Schools and a new place to live

[TeamLorenaBobbitt]

Hi

I'm looking for advice on good schools and places to live.

My son has an asd diagnosis and attends secondary school who are ok but everything is a fight and only happens if I ask. My daughter also has an asd diagnosis and also dyslexia and her primary are terrible.

We're lucky we can live anywhere in scotland, England or Ireland/Northern Ireland, unfortunately wales is out due to a horrid ex living there.

Any advice would be great as we're not happy where we are and happiness would be ideal finally.

In a similar boat here: willing to move away from London if we found a nice town/city with good smallish secondaries with good SEN provision.

Whereabouts are you now and where have you consided so far?

I've researched state secondaries in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Shropshire, Yorkshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire ... it's just so hard to know where is genuinely good. It seems like most mainstream schools, even those with good reputations for SEN, aren't getting it right, sadly.

We could possibly go private if it didn't cost a fortune and we were moving to a much less expensive area.

You are definitely not alone!

Hi
I am just wondering how you both got on with relocating and finding the right schools for your children? We are considering a move from the Isle of Man to the mainland to find the right school for our son who is dyslexic and not receiving the right support. I constantly feel guilty that we are trying to bang a round peg in to a square hole when we send him in to school each day.
It is obviously a huge move which impacts the whole family, in my positive moments I feel that it will be an exciting adventure for us all and at other times I'm completely overwhelmed by everything involved. All I know is that if he stays where he is he will likely slip through the gaps and it could be very detrimental to his mental health, where in the right environment he could really thrive.
If you are happy to share how you are doing I'd be so grateful. If you speak to people who don't have any school issues they think the idea is crazy so it's lovely to share with people who understand.

@Erin11 We're not very actively looking to relocate at the moment. Things have improved with DC1's secondary school this year as they've hired a really good SENDCo. DC2's primary has been making a bit more of an effort and we've found what we hope will be a decent secondary for next year. We also have some assessments lined up for both kids, so don't want to lose our place in the queue.

I am, however, always tempted by the idea of leaving the UK. The country feels like a sinking ship, TBH. But with the kids at the ages they're at, and with their needs still being defined, it feels the wrong time to uproot them.

If you're sure your child is not getting the support they need, then I think it's reasonable to consider moving. I'd research a lot of schools in advance and try to talk to or meet with their SEN teams before you decide where to go. If your child is in primary, then I@d also scout out secondaries to reduce the chance of having to re-evaluate your location again down the road. (Though, obvs, schools and staff can change over time, for better or worse!) Good luck!