School say can’t meet need

[Usernamehidden]

Looking for some help/advice/reassurance please… our little boy (currently year 1, but young for the year) attends a small independent school with a small class size (<14). We’ve chosen and paid for him to go there because he wouldn’t cope with a bigger / busier environment. He’s autistic, with pervasive drive for autonomy and when he feels this is threatened, struggles with emotional regulation. He can be sensory avoidant, and dislikes a lot of people around him and sudden noises, but is mainly sensory seeking. As such he really struggles with large groups / classes.
We recently got his final EHCP. The school worked with us to get the EHCP, but have now said they can’t support his needs.

Our little boy feels safe there. I know he won’t cope in a larger class size, and challenging behaviours which have more recently got quite few and far between, I think would return as he will feel scared in a new environment. He would be so devastated at the prospect of changing schools and will be so scared.

Has anyone got any experience of this or any advice? And/or schools which have been particularly good (Yorkshire area). Would you stick with independent (more the smaller class sizes) or go to mainstream for more experience / other children with SEN and possibly already provision there (like sensory spaces). Mainstream schools we’ve looked at all say how much they’re struggling with the needs they have in the year already 😭

My next question is around the transition then and how you have done it successfully?

Thank you so much in advance 💐 I feel so lost!!

You can ask to see the letter they wrote about why they can't meet his needs. Is it that they actually can't manage him, or is it that some of the EHCP provision is impossible/difficult for them to provide? if it's the latter, you can potentially work with the school to increase the funding or change the provision, so that it is possible for the current school to meet need.

"Our little boy feels safe there." That's your answer. He should stay there and you should fight to keep him there. Don't let them finalize the EHCP with any other school named.

Unfortunately, as a wholly independent school, the school has to offer of a place to be named in the EHCP and they can give notice.

If DS is struggling to cope in the current setting, he is unlikely to cope with large state mainstream classes. There may be some smaller village school nearby, but these can sometimes bring other difficulties, such as the sensory environment being acoustically challenging for some DC with the older building.

Given what you have said, particularly the need for autonomy, many independent mainstreams are unlikely to offer a place.

Have you considered SS?

Yorkshire is a large area. For suggestions, you are going to have to narrow it down.

You would need a detailed transition plan that built up slowly. For example, photos/videos of the building/classes/playgrounds/staff, staff meeting DS at home or at the current school (if the school is willing for DS to attend until you secure another placement), visiting outside of school time, starting with small visits during the day.

Don't let them finalize the EHCP with any other school named.

OP said they already have the final. Even if they didn’t, the above isn’t possible. The LA doesn’t need OP’s permission to finalise. And, as a wholly independent school, they can’t be named if they object.

Go and see as many Special schools in your area, you will see somewhere that you know in your gut is right.
Knowledge is power so this should be your focus. @StrivingForSleep said, you cannot force an independent to keep your son and there’s also the real risk that their attitude will change as he moves further through the school. Those schools can do the most damage to your son,

He may feel comfortable now , but you will not want your son in a school he is not wanted-it will show eventually.

You have the chance to move him into hopefully a school for September, go and see the LA maintained special schools in your area, honestly , you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I very much defer to Strivingforsleep's more complete knowledge here. I won't edit my comment, so that theirs makes sense, but please follow their advice over mine.

I do think it would be useful to have a conversation about why they feel they can't meet need, but if they can't be forced, this may not suffice.

If it's a final EHCP, a school or type of school must be named in section I.

It may also be worth looking into small specialist classes (SEN units) within mainstream state primary schools. I would expect details of these to be published online within the 'SEND Local Offer' for your LA. We are not in Yorkshire but small specialist classes (at primary age) in our area tend to have 8-10 pupils.

@ThesebeautifulthingsthatIvegot maybe wrongly, but I assumed the current school was named in the final EHCP but they are now giving (or will shortly give) notice. Could you clarify the situation @Usernamehidden?

Sorry it’s given me a new username for some reason but I am OP!! Think I’ve signed in differently!

Thank you so much everyone for all of this amazing advice, I feel so much less alone now and it’s really helpful.

@ThesebeautifulthingsthatIvegot thank you for the advice and reassurance / support to fight for him, I have tried and tried but what they’re saying doesn’t really make sense - which is what’s driving me mad, I feel fobbed off a bit - I think we need to really understand and so asking for their response would be helpful to me even for my own sanity and to help us take the next steps

@Lesley25 thank you that’s reassuring and helpful

@StrivingForSleep Thank you so much for all of your helpful advice, you seem very knowledgeable! in answer to your question - it was named in the final EHCP but because they said couldn’t meet need a new final-1 has been issued just stating mainstream and will be completed post consultation

@BlueTrainers thank you that sounds perfect but I don’t think there are any locally I’ve looked at the local offer page, will look again

Honestly I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to answer, I’m so depressed about all of this and can’t get out of my head which is stressing me out so much, I feel so miserable and don’t have anyone to turn to who knows about this sort of thing.

Are you still within the appeal window following the latest amended EHCP being finalised? If so, appeal. You do not need to know the specific placement you wish to be named at this point. You just need to not let your right of appeal lapse.

Alongside this, you should remind the LA, when they name mainstream as type case law dictates they should normally name a specific placement. Ask them how they intend to ensure DS receives a suitable full-time education and how they plan to deliver the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP.

There will be resource provisions. They are called different things in different LAs within Yorkshire. You also aren’t limited to setting within your LA. If you post whereabouts you are, I will tell you what they are called.

If mainstream is your preference, then they've done you a favour by naming "mainstream" because it gives you the right to appeal (provided you are in the timeframe). You can appeal to state that you feel mainstream is inappropriate. The current school's views may help with this.

On the other hand, if you think mainstream with support is worth trying, then try to find one with a senco/head that you get good feelings from. There is a lot of need in mainstream schools, but some are incredible at meeting that need.

Thank you, we’re in West Yorkshire / Bradford is the LA

Bradford has 2 types of resource provisions. This is Bradford’s page on LA led resource provisions. And this is their page about school led resource provisions. Although you aren’t limited to provisions only in your LA. However, resource provisions don’t work for all DC. Because they are based in mainstream schools, some still find the sensory environment overwhelming. Units differ in how much integration into mainstream classes they have too, which can be a problem for some DC.

You are more limited with specialist provision. Depending on what academic level DS is working at and what level of challenging behaviour you mean, you could look at Becker School. It is a small newish independent special school - most have SEMH needs, but there are pupils with other needs too. It is difficult to know from the limited information in your post, but it might not work if DS struggles with other pupils displaying challenging behaviour. You haven’t specifically mentioned that, but lots with DS’s profile do. In the same group is Barraclough Hall, which is even newer. Although it would be a longer journey and I think the former is likely to be more suitable.

Make sure you get documented proof from the senco / head why they couldn’t meet need. Also, what adjustments did they make. This will be good evidence which you will need to show at a later date.

Would a 1 to 1 of helped? Or not enough space in the school.

Independents mainstreams are hard - they can and allowed to off role children when the going gets tough. Unlike the state MS

So they can’t meet need. Have they told you when to exit the school? 😬

It’s really hard and upsetting but sometimes the private schools really don’t care about sen kids 😭 and if in a state system they would have to give more effort.

However if your child is not thriving and not enjoying it there isn't any point and it seems like Yorkshire LA is doing well

Not sure if there is a sen local EHCP page - try to get valuable knowledge from the sen mums. Some independent MS are good and some are dire and not inclusive

good luck to you and your child

Another suggestion, if it isn’t the independent mainstream school you are already in, you could look at Bradford Christian School. They have an autism provision.