Offered specialist school placement with little information before decision deadline

[Jimmyneutronsforehead]

I got a call from our EHCP coordinator yesterday to say DS has been offered a placement in a specialist school, but she couldn't give me any information about the prospectus, whether it was in any way similar to our preferred school.

She did give me the email address for the schools SENCO so I have emailed this email address with a list of queries with hopes that it will give me enough information to make an informed choice, but so far no response and no phone number to ring.

The school is part of a wider academy trust that do specialist and non specialist provision so I rang the main specialist site and they also couldn't give me any information and said just wait for the SENCO to email back.

The issue is I have to have made a decision by the 20th as the local authority say they will take it back to panel if I haven't provided my views by then.

I have an open tribunal case, and this school was offered just after the tribunal case was registered, and to be honest if it's the right primary need they serve as well as providing support with life skills and academics I think they have a lot of pros going for them and they check a lot off our list. They're close, they're a small school, and they are from an established string of specialists.

The EHCP coordinator just could not tell me a thing about this school, she couldn't even verify it's primary need and said she could only email the same as me so I should just do it, but as I've only got until the 20th to make a decision before they make a decision for me, is there anything I can do?

Transition would be first 2 weeks in September in mainstream and then 2 weeks of half days at each but parents stay for the first week of half days at new school, and then full time from October, but to get to that point I've to blindly commit now with no information.

Has anyone else gone through anything similar?

Does the school’s website not have a phone number and basic information?

Even if you don’t say you agree with the school now, since you have a live appeal, it can always become your preferred placement for the appeal (although depending on timescales may push back the hearing) if you find out information later that leads you to conclude it is your preferred placement.

I appreciate you may not want to, but if you want to post the school someone may have more information for you. Or you could name change and start another thread.

As an aside, I dislike that transition arrangement.

Thank you. It's a new Newstead academy in Barnsley. The main Newstead school have got a website already but what the EHCP coordinator couldn't confirm was that it is a direct satellite school that carries over the primary need of social communication and interaction and whether the teaching models are the same. The new school being built as part of the Newstead academy doesn't have a website yet and she told me they haven't yet built a prospectus so it's made me feel on edge.

The main school was actually our second option, but every time I rang them for a tour of the site I was told I need to wait for an organised tour, they don't know when it will be, contact them towards the end of the year, on repeat and then the last time I contacted them it was a sorry you've just missed the tour we can't make any exceptions due to scheduling and safeguarding, so I have no idea what sort of resources they have in the school, and whether even at their primary site they can cater to my son's other health needs or whether they have designated sensory spaces, the layout of the classrooms is accessible but safe for children that can escape with their hands behind their backs and whether they've considered any shortcomings of their main school and considered them when purposely building a whole new school.

I did ring the flagship school again today but nobody answered so I've left a message with a bit of info about why I'm calling, who I have emailed and my phone number to call me back which I am desperately hoping they will tomorrow.

I also think the transition is crap. I've talked to my son's current school about it today and they think that it's a fantastic transition, but I've said for a child who already has EBSA, and struggles with transitions, coming back to mainstream first after the 6 week holidays will probably just cause distress and anxiety. Coming back to school is already a transition, never mind suddenly leaving it for a new school he's never been to.

Sorry, I know hardly anything about the school. Except to say can I add two more questions to your list?

Is it going to be a separately registered establishment or will it be a satellite site of Waterton Newstead like their Hunningley site (and like how I think Hammer Lane Academy started out as)?

I’m not 100% but I think the new 45 place site is going to start as a satellite provision that become a separate registered establishment later.

If it is going to be a separate school will it also be an independent school? Although Waterton Newstead has academy in the name it is actually a wholly independent school which Barnsley LA commission places at.

Excellent questions. I will add them to my list. Hopefully I get some answers today.

I know the school is based on the same grounds as an existing waterton primary school, but I've been told it isn't part of that primary school at all, simply sharing the same ground so it's an independent specialist but I've no idea if it's a satellite of other newstead schools.

Crossing my fingers and toes that I get a phone call or someone answers my call today.

If you don’t get anywhere with the school, you could call the academy trust. They might not be able to give you much information but should be able to pass you to someone who can or get someone who can to call you back.

If the email address isn’t that of the the headteacher, it is worth emailing her too.

It might be helpful to contact local parent groups to see if they have any information.

I've had an email back from the school. They seem lovely to be honest and they've really reassured me that they will continue with the adjustments my son has at his current school, for technical questions she has posted a transitions pack and school information pack which should be with me tomorrow or Friday so I will have a few days left to make a proper choice.

It is an independent academy. The senco seems lovely from first impressions, and reassured me the delayed response was simply because of the final week of school and managing the opening of the new school.

That’s brilliant.