Barnet Specialist Secondaries

[SingSangSung]

Does anyone know anything about Mapledown, Oak Hill, Windmill or Oak Lodge schools in Barnet, or the ASD units at Hendon and Whitefield?

I have a child with ASD and ADHD who is able to access the national curriculum (projected 6-7-8s for GCSEs) but has sensory and social communication difficulties that really make a large mainstream school impossible. Also can't bear wearing a uniform, even with reasonable adjustments (due to both sensory and PDA).

We're trying for a small ND-friendly independent school but want to be prepared in case the LA try to put one of the above forward on our EHCP.

Mapledown and Oak Lodge wouldn’t be able to cater for DC working at that academic level. Oak Hill is primarily a SEMH school (although some have ASD as well) so I would think carefully whether that is suitable and whilst they do offer some GCSEs, their cohort doesn’t usually achieve a string of 6/7/8s. And if SEMH is the primary need, TWS won’t be suitable. TWS offers some GCSEs but not the range a MS does. Although encouraged, not wearing uniform wouldn’t be a make or break issue.

The problem with ARPs is they are still part of a mainstream secondary and the sensory environment that entails. If DD is struggling with that now, are you sure she would cope?

@StrivingForSleep That's helpful. Thanks.

I don't think DD will cope in a MS unit but I'm trying to explore all the possible options the LA will propose as we expect they'll object to a more expensive fully independent school, which is what we're appealing for.

ASD is the main need. I think they will try to argue for Windmill but it's so new and there are no results to see how kids have done. But their curriculum looks very limited, so I don't think it's appropriate for DD.

The independent school we want is not a SS. It's a small 'therapeutic' school for ND kids. So maybe we can argue that a SS wouldn't be appropriate? Working on getting an EP report to substantiate setting needs.

With the cohort TWS is aiming at, it is unlikely to have pupils with a clutch of GCSEs at 7+.

There is a right to a mainstream education unless a mainstream placement would be incompatible with the efficient education of others and no reasonable steps could be taken by the LA to avoid that. However, given the school you want, I would not be going down that route if I were you. The school you want is not your average non-specialist setting or even your less average school. It is not really a mainstream education, so that argument could well do you no favours with SENDIST. I would focus on why other options cannot meet DD’s needs.

Yes, I thought claiming DD has the 'right to a MS education' might not be that convincing given the school we want. So that's why I'm researching the other options the LA might throw our way and trying to gather evidence as to why they are not suitable.

I've heard that TWS is mostly taking kids who are a year or more behind academically. Do you know if this is the case?

That’s right. Most are/will be slightly below ARE. Although, for some, this will be because of a disrupted education and/or deregulation and/or a spikey profile and they will be cognitively more able than their current achievement suggests. Some will access GCSEs and equivalents. Others will do entry level qualifications.

I’d be really interested to hear any comments or experiences regarding The Windmill. My son sounds very similar to your child @SingSangSung The LA Tribunal team has just emailed to ask whether we would consider it for our son. He’s currently being home schooled, Year 10, after struggling with burnout, ASD, anxiety, and EBSA.

The LA has named a mainstream school, which feels completely (shockingly) unsuitable given what he’s been through since starting secondary school. What his therapist, doctor, ehcp recommends. We want an independent specialist school that the LA refuses to name. We’re wondering whether The Windmill might be a setting that could genuinely support him through his GCSEs and A levels.

This is so hard!

TWS can offer a limited GCSEs. Although they aren’t going to have DC achieving the number of GCSEs or grades MS will or even some other SS.

Unless it has changed recently, they don’t offer A levels. Be aware you aren’t at phase transfer stage yet. Even if a school that continues post 16 is named now, there is no guarantee the LA will continue to name it post 16. Equally, many move for post 16 placements.