Specialist school or mainstream school: DLD. Moor House

[Mimy728]

Our local authority has agreed to an EHCP for DD2 who is in year 6. We will need to decide about secondary schools soon and I was wondering whether we should choose mainstream school or if we can choose an specialist school like Moor house. She has been diagnosed with a DLD, and she is behind at school a year in English and nearly two years in maths. I don't believe it is a extreme case but she definitely needs additional support.

Does anybody got experience of Moor House?.

I would be grateful for any advice.

What do the assessments recommend?

Unless the school you want is wholly independent you can name whatever school you want as your preference and the La must name it unless they can prove one of the following:
preference unless they can prove one of the following:

• The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

Unfortunately, Moor House is wholly independent, therefore you will need an offer of a place from them and you will need to prove the LA's school choice can not meet DD's needs or the cost is not unreasonable public expenditure.

Thank you. I didn't realise Moor House was an independent school; it is also a bit far to travel each day. The plan has just been approved but it is in the process of being written. I imagine they will recommend mainstream with additional support.

We need to send the SEN school application by the 6th of October; we need to name 3 schools in order of preference. Can the school we nominate first reject our application.?

Apologies, I have re-read your OP and see you mean Moor House, not More House. Clearly as you mention DD, not DS. Moor House is a non maintained special school therefore the last paragraph in my pp doesn't apply. I shouldn't multi task, sorry.

You don't need to submit 3 preferences even if your LA ask you to. You just need to name your preference. Unless wholly independent the LA can, and must, name your preference in the EHCP unless one of the 3 above reasons apply even if the school object.

The EHCP itself shouldn't name a type of school in the draft before you name your preference. However the assessment reports you should already have done will suggest an appropriate provision.

Thanks a lot. That's very helpful. I don't think any of the assessment suggest a specialist school, just more support for DD.

I visited Moor House last week. It was not right for my DLD-er (we already have an ehcp and the offer of a place at another specialist independent). Moor house is for fairly severe needs, so the peer group would not have been great for my son - we are looking at a mainstream secondary too - I would say this option would be ok IF the ehcp is fit for purpose. It needs to be absolutely tied down with every single need identified and accommodated - thinking about how your child will find their way from lesson to lesson, follow lessons, take notes, complete homework, socialise and sit exams.
Moor house is amazing at what it does, but you need to look very carefully at the peer group for yourself. Depending on where you are, More House is also good, as well as Knowl Hill (dinky) and Blossom Hill, or further south, Northease (for quite a high level of need) and Frewen (mainly dyslexia). We also looked at Moon Hall, but it doesn’t get DLD and likes children who “only” present with dyslexia.

By the way- did you have private assessments or local authority? If local authority, they will almost never suggest independent/specialist, because local authorities need to save money rather than considering the needs of a child. If your child is struggling at mainstream, it is sensible to get private reports if you can to evidence the most appropriate school place for secondary.

DCDMumma More House is boys only.

Ah yes - I realised that this isn’t about a boy after I had written my comment.

Hi all just been given the go ahead from the LA tl change provision to Moor house school and college oxted
He has severe language impairment and didn't cope in mainstream secondary whatsoever.
He will be starting I'm hoping start of 2025 joining year 8. I was wondering If any moor house mums had some insight into how there child coped with the transition to moor house and what yo expect in regards to my son establishing string relationships etc. I knew when i first went to visit it was the school for him and he felt the same and after much fight we've finally been given the go ahead.
I found all the staff to be amazing as a whole school and individually and I am so grateful for his place .
Lisa

@ThisBlueUser this is an old thread. You are more likely to find current parents if you start your own thread.

Hi, can I PM you? I have a son in a similar position and would be great to discuss what option you went with and what you think of it. We feel like he's not severe enough for Moor house but not sure what the other options are.

My son attends Moor house and it has been the making of him. Im happy to answer any questions you may have. Be aware that my sons ehcp before Moor house wasnt adequate and DLD is extremely misunderstood so the right support is paramount and the issues that DLD can present with shouldn't be overlooked or presumed to be something easily rectified as it is a life long condition that needs to be managed to spare the mental health issues that can become a serious fall out when a child is misunderstood.
Blossom house isn't as specialist as Moor House and ask how old your child is?
My son presents woth profound DLD but this was only recognised once he was accessed at Moor house his ehcp didn't reflect need which originally resulted in him being put in a low coin unit within a mainstream where he became secondary agrophobicand put in an extreemly vulnerable position due to his lack of understanding in social situations.
You wokdnt know there was anything wrong with my son and they learn to mask and stay under the radar please heed the warning. Also what I found was a game changer was that finally he felt like he belonged and had peers that got his needs which you wouldn't get in a school specific to DLD

HI! Thanks for your reply, I'll drop you a DM if that's okay.