MS school smaller or private?

[want2sleep]

Ds has not coped in school and was displaying some rather awful anxiety as a consequence...gagging/vomiting/self harmiing/ screaming to get out of school. Started with sensory overload but then being attacked drove ds age 5yrs into suicidal thoughts:(

Ds only goes into school 2 hours a day (this has slowly built up over three years to this many hours).

Not having Sensory Intergration(which was oredered by a tribunal) and not having a timetable (refused one as foundation phase I was told does not have one). So ds really anxious because he does not know what is coming next....then add 31 kids cramped into a tiny room with every single space cramped with children's work. [sigh]

I have 2 options:

1 Move ds to a smaller class in other school (22 kids with ds) but still same problem with foundation phase, still a lot of kids...

2 take LEA to tribunal to go to Ind MS school with 10 kids, structured learning and timetable etc...things not overloaded on walls, more time with teacher etc....but to reduce the ABA ds is currently on from 40hrs/50wks to 40hrs/36wks in hope LEA gives Ind school as it will save 3K a year!

Any advice/suggestions as my head is swimming....

can't tell you which to go for as not even vaguely qualified Does sound whichever way that you need to be away from that school, why are they not doing SI?

Don't get why they can't do a timetable dd3 has had one for nusery and will get one for reception when she goes back next week. The timetable is a little more flexible in foundation but not non existant, that's crap. At the start of term a topic will have been decided on, lesson plans have to be written for each week with learning objectives set out so they know at the beginning of the week roughly what will be happening. The day will roughly have the same pattern, assemblies and lunch/play times are generally set, how hard is it?

Have you spoken to the other ms school about that particular issue and to see how flexible they are prepared to be?

Are they not even doing a daily timetable??? (shouldn't be hard - regular items like lunch/break/assembly can be laminated) - surprised at them like bigcar...

thats terrible about the timetable im shocked and think he should not be in that school, they seem like they dont want to help. My ds is starting school in sep, no statement, no formal dx yet either but severe lang delay, asd traits and behaviour issues, and i dont think he will cope with ms cos of the amount of kids in class, so after a bit of arguing and so one with lea, they offered ds a place in eib within ms school, only8 kids in there, 1 sn teacher and 1 teaching assisstant. So im happy.

in pre school there where 40 kids in ds class and he was only in 2.5 hrs a day, and not very good.

i think 22 kids is still alot if he is having probs with 31, it is your decision but if you feel that smaller class sizes will help alot then that is what you should go with hun.

hard decisions and alot of stress, good luck

My dd's go to a tiny school (85 children), dd1 (AS) is doing very well, she does get anxiety but it is under control. Dd2 is starting next week and is one of 5 children starting reception.

You could try (with LEA() to get him into the other school, could you do this whilst he's still at the other school?

Would home education be an option?

bigcar - this is why I'm so their should be a timetable and pokhara your right not much difference between 22 and 31 yes you hit nail on head they don't want to help:(

Marne if I keep ds at MS large class no timetable etc he will remain 80% home educated on ABA as he cannot be increased in school any more time soon. Thing is I want ds in school not home Ed anymore 3 yrs at home and no break is now driving me mad! Dont want ds to get so used to being at home will never want to leave iygwim and want ds with friends not isolated. Its taken 3 yrs to get third into school another 6 years at least until fulltime ds I feel will totally be not interested in social interaction with peers.

The LEA wont allow Ind school (if they have to pay) so tribunal only choice.

Marne your dd is so lucky to be in such small school is it rural or Ind(if latter how did you manage it if LEA funded).