Anyone used a SEN school search company?

[SENschoolsearch]

I googled acorn to oak education - which provides this service as feeling really lost and helpless. No one providing guidance that is strategic or actionable.

Someone I met through a support group used a different service just run by one person and was underwhelmed paying loads of money and getting very little actual advise / plans more paying for admin and then being told they were unreasonable to discount if a primary school was 1.5hrs away each way "as there are taxis"

I have school list which is pretty coprehensive and i have visited and researched schools to the best of my ability.

We have refusals from some and new paperwork coming soon - although ive been told the wholly independent schools will not revisit the paperwork for 6 plus months

but i dont have a strategy or plan to help figure out next steps or best fit. Im also probably impatient (not good in SEN world I am beginning to realise)

Eg) i have seen an amazing school but its not likely my child will get in due to primary need. Some "good" schools have rejected on paperwork review. Fair enough

Im the left with a mix of different types of schools but no guidance.

I know there will be no perfect school but just don't know what to do. I dont want to fail.my child by saying that one will do and the cohort/ academics/ location etc are unsuitable. I just want to make an informed decision rather than acceptance...

Such companies aren’t something I would ever use.

ive been told the wholly independent schools will not revisit the paperwork for 6 plus months

As an aside ^this very much depends on the wholly independent school. Some will reconsider before 6 months, especially if there is updated information &/or they haven’t been provided with accurate information to begin with.

For non-wholly independent schools, they can’t just reject a child. They may object when consulted, but if they are parental preference, unless the LA can prove one of the lawful exceptions, they can and must still be named, and parents can still appeal for them. An offer of a place is only required for wholly independent schools.

EHCPs don’t always state a primary need, but where they do, having a primary need stated in the EHCP that isn’t the primary need a school admits isn’t always a barrier either. For example, LAs sometimes records a child’s primary need as SEMH when actually their presentation and evidence show their primary need to be ASD and on appeal parental preference for placement is still Ordered.

Some DC do travel 1.5hrs each way. The maximum recommended travel time for primary is typically considered 45mins, but some do travel much further.

Thanks for replying. I guess im coming to the conclusion that inactive really have a strategy or advice beyond what I have and research beyond what I have done.

I do wonder about the semh schools - maybe they are ok for my dc. I just have not seen them As they don't offer visits. So possibly apply if my research is ok. The sl school i like might be worth a shot too.

Very hard to know what the right thing to.do is as my child is very triggered by MS but in all.other ways bright, happy, clever etc etc but private wouldn't touch them due to their adhd presentation (although now medicated) and ASD traits eg) interesting things to them = learning

We do wish we had foresight years ago and put straight into private and might not be here now. Unfortunately the Ms worked for the siblings and they didnt present more.obviouly until.Y1

Ah well. Thanks so much. Sorry for the offloading

Appreciate the info.

*i cant not inactive!

Hi OP, it is certainly tricky but I don't think there is such a thing as a good quality SEN school search company. It's such a complex thing because there's no way to be sure whether schools are actually good or just paying lipservice to the law.

If you look on the EHCP support thread, there's a poster on there who is very expert and can often give opinions on specific schools.

Regarding the primary need issue, my DD's EHCP states her primary need is cognitive but it's actually SEMH. The school have been pretty good with that.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/5309128-ehcp-support-thread-no-5?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

SEMH schools and a speech and language school are vastly different types of schools. It is very unlikely both are able to meet needs. If your evidence is good, you will be able to rule out at least one of those types by going back to your evidence.

@Needlenardlenoo I thought DD had an ASD diagnosis?

Ok thanks both. Unfortunately people had suggested looking at a few and then I am all tangled up in this mess. "Its primarily xyz, but they do take autistic pupils..." etc and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of viable options out there... hence wanting some strategic expert advise.. which I think doesn't exist!

Thanks about the EHCP support thread. I wasn't really sure how it worked!

She's AuDHD but in terms of her actual difficulties with life, most of them are emotional and a bit communicative I would say. She has no real cognitive difficulties in the sense that she can access the curriculum easily (apart from character motivation). But the EHCP says "primary need: cognition."

@SENschoolsearch I would start by revisiting your evidence (as long as it is good, and if it isn’t, start by relooking at that). That will help inform proposed amendments to the EHCP, which in turn will help you understand the type of setting that will meet DC’s needs.

@Needlenardlenoo it is likely DD’s primary need should be ASD - which falls under the wider communication and interaction banner rather than cognition & learning or SEMH. For most with ASD, their SEMH difficulties are secondary to their ASD.