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SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

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Original poster

going back to the UK, school won't take ds back next year

20 replies

timetoask · 18/05/2011 16:00

We live abroad, ds is 6 and going to a mainstream private school with fulltime one to one support.
He has global developmental delay.
We have had months of difficult behaviour, hurting his one to one and other children. The school has decided then they cannot cope anymore with his behaviour. Been told he cannot go back next year.

Our only option is to go back to the uk. I have no idea what we will do about jobs, a home to live, etc.

DS has complex needs and we were told by a private EP from the UK that he will get a statement without a doubt. I have read that this process takes about 6 months.

So how can I get ds into the right school by september 2011? if a child has learning difficulties that obvious and if a fulltime one to one didn't manage to handle him in a mainstream school, surely it shouldn't take 6 months to get a statement?

any advice please. thanks.

OP posts:

davidsotherhalf · 18/05/2011 16:52

my dd statement took nearly a year,she was out of school till it came through, you don't stand any chance of getting statement by sept

starfishmummy · 18/05/2011 16:55

Do you have a UK school in mind? If so then contact them and find out what you can do - I'm sure many of them will have had pupils arriving from abroad before and will be able to advise you. Depending on his dx he may be able to get in to a school without the statement process. Its a long time ago but our LA turned down our request for a statement and were pushing ds towards a particular special school; so obviously they were prepared to place him there without one. It may vary from area to area though.

It might be an idea to start collecting reports from the people who currently work with your son, so that you can show them to any prospective schools.

If you dont have a school in mind then maybe some mumsnetters can give you ideas if you tell us the general location you plan to be in.

Original poster

timetoask · 18/05/2011 16:55

hello, are they allowed to keep a child out of school for a year? isn't that illegal?

OP posts:

Original poster

timetoask · 18/05/2011 17:08

thank you starfish.. cross posts...
Yes I have a school in mind, have been in touch with them and send them the reports we have. They have said that they could offer him a place until the statement comes through, but the cost is astronomical! About 10,000pounds a term.
How can I pay that when I dont even know if I will find a job soon enough.
If he gets a statement soon, will the LEA pay retrospectively?
thanks

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HarrietJones · 18/05/2011 17:10

Speak to a couple of special schools in the area you want. They may be able to advise. Get a report from the current school/ed psych and ask a few local ms schools if they can meet his needs. This gives you support for his statement/appropriate placement.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 18/05/2011 17:17

"They have said that they could offer him a place until the statement comes through, but the cost is astronomical! About 10,000pounds a term.
How can I pay that when I dont even know if I will find a job soon enough.
If he gets a statement soon, will the LEA pay retrospectively"

What is the non private sector like in the country you reside in currently?.

I doubt that the LEA will pay retrospectively and particularly if the above was a private school.

The usual statutory time for such a document to be set up is 26 weeks i.e 6 .5 months.

starfishmummy · 18/05/2011 17:19

Ah, I'm talking state schools so obviously no cost to us; I'm not sure how it would be privately. I'm not even sure how easy it would be to get the LA to "name" a private school on a statement; but someone may know!!

leiela · 18/05/2011 17:33

I can't imagine the LEA would pay for a private school?? surely not?

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 18/05/2011 17:47

have you spoken to the sen team at that lea? They may be unwilling to help if you don't have an address in their area but may give you some general info. Are there any other ss that you can consider, the lea will unlikley pay out for independent ss if there is a maintained one that is vaguely suitable, you would need to be able to make a good case as to why the maintained schools would be unsuitable. Statutory time frame is 6 months as they take time to gather evidence from everyone they and you consider relevant for the statement, the lea involved will tell you if they can be flexible to speed it up.

it's also worth looking at ipsea, ace and sossen if you haven't already.

Original poster

timetoask · 18/05/2011 17:53

Sorry, don't understand the different terminology (DH is english, I am not).
The school is "independant", does this mean that it is private? So maybe I need to look only for state schools? But I thought there were no state special schools. Very confusing.
When I spoke to them they mentioned that all the kids are funded by the LEA with the exception of a small minority.

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TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 18/05/2011 18:21

maintained schools are state schools and will be the first place the lea will look, there are plenty(ish) of state special schools depending on the area. Independent is private which the lea will only consider if there is no suitable maintained school or you can prove the maintained school cannot meet his needs. It's hard to get independent schools named on a statement but it is doable.

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 18/05/2011 18:25

have a look at the ofsted site, you can search for schools by area and by type, you can search for community special schools and independent special schools.

HarrietJones · 18/05/2011 18:52

Independent SS are usually v high need whose needs can't be met by a state SS. V difficult to get , especially now with budgets being slashed.

Original poster

timetoask · 18/05/2011 19:04

thanks ninja and Harriet.
I will google a bit more.
If it's hard to get independent schools named on the statement, then I really don't understand how the school I have my eye on is so full of kids? I cannot believe that most of them are paying these fees.
This is so hard and worrying, I cannot concentrate on anything. Also have ds2 to consider (nt), he has been going to the local system here without any problem, learning a foreign language and all. I hate this.

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HarrietJones · 18/05/2011 19:33

Do you know where you'd move to? Bound to be MNers to help you

mariamagdalena · 18/05/2011 20:27

Agree with the othr posters about exploring state school options where you are now, and in the areas of the UK you plan to return to. If the worst came to the worst in the UK, a mainstream state school would have to take him and it would be quickly apparent that he needed additional support. They would either make arrangements to provide it or exclude (expel) him.

Being excluded for hitting other children tends to mean either the council faces an expensive bill for their home tuition service or a 'pupil exclusion unit' place. Which would help you get him a statement. Also, state special schools sometimes offer short-term pre-statement 'assessment' places to children with obvious and severe disabilities who come from overseas.

cestlavielife · 18/05/2011 23:23

the local LEA will probably place him in the first instance in a special school state funded one. then, after some time of asessment , you might be in a position to argue why the independent school can better meet his needs.

but if neither of you will have a job then consider very carefully why you would move back to uk. there must be other disabeld children in the country you in - what happens to them?

Original poster

timetoask · 19/05/2011 05:37

Hi all, the local system is not an option for us, DS could not cope with the local language. He needs instruction in england due to his severe language delay. THat is what the local neurologists have said. The local language is very complex, none of us speak it at home.

Believe me, if we could stay here we would.

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intothewest · 19/05/2011 07:43

Just to agree with other posters- independent school is not going to be your first option.LEA do everything they can to get out of giving this provision-yes they sometimes do if the parent can prove the current school is not giving adequate provision(hard to do )

If you think your DS needs a special school(state funded) he may well be given a place before his statement comes through if you are coming from abroad,but ALL the DCs in my DS's school have statements.Do try to research as much as possible , as SSs vary as much as mainstream.

willowthecat · 19/05/2011 09:41

Don't want to depress you further but agree that LEA are unlikely to even consider independent special school until you can prove that every other option has failed. But given the needs you describe, a state funded special school should be available even without a statement - though think this varies a lot throughout England and in Scotland there are no statements at all.

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