Help!!! Which school (SW London / Surrey) ?

[Jellybean023]

DD age 7 is ADHD / ASD, cognitively very able but needing a lot of support in school. She loves to read and absorbs facts (knows a huge amount of random stuff), loves humanities, science, very creative (loves arts, crafts, design etc) but struggles with focus, attention and especially writing. Her maths is good in places but not in others. She previously had some significant emotional regulation difficulties but has calmed down a lot with 1-2-1 support. She’s also verbally articulate and sociable but has impaired receptive language so does struggle with social norms and expectations. She also has a lot of sensory difficulties.

We had independent EP, OT and SLT assessments done as part of EHCP appeal.
EP recommended a mainstream with autism unit. She needs specialist teaching, smaller classes, flexible approach, 1-2-1 support (currently) and regular OT and SLT input but also a more mainstream curriculum which matches her cognitive abilities and a peer group of similarly able children (ideally both boys and girls). We’re finding it impossible to find a suitable school. Autism units near us are either full or unsuitable due to children predominantly being behind academically. Our solicitor is pushing us to look at specialists instead. A few more academic independent specialists have already said no as are either full or can’t support the 1-2-1 / level of flexibility she requires. Traditional mainstreams are also saying they can’t meet needs so we don’t know where to go from here. If we can’t get everything, is she better off in mainstream with lots of support?

Looking for school suggestions that could work for her in and around South west London / surrey or surrounding areas. Also opinions on or experience of mainstream vs specialist for similar children?

OP, will Limpsfield Grange be a consideration for you when she is older?

I appreciate that it's not the answer to your current quandary, of course.

limpsfieldgrange.co.uk/

Firstly, for non-wholly independent schools, being ‘full’ is not a lawful reason to refuse to name your preference. The LA has to prove the school is so full admitting DC is incompatible with the efficient education of others or use of resources. The bar for this is higher than LAs and many schools admit. It has to be something tangible and specific and is more than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”. So if your preference is a school with an ARP, you can still pursue that. Your solicitor should have told you this. However, are you sure they can meet needs? From your posts, it doesn’t sound like it.

Similarly, for the independent SS, are the ones you have looked at wholly independent or section 41? My previous paragraph applies to section 41 independents.

Will DD need 1:1 in SS? Not all do since it is a different environment.

While they cater for DC who are able to access a mainstream curriculum, they aren’t as academically able as a mainstream, but you could look at Brookways if you haven’t already.

You could consider Ashley Park if that isn’t one you have already looked at. However, even though they have different pathways for different profiles, academically they aren’t at the level of a mainstream either and DD may still find the environment overwhelming.

There is Leith Hill and Woodstock. The latter from Y4. However, DD will probably find those settings overwhelming and again, they aren’t at the level of mainstream academically. Depending on where in SW London/Surrey you are, Woodview may be doable. Again, not the most academic of schools and may be too overwhelming. Also, depending on where you are, Burlington House may be doable. However, I suspect DD will find the school overwhelming.

Thanks @roaringdragon there is one ARP that is “full” that we are quite keen on so are still pushing. However a number of people have warned us to beware of ARPs as they can have too broad a cohort with differing needs so we’re a bit undecided on how hard to push. So far the independents have been wholly independent so not Section 41 - Leith Hill is already a no. Ashley park is on our list and we’ve just asked the LA to consult with them so let’s see - it’s one of the more suitable ones from what I can tell however we’ve not been able to visit yet. I still have a concern these schools are not academic enough, but I don’t think there’s much better in specialist, which is why I wonder whether mainstream with support would be a better model for her.

To your other questions - we don’t know for sure whether she’d need 1-2-1 in specialist. I suspect less so, but our evidence doesn’t state as such so schools are not necessarily looking past that. I think it possibly depends on the school - she is currently using the 1-2-1 to help transcribe (where she struggles to write), to access movement breaks, to support with organisation (like knowing where she’s meant to be when) and help maintain focus and attention (including allowing her to complete work in a quieter space outside the classroom). I’m less worried about out her being overwhelmed in the schools you’ve mentioned - they are all significantly smaller than her current school where she is coping ok with the 1-2-1 support.

@TheSquareMile thank you. I am not even thinking about secondary yet. From what I have seen we have more options once we get to secondary, probably closer to us that LG, but the next four years of primary seem to be impossible!

Has DD tried assistive technology? It doesn’t work for everyone who needs a scribe, but it does for some, and some find it works better than the scribe.

Some of the things DD has 1:1 for now will be less of an issue in a special school with more support embedded into the day.

I wouldn’t rule an otherwise suitable school out just based on academics. IMO, academics are of little use if you can’t function in life, and academics can always come later.

I think whether mainstream with support works depends on the child. The independent assessments should really be able to help you understand whether it would work for DD or not. If DC find the environment too overwhelming, this can be insurmountable for many even with support.