Bollocks - Junior school have rejected DS...

[HairyMaclary]

... what's our next step? Just had confirmation that the junior school we placed as first choice has rejected DS (on shaky and unclear grounds). Am not quite sure how to proceed. The LEA are approaching our second choice but we were not very impressed with it when we went and have since heard some things about it that make me very concerned.

I think we can appeal, although whether we would want to is another matter. I wish they had told us when we went round, rather than being the most welcoming school we have been in, saying nothing was a problem and being very friendly. Heaven knows I've been on the receiving end of school saying 'no' verbally, although always in carefully chosen words, and if I'd got even a hint of it from them we wouldn't have applied. AARggh.

I have a week before we spend 8 weeks in hospital with DS and by then its the summer term. I can't quiet understand why, his new statement gives him 28 hours (which is a minor miracle!) and he won't really need them all. It's almost entirely a motor problem.

AARgh it's just bollocks - I'm cross!

:( Sending sympathy.
Lots of people on primary ed have advice on appealing, but I guess if they don't actually want your son it isn't the right place for him as he could be made to feel unwelcome if they take him unwillingly. I agree the school that told me "You would be better to find a more caring school for DS1" was actually incredibly useful to me.

Poor you.

I relocated to the other end of the country in 2009. My son, then 9, has asd and OCD. One lovely (highly recommended) little village school was a shocker!! The headmistress sat me down and listened to my account of my sons progress in his mainstream primary setting, she looked at his Statement and various report from Paediatrician/behavioural psychologist and then gave me lots of reasons why her school would be u suitable. My son is high functioning, articulate, funny, a good reader etc. she finished by saying "it's NOT that we don't want children like that.....". I couldn't get out of the place quickly enough.

We moved. He went to a different primary and it has been excellent for him. They were key in getting him a highly sought after place at a small mainstream, secondary high school, with asd unit attachment for his transfer to Secondary for Sept this year.

Best thing that could have happened to him, IMO. The rejection from out "first choice" primary.

oh no!

first steps is to try ot clear up the grounds for refusal, maybe?

and you surely have the right to appeal. but it's the same old story, isn't it? how much do you want you ds to go to a school that (apparently) doesn't want him?

what a nightmare, and after you've got a statement which would totally cover his needs.

god, i really hate the veneer of inclusion sometimes - schools should not be able to reject on spurious reasons.

:(

I hear what you are saying about schools saying no. I'm always pleased they've been honest though even if it's not what I want to hear. In this situation though it just seems so at odds with what they told me that I don't quite understand what the problem is. Apparently they think the school is too big, it is three form entry but it's the smallest of our 4 local schools, and he's already at a three form entry school! There must be more but unsurprisingly it's proving difficult to get them to return my phone calls!

I really didn;t need this 2 weeks before a major, major operation. Aargh.

I think you're right. Before deciding whether to appeal or not, speak to them. Find out who rejected him and why.

they do sound like shaky reasons.

(sorry to ask) is your ds keeping up academically? could it be a case of damaging results (or they think he might) and the school don't want ot take that risk?

I'm sorry it has happened this way. I rememebr the feeling when a letter arrives with a rejection, when the visit/assessments have all gone so well, and it is completely out of the blue. Liek you, I just wish places woudl be honest from the start (and honest about their reasons).

I hope you get a call back soon (have you spoken to LA case officer? would they be able to help?). I would be ringing on the hour, every hour until they spoke to me, tbh. you've nothing to lose at this point, so you might as well irritate them into talking to you!

I Know so much what you mean - one primary head we visited told us she would be "terrified" to have our sons. Well thanks! On a more constructive note - Its worth going back to the LEA team who issued the statement to understand exactly what your rights are there too. (Not always as clear as it seems!) best of luck

Good point Indigo, will keep trying to talk to the person who signed the letter.

That's the point Silverfrog - he's in the G and T section for both Literacy and Maths and doing really well in all areas, socially as well. It really is mostly a mobility issue although I will admit that there are a few social communication issues - nothing that's not seen within the normal range though, but it is at odds with his cognitive ability.

Oh well, I'll just have to see how it goes. Will have to forget about it this afternoon though as I have my first afternoon of paid work for nearly 7 years! A science investigation with Y2 - God help me!

Is the school named on your DS's statement or is that for his current school?

As I understand it, in this LEA anyway, if you name a school on your statement they have to take you unless they can prove that doing so would be to the detriment of the other children (takes up too much resource). That is quite difficult to do.

