Mainboard useless so asking here.....

[StarlightMcKenzie]

If ds goes to a non-maintained school, ruled for by tribunal, without transport (we may have to concede this), is there anyway I can use the sibling/social rule to get dd into the mainstream maintained school nearest to it?

Okay, I know it isn't a straightforward question but you lot are flexible enough in your thinking to come up with some things to think about.

I think our best chance of this is to negotiate with LA without getting to tribunal where I can get this thing in writing as part of the 'deal' which legally might mean nothing but when we get to appeal stage for dd might persuade the panel etc.

From memory (ds1 now in yr3 - so a while back!) don't the LA consider distance by public transport as one of their criteria? If you don't get transport and have to bus/train/walk in 1 direction, your need is for a school to be in the same direction.
I remember having a conversation where they suggested 1 school for walking to as being the nearest - distance wise. Just got a 'oh' when i pointed out that it crossed a river, with no bridge at that point so i would have to go in the opposite direction to get 'over' the river and so wasn't the nearest to walk to.
It would still go back to being able to offer one school en route though.

I would also choose a school for DD closest to you, in-case DS moves school at any time.

Wet, I don't think that campaign would work, because the LA's themselves would oppose it on the basis that they believe that they can meet the needs cheaper due to having better resources than the LA you just left, and parents would be seeking out 'soft' LAs for tribunal purposes.

The problem as ever, is lack of national strategy and postcode lottery, the solution to which would mean a level of centralising of services.

But there are 2 things that would make it very attractive to the Govt:

1. The military covenant. Service children with SNs being disadvantaged by their parents forced and frequent moves. A 'portable' statement would assist there

2. The move away from Education Services controlling schools within an Authority i.e. the move to Free Schools with their own budgets. A portable statement would further reduce the influence of the individual LAs.

Might just compose a letter to Mr Gove.

Star I would go for your catchment school, guaranteed if its a reasonable size there will be several parents who are also childminders who can take DD before or after school. Once you meet other parents you can potentially find people to help you out for free. That way as others say you don't have to do a big trip out if DS is out of school (which if indep school holidays will be much longer remember eg could be 4 weeks in summer when DD in school and DS is not). Nothing worse if one of them is ill than having to schlep the others out on a massive round trip.
Living near the school opens up lots of options. We have several parents whose houses are on the way to school who will take DS1 and 2 in / pick them up.
Its also useful when you forget lunchboxes, swim kit, guitars on a regular basis (or is that just me ).

Hmmm, trouble is, where we live now is in a dark spot of oversubscribed schools with none of them being anywhere near enough to get in. So even if we were to go for local school, we'd still need the social argument, - although the sibling one wouldn't even make any vague sense then.

I suppose I was also thinking that if there was ever a chance of me returning to work then if they were in the same area, they could have the same childminder.

I have found childminders that hear about ds' ASD that want to charge more, until I say 'get lost, but you can have 2 children'. It helps with the negotiation.

I'm in a similar situation starlight with dc2 starting school in sept and DS1 gets transport to school that I'm hoping to change. So for all the reasons that everyone else has listed I have opted for the nearest school for dc2. I also have a baby and you will too in few months, so I advice you go for the nearest school for your DD, as in the first few months of live with your baby don't forget the frequent trips to hv, the jabs, etc etc.

I truly hope you win the tribunal and wish you the best of luck. Then in few weeks if I can borrow your brains I will be very grateful as I'm hoping to move DS to non maintained school too.

"Examples of exceptional social need might include children with a child protection plan". So there's a silver lining if a SS re-referral suddenly appears just as tribunal starts

Oooh. Her jabs aren't up to date, and we don't keep on top of our post in our porch as we were ordered to by SS and we regularly 'disagree with professionals'. Do you think we might qualify?

My DH erm doesn't put clean underwear on them if he gets them dressed, and they only have a bath once a week max, and - oh, we spend the DLA on dog training our ds...........

Oh, and I erm, will suffer from PND after my third baby!????

How do you know how much the provision cost the la to provide as 1:1 opposed to units and special schools?

Well there are no units, and the SS are MLD so both are irrelevant, but I know the costs of their provision from the last tribunal where they listed their costs. They lied, and vastly underestimated but still, we're cheaper.

I'm very happy you have an wxcellent argument with the costs,fingers crossed for you this time!

Yes you'd think so wouldn't you? But IPSEA have informed me that they will try to convince the tribunal that they are being extremely generous and because it costs more it is better for ds

Can't win either way really. It's all crazy.

But yes, feel free to pick my brains about anything you like.

Here is a useful guide to transport, Statements, and Tribunal.

I also think that there is no way you'll convince the LA to admit your DD to a school local to your DS because of his attendance there

Starlight - have you also thought of the fact that if yr DD went to the nearest school you will make friends with mums locally hence more opportunity for play dates and social interactions for your DS too?

I know you have shared the provision costs somewhere few months ago but can't find it, do you mind reminding me? Ds in in a unit ao i would like to know what is the cost likely to be in mainstream with 1:1, special school or mld school. Pm me if you like.