Moving primary school with SEND

[Saffron31]

Hello - I would love some advice please....we need to move house which unfortunately will likely require 8 year old son (currently Y4) to move schools.

He was diagnosed with childhood absence epilepsy when he was 5. Medication finally got seizures under control and feeling incredibly fortunate that we believe he has been seizure free for almost 2 years. However, we have seen cognitive challenges since diagnosis and he has increasingly struggled since Y2. He was diagnosed with dyslexia, discalculia and dysgraphia over the summer.

He is on a SEN support plan at current school and we are currently applying for an EHCP (waiting to hear if they will assess him).

My question is, if he moves schools we might have an option for him to essentially move down and repeat a year. I think this could help him to 'catch up' a little academically (as he does find school work hard, ever more so as he progresses through KS2 which has affected his confidence and overall wellbeing) but I am worried about the emotional and self-esteem issues this could bring.

Personality-wise, he's quite an old head on young shoulders - he's calm, thoughtful and easy-going and tries his best. His current best friend in his class is also a year older than his cohort so I think he would recognise and understand the reasoning. But he's sensitive so feeling conflicted.

Anyone have any advice/experience? Thanks very much in advance x

I would be careful if the aim of doing being educated in the year below is to ‘catch up’. Many find this doesn’t actually happen in the long term as the demands (social and emotional not, just academically) increase.

While DC with EHCPs can be educated out of their chronological year group, many have to appeal to secure it in F, so if you get an EHCP it may not be easy.

Will you be moving LA, or just moving within your current LA?

Thank you for your reply and the insight - no, its likely we will be moving LA too.

Be aware if you move LA during an EHCNA, the new LA will decide whether to assess or not. They should take into account the old LA decided to assess and any information already gathered should be considered. 9.162 of the SENCOP covers it if you want to read more.

Thank you greenbrick, very good to know.