can meet your child’s needs ?

Dc has EHCP 32 hours. Current school cannot meet needs. No places at any schools that would be option within 1.5 hrs .

Is home school the only option?

What if you can’t afford to give up work?

Boarding school is the other option.

If dc has an EHCP then the local authority should be supporting with school placement. Have you had an emergency annual review and have current school said formally to LA that they can't meet need? Regardless of whether other schools are full a child with an EHCP can get in (not always) as it does not go through normal admissions procedure.

Hi yes school formally say they can’t meet needs .

The LA has offered schools which have no places ( many before on waiting list ) and said to us to look for our own ( independent) but none have offered a place

An independent is likely not to offer a place. You need to name it and the local authority will start the consultation with the school. The school will then need to say why they can't/ won't take your child. I thought there was nowhere and then I persevered and found a school. Have you looked at everything out of borough? What part the country are you? What are your child's needs?

In my experience most non-maintained and indie SS won't be shy in saying they can't meet needs when you speak to them and visit. If you have looked round and been open about DC's needs and they haven't hastily said they can't meet their needs or backed away and pulled a face then like Lou said try to formally name them.

If the LA haven't got an alternative then they don't stand a chance. Alternatively, if you try to name an expensive indie SS you may find the LA miraculously come up with a place.

By the way on its own being full isn't a good enough reason to refuse admission - only if admission isn't compatible with the efficient education of others as well.

You could contact IPSEA and they will help you.

Whatever you do don't deregister your DC. It is much easier to get LA support when they are registered at a school and the LA are responsible for the EHCP provision than it is if you electively home educate.

I have a DC currently out of school, they have an EOTAS package in place.

I am assuming there is an actual school named in section I rather than a type of school?

Are you looking at mainstream only? Or SS as well?

You may have to look at residential schools, but have to compromise, even looking at expensive independent or non-maintained specialist schools! You may have to decide what is most important to you, as regards to what the school can do; because there may not be a school that can cater for every need and some needs may have to go unmet!

It may be for instance, that they can do speech therapy, but there may be some OT, but not enough realistically for your DC - but the school has advantages like specialist teachers, experienced in DC’s main need...whatever!