Confused about draft statement, please help

[Mists]

Hi - our draft will be with us in a week or so and the LA have said that I have two weeks to look at it / agree and can name a school when I send it back.

So why in the parental views form sent back to them six weeks ago was I asked if I had a school in mind? I visited a few including two special schools and spent most of the form explaining why the SS could meet DS' needs in ways that MS couldn't.

Now from what I have read, the statement should have provision which is quantifiable and specific.

What is confusing me is how I can be expected to agree what's on it because if DS is going to MS I would obviously like him to receive certain things whereas if he is in SS it all becomes immaterial as SALT etc is all on site.

Sorry if this isn't clear

ive just done ths too you have to get them to quantify everything and state which school preference ss or ms & although if in a SS this will still be a guidline for them but a lot of things ie:SLT ect will be automatically embroidered into everything they do and are on site IYSWIM so i was told to write all my amendments ect and add the SS i wanted , the other thing is that it needs to be in there as they sometimes get children to (after consultation with you and DC) take certain subjects in MS school eg: if yr DC is fantastic with science he might at a later date be able to go once or twice a week to MS for that subject , there is also with some DC the possibility that as they get older they will improve and with consultation may move back into MS stupid i know as if they suggested that i would also expect an early review of their statement i think ive explained that really badly lol sorry HTH

I see what you mean about how his statement would have to read quite differently depending on whether he was in mainstream or special school. I would try to make suggestion for the wording which fit the setting you want, for example "ds needs a setting where salt is an integral part of the communication used in each lesson and during unstructured times, where all staff have an awareness of and training in appropriate therapy for his sen, where he will be educated with his peers with similar needs" etc.

if your still concerned give ipsea or pp a ring pink but i think as its reviewed once a year and also can be done at your request also will be done if they/you all decided he could do certain subject/s at MS it can be changed and added

Ah, now I see. You have given me some good answers, thank you.

I will ring PP and IPSEA tomorrow

It's because legally they cannot prejudge placement. There is a legal right to mainstream so they can only name special school if either you express a preference for it or they explain why mainstream school would be incompatible with the efficient education of other children or an inefficient use of resources, if a parent asks for ss they don't have to prepare these arguments, so they wait to see what you say and then frame their arguments accordingly. The law and cop says part 4 must be left blank for parents to express a preference. also be careful about not being specific in a ss statement. sossen say this is a new wheeze where they don't specify eg ot or salt and the parents don't query it because they think well ot and salt is on site anyway and then at next annual review they say well your child does not need salt or ot so can go to mainstream now and the parents are too late to challenge it as they have been seen to accept it was not necessary. So everything in ss statement should still be specified,

Sorry should have said when you express preference if they agree you will often get a second draft before the final anyway

Thanks Agnes that's very helpful. LAs and their ruses though

I spoke to the ASD-trained SALT very recently and DS has come on so much that she thinks he is unlikely to need direct therapy in SS but her colleague will be heavily involved in target-setting.

Now that wouldn't happen at a MS so if I ask for SALT setting targets in whatever part it is, then that could strengthen the case for SS? Or do I need to push for direct SALT intervention anyway? I'm a bit wary of that because they could argue that he could have that in MS...

Good to know that a second draft can happen too.