Special Schools for HF ASD in London?

[londongirl4]

Hi- I'm going through the statementing process at the moment for DD8 who is HF ASD in MS school but not coping at all and is suffering extreme anxiety which culminates in her beating us/ herself/ our home up every night. She is really unhappy and wants to kill herself.

According to the EP, although she is HF, she is severely disabled by her autism and the only solution may be a HF specific special school. There aren't any in our borough, so does anybody know of any in London/ South London and have any useful info.

This is a bit of a shock to me as I somehow thought that with the right help maybe she could stay in MS with her siblings, but looking at logically it seems that special school may be a better option in the long run. I've always wanted for her to be included with her peers, but looking at it rationally, maybe I'm not doing her any favours in thinking this.

Any views?

I've been told about The Moat in Fulham, but looking on the website it seems that it only admits dyslexia so maybe this isn't right?

Help please!

Hi Londongirl, not sure if this will help but I'm in Bromley and a new school opened here recently Baston House. I don't have any personal experience of it so can't do more than just point you in the direction of their website I'm afraid. If you are anywhere near Bromley, the Bromley Autistic Trust is a brilliant charity which might be able to give you further info on what's available in and around our area here. Hope someone else will be along soon with more ideas, and wishing you and your DD all the best x

Thanks for this Suburbandream, this school looks amazing- it wouldn't be local for us (we're in Balham) but do-able. The only other one's I found were in North London, so Bromley definitely a step in the right direction!
:)

There isn't much, but you could look at Riverston, Baston House, Abingdon House, Blossom House.

You might also like to look at Kestrel House and Hillingdon Manor. They are for ASD generally but some year group cohorts are more HF than others.

Brent knowle in forest hill/brockley is a long standing SN school. There's another called meadowbank or meadowside that I believe will have primary and secondary school together, once the new premises have been built. Have you looked at schools with Asd units attached? An example if this is Applemead in Downham - this allows the child to have some integration in MS but they have support and reassurance within the unit??
I don't have personal experience of any of these schools but know they are there. Suburbans suggestion of contacting the Bromley Autistic trust might be a good place to start and at least get a list together.
Lastly sorry MS isn't working out, but that may not always be the case, and if you find the right environment for dd then she'll flourish and so will you. Goodluck and fingers crossed that you find somewhere that's realistic for travel and that you both love

Thanks Starlight & Frizzcat, these are really helpful suggestions, it's good to know that at least some of these places exist. We talked about a unit, but they didn't seem to think that would work out.My experience in the borough I live in is that they have often built units in schools that are spectacularly un-ASD friendly. Also we've already had a school move, so I want it to be the right place (if that exists!)

I agree London the units are a bit if an unknown quantity arent they ....I've not seen any of the units but have heard from friends with children in them saying that children are immediately removed from the mainstream setting if their dc have posed any sort of problem no matter how trivial.
That said I'm sure there are some really fantastic schools making the unit system work well. I hope you find somewhere fantastic for her

@starlight - isn't Riverston private? I'd rumours that LAs would consider funding children to go there

Heard ..... Hear rumours that is

Hi There is a new priory day school in roehampton. Dont know much about it. Friends wanted son to go to the link in sutton but it was full for his age

Please don't touch Brent knowle with a ten foot barge pole, this is especially true if your daughter is high functioning. My brother (with Asperger's) went there and it was a terrible school in general but particularly bad for HF students.

Many many students there with Emotional etc difficulties who are incredibly socially aware and make a terrible mix with ASD kids.
They left my brother behind once on a school trip and he walked back to school (about 15 mins and he had no road safety awareness!) alone.
My mother still has the letter from the Head Teacher stating that it was "unheard of" to get extra time or laptops etc in public exams. We used this letter to get him the hell out of there.
Girl in my brother's class was sexually assaulted by another student and a TA rang to tell her mother three days later.

I've heard good things about Paddock School in Wandsworth and Queensmil in Hammersmith (I babysit pupils from both whose parents are very happy with these schools)

Not asd specific or special school but a small independent school near clapham junction which was recommended to me as being asd friendly by someone who used to teach there: www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk/index.php

Try Riverston in Lee, private but sometimes local authorities give funding to the value of the statement to top up. It's 60:40 SN in primary; 70:30 SN in secondary and speciliases in HFA.

Have pm'd you re primary.

I have 3 cousins who went to Riverston and am impressed. The only issue I can think of is that the science dept is small at secondary. The HT is wonderful - she's been there 32 years and does what works rather than what's currently politcally correct and the pastoral care is second to none. She herself wouldn't describe it as "specialist asd provision", it isn't. It just suits a lot of these kids well, and if it won't suit your child they'll tell you straight up.

someone recommended this as a wonderful school.

I was impressed with Riverston but the practicality of it beat us in the end, but certainly worth looking at.