My dd is in year 11 currently and has an EHCP, I need advice on if we should choose a mainstream college or specialist placement.
She is technically academically able with predicted grades 4's and 5's, however she is currently working at ungraded and 1's as her current school was not the right placement for her and they haven't able to meet needs. She isn't getting provision in her EHCP and things have escalated and gone downhill where she wasn't supported properly. She is missing a lot of lessons as she won't go or stay in them due to anxiety also. Another complication is she refuses to acknowledge her multiple needs and thinks she's like everyone else so was expecting to go to sixth form or college and is likely to refuse to go to a specialist placement.
Pros for college: She can choose a subject she is interested in and with careful placement the environment might be better.
Cons: I'm not sure how she will cope as it's a much bigger environment and if she can't cope with school I worry if she will cope with college. She is also extremely vulnerable and also impulsive and there are concerns about her ability to be safe as well as previous serious safeguarding issues so I worry about her when she has free time and being able to go off site and potentially serious sexual incidents against her.
Pros for specialist provision - Smaller environment and therapeutic work. Gives her time to be ready for college.
Cons - She will likely refuse to go and it will likely negatively impact her mental health not going to college like everyone else, She will work on basic skills/qualification lower than she is technically capable of.
I don't have anyone else to talk to about this so any advice is appreciated.