If that rule applies in other situations I don't know. I mention it only because you say you have a new statement and if junior school is imminent, it must have been a consideration.

Is the problem that he can't walk up stairs and the school has stairs? Or anything expensive like that?

I'm a governor and know that this year we have a child with limited mobility, and that's fine because we've been able to give them a class downstairs, and find a space 'out of the class' for them downstairs. And the only thing they have to go upstairs for is the library. Which they can manage.

However I can see in the infant playground a child in a wheelchair, and I don't know what will happen if he moves up next year. We'll probably have to either relocate the library downstairs (there is no space for it), or put a lift in to upstairs.

Which, knowing the HT, somehow we'll do. But obviously is going to cost us a lot of money.........

Bertha - thats the case here too, unfortunately they have said that they think he will be a detrimental impact on the other children. Staff at his current school can't believe it and say it is just prejudice as he is less work than many other children and very self motivated.

Indigo - stairs are a bit of a problem - the school has 2 years upstairs and two down. He can go up and down stairs independently and does so at home, but a speedy exit, in a fire drill, for e.g. might be tricky. Most of it could be dealt with by just giving him 2 or 3 extra minutes to make the journey.

Will talk to the manager of my case officer on Monday. I have been pleasantly surprised by how helpful they have been - I wonder how long it will last...

Sorry this seems to be happening alot and with academies more and more i suspect. LAs need to start taking back the sen money delegated to these schools, if they won't take the sen kids on they shouldn't be getting the funding

If he does go to that school, they need to swap classrooms so that his class is downstairs. (Which won't cost them any money :) )

An extra 2 - 3 minutes isn't very practical in a busy corridor. They go up and down many times a day..... And obviously there is a huge H&S aspect to him not being good at stairs.

This has/is happening to us. I've seen enough HTs now to understand what is behind it. Statements are written as to the school's needs not the child's.

So, if they have a child already at the school who is making it hard for the CT, they can bring in 1:1 or start the SA process, according ti the schools need.

If they get a child already coming with a statement they have had no influence in the provision stated within in and due to delegated budgets they will have to fund the majority of the support. As SEN money is not ringfenced if they can fob you off they can use the money for a vegetable garden for EVERYONE, rather than lose money for the benefit of just one child.

Star - I hadn't considered it that way with the lack of input into the statement. That makes a lot of sense.

I agree that the downstairs classroom is the obvious answer, the only thing upstairs is the library, a once a week trip.

We'll have to see what next week brings and hope (vainly I suspect) that I can sort something out either at this school or somewhere else, before we are out of action of 8 weeks.

But you know you can name the school at pretty much any time. I would speak to the SENCO of current school and ask where children with SEN have successfully transferred to.

You do know too don't you that catchment rules do not apply and providing it is practical for you can put him in the top performing primary in your LA.
Not that it would be the right environment necessarily but just want to make sure you understand your options.

Unfortunately it isn't usually a case of the SEN money being used for other things but a question of there simply not being enough. Our school spends double what they get in the budget on SENS and we don't even have that many children with high levels of need. They have to justify that spend to the SEN inspector by showing that the resources they use are actually achieving results i.e. the children with SENs are making more progress than the rest of the children. On that basis I am wondering if because HairyMaclary's DS is G&T whether they wouldn't be able to demonstrate that although if his difficulties are largely motor.

What is sounds like though is that they just can't cope with him with the school being on 2 floors which is fair enough except they lead Hairy to believe they could.

Anyway, all you can do is talk to the LEA as it is their job to find your DS a school you are happy with and which can cope with him.

Damn! I think I have broken my computer keyboard! I can't type - had to swap to my phone and now I can't remember what I was going to say except to wish you luck on Monday

Agree that the whole delegated budget nonsense pitches schools against parents!

As a follow up to this - after intervention by the head do DS's current school it became apparent that the new school had been given out of date paperwork from the AR before he started school (he is inY2 now). Obviously this gave a very different view of DS.. New school were very embarrassed that they hadn't realised the date was so wrong, although the LEA are really responsible for that, they came to see him today and offered him a place on the spot!

Thank god for that and I'm in the middle of a complaint letter to our case officer.

oh, yay! for school place.

at mistake by case officer though - how on earth...?

glad it is all sorted out, hairy - hope the op goes well, and that you and masterhairy have as good a time of it as possible

Brilliant. Thank goodness.