Specialist vs mainstream

[Mumofsend]

Seem to be at logger heads with school yet again. I'm struggling a little re next steps.

DD is 7. Happy and settled in school with a significant amount of funding and support. We tried to change placement last school year because school were adamant they can't meet need, LA agreed specialist but the only specialist option available was hideous for her so I pushed for her to remain where she is.

School wish to change placement again after her imminent review on account that her provision isn't viable long term. LA agreement shouldn't be too difficult as she has around 30k of funding within a mainstream and were against her staying as their intended specialist was cheaper. I had to lodge an appeal to get her right to mainstream enforced.

I'm finding it hard to justify moving a happy and settled child. She is flying emotionally with academic progress and the gap is closing academically.

School keep saying she will stop making progress at some point and she needs specialist. Nowhere can really meet her needs any better. It's a bit of a hodge bodge that is currently working. She previously spent 18 months in a complete crisis until approx March last year so it's a huge gamble to move her and completely unsettle her.

Can school and LA attempt to force a move again? We only got consent order on 31st December from the last round of arguments and feel sick at another 6 months arguing.

I don't fully understand what the issue is re her remaining. She is Y2 so this is looking at Y3 placement.

I think we need some more details as I’m getting a really conflicting picture of your daughters needs and progress are from what you say v. what the school and LA say. Is she a happy and settled child who is able to engage with her peers emotionally and keep up with them academically? Or does she have such severe learning difficulties that she either needs £30k worth of support or a specialist education?

I would stick with MS, it doesn’t sound like you have a suitable alternative. Sadly, the LA and school may try to force a move again. However, they would need evidence.

JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue Being happy, settled and making progress and needing £30k of support are not mutually exclusive. Children have a right to a mainstream education unless it is incompatible with the efficient education of others, and there are no reasonable steps the LA could take to avoid this. The bar to prove this is extremely high, much high than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”. If the parents want MS it is very hard for the LA to override this and name SS.

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue she does have high needs. She spent much of reception and the first half of year 1 hiding under a table, refusing to enter the classroom and struggling to engage. We rewrote her EHCP last year and she has settled beautifully, she is a classic child who just needs the right support and the right funding to be able to thrive where she is.

The LA don't like it due to the cost, school don't like it because it's so different to what the others have, they are very set ideas on the support they want to offer and she doesn't fit into it.

At the start of the year she wasn't reading CVC words, and 4 months later has flown through to confidently having done approx 18 months worth of progress from her reading start point. Maths this time last year she was a year behind and is now at age expectations and able to complete elements of greater depth.

She just needs different, correct support.

Can I ask what the 30k is being spent on? That's practically the equivalent of 2:1, if this is the level of support she is needing then maybe the school are correct in suggesting specialist provision.

If your local specialist provision is rubbish, would it be feasible for the LA to find transport to a more appropriate one, but a little further out?

@fabulouslyglamorousferret

Can I ask what the 30k is being spent on? That's practically the equivalent of 2:1, if this is the level of support she is needing then maybe the school are correct in suggesting specialist provision.

If your local specialist provision is rubbish, would it be feasible for the LA to find transport to a more appropriate one, but a little further out?

She is 1-1 but via two different people. She has one AM and the other PM. School were insistent on a cross over so that they had the time to sort out resources as she's quite severely dyslexic. She is capable of the class content of the work but usually needs it presented differently so it's time to prep that. She is funded for 40 hours full 1:1 with the prep time included.

She also has substantial speech and language and OT packages which make up a fairly large dent on it. Even down to the things like both SALT and OT have 3 hours each for annual review reports. It seems to stack up quite quickly.

Another significant spend iss that it specifies really specific training. Her usual TAs and teacher are trained in it but also are 4-5 others just incase of needing cover. This has to be done every year with the new staffing arrangements.

There previously were behaviour issues but there haven't been any at all this academic year and very very few january-july of the last academic year. Mainly because her needs are now understood and the training is correct.

We've looked further out, there is a potential but 1hr10m travel time which is one thing we all agree on that she can't cope with the travel yet. It's a through until 19 school so may be one for a couple of years time. Otherwise there's nothing nearer. It's infuriating.

Your daughter sounds very complex, in 11 years of teaching I've never heard of a child having more that 32.5hrs on an EHCP.

Are there any resource provisions near you? They can bridge the gap between mainstream and specialist schooling.

It's sounds like an awful position for you to be in

@Mumofsend

I've just realised my post didn't sound very sympathetic at all, your daughter's progress sounds amazing. I think maybe I'm 'projecting' after teaching a totally inappropriately placed child a couple of years ago - it was a disaster for everyone! He's now in specialist provision and doing fantastically well.

So you have a SEND key worker at the LA? Are there any parent advisory services near you?

@fabulouslyglamorousferret

Your daughter sounds very complex, in 11 years of teaching I've never heard of a child having more that 32.5hrs on an EHCP.

Are there any resource provisions near you? They can bridge the gap between mainstream and specialist schooling.

It's sounds like an awful position for you to be in

The school have said its the first they've had.

We did look at resource provisions, our LA have only recently cottoned on to them being a good idea so they are very limited and neighbouring LA's are too far out. The one in our LA wouldn't take her as she copes really well in core lessons but struggles less well in the afternoon wider stuff. They have them in the mainstream portion for the afternoons so the resource base doesn't resolve the difficulty.

She definitely is doing well now. Had to go through an ordeal to get her to where she is. It's now just figuring a long term provision for her.