PRU seems good.lEA want me tackett NIL as you can go there without one.

[starfish71]

Went to visit the PRU this morning. It did surprise me to be honest. Seems like they have good staff, quiet environment, similar children to DS, experienced with children 'on the spectrum'.

Just come off the phone with ASD advisory teacher who told me she can see DS doing well there..

Sad she had spoken to head case officer and that reason they haven't given statement is because he doesn't need one to go there.

I cried. I know she works for the LA but she kept saying "do you really want to put yourself through an appeal when he could have everything he needs at the PRU".

I will pick myself up but I am doubting myself now that I will be doing the right thing. BUT I know things can go wrong, that is why we are where we are now. He needs the protection of a statement doesn't he?

Yes it does and makes me more determined to appeal.

Alison hope you do apply for statutory assessment, sounds hard for you too at moment.

You can appeal the NIL and see how he goes at the PRU. If it's a good one with (at the moment) the right child-mix/ staff-mix it may keep him busy and get him back in the 'habit' of school.

But it's a stop-gap, not a long term solution.

I think you're being hugely optimistiv here Maria that a short spell in a PRU will enable Star-mini to return to his mainstream. It's the lack of support in his mainstream that has driven him out of school in the first place. So he returns to mainstream with that same lack of support - result a revolving door!

No Star must stick to her guns and refuse to send him to a PRU that cannot support his needs and is not a suitable placemnet (backed up by the evidence in the Ofsted statement etc).

I'll bet it's not Leonie. Starfish hasn't received it yet. I don't think they can name a PRU. They will name his current mainstream school as he would be dual rolled both there and at the PRU.

The covering letter on our Proposed Statement said they were intending to name the PRU, until I gave them chapter and verse about how it was contrary to SEN policy. The Final Statement didn't name a school at all and would have ended in SENDIST - had he not reached age 16 and the LS&C stepped in.

Only a quick reply DS2 having a bad evening. Wet it is named in my Nil. They have put it in part 3 - saying when DS attends PRU staff need to aware of DS's difficulties, etc etc.

Then it puts when appropriate DS will be helped to reintegrate into a mainstream school setting. DS will be integrated with his mainstream peers as appropriate.

This is really bad isn't it?

Received NIL yesterday afternoon, sorry if I didn't make it clear on this thread. I was on two yesterday because I was in such a state.

Yes that really is bad. They intend to move him straight back to his old school asap with no additional support, as soon as possible. Disaster.

You must appeal. But it is actually good that they've named a PRU on the NIL as it proves current mainstream is not suitable for him (or they would have named it).

This was posted on an ASD Facebook page recently.
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/AuditCommissionReports/NationalStudies/ASDreviewFeb03.pdf

On page 1 it says

Young people who, even twenty years ago, would have been considered ?odd? or been placed in a school for ?maladjusted? pupils or, later, for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties or severe learning difficulties, are now described as being on the spectrum. The ?label? can have positive outcomes for the young person concerned as it can act as a trigger to greater thought being given to the educational environment most appropriate to that young person?s particular difficulties. Routine placement of pupils with ASD in schools focusing on emotional and behavioural is now regarded as inappropriate, particularly for ?higher-functioning? pupils and those with Asperger?s syndrome (Atwood, 2000; Klin and Volkmar, 2000). It is recognised that it is important to ascertain how a pupil with ASD actually learns and identify his/her preferred learning style (Datlow Smith et al., 1995).

I hope this helps hun x

Leonie

The LA always name the school. That's not something the parent does, although hopefully the parent will agree the school before the Final Statement is issued. If the parent can't agree the school the LA name their chosen school and the parent appeals to SENDIST

I can't imagine what you thought would be different

It helps Starfish though that they have put the PRU on the NIL - that way they can't pretend further down the road there were no problems managing need in mainstream. Its a bit of a golden ticket for the appeal really, although pants they are making her appeal a NIL

Starfish what do you ideally want? Do you think mainstream with a statement will work or are you thinking specialist?

I do think maybe they CAN'T give you a Statement as that would rule out the PRU option (long term PRU anyway). I am pretty sure a Tribunal would expect PRU to be named short term only and expect to see evidence of looking for more suitable placement so it would due very difficult for LA to go to tribunal if there was a future appeal against the contents of statement if child been in PRU for months

When you appeal you could fill out the request for changes form and ask tribunal to expedite it as your DS is currently in temporary placement / not accessing school

I think they are just playing for time. They must know they will have to give a Statement

You can attend a PRU with a Statement but Agnes is right, a Tribunal would see this as a temporary measure.

I agree it's a try-on. They know that. As you as they know that you know that, they'll cave in.

Definitely appeal - they have played into your hands. Dickheads.

Thank you sazle for that, very useful. Again thanks wet and leonie very glad of your advice.

Agnes I feel that DS needs specialist provision, within mainstream if possible. He is very very anxious about attending any school so know it is going to be a slow process. Having meeting with LEA lunchtime tomorrow, all the advice is helping me feel more positive I can do this.

We did request for him to be looked at for a statement but they have said that because he only has a few year left it wont make any differance all i know is that at the moment he finishes at the PRU at the end of term, where he goes from there is still a big ?. his last MS school have said that there is no way he can go back there ( they permantley excluded him prior to the PRU) and none of the other schools will take him, they have been looking at sending him to something called ETHOS keystage 4 but DS is not over impressed with it, Im quite lost with this, ( i think that could be down to me being tied up with the DD situation with statements and school)

Oh alison you are having a rough time of it. Dreadful that you were told it wouldn't make any difference to your DS having a statement! Fantastic advice here from this knowledgable team on SN, hope you can find a way to help your DS, he is not in year 10 yet is he?

Alison apply again. If the SEN changes go through children with a Statement (or its replacement from 2014) will get education support up to 25. You have an excellent chance of getting one given they have resorted to a PRU. Like Star they know this, which is why they are working so hard to put you off.

If there is no statement they can offload the child at 16. If there is one they are stuck with the responsibility until 19 and soon maybe until 25.

Can you get an IPSEA (or NAS if applicable) caseworker to help you? Explain you have 2 children needing to go through the process. Are you eligible for legal aid and could get a Solicitor to do it?

Starfish you can do this. Good luck tomorrow.

agree with Agnes - you really should try to get him a Statement Alison.

It doesn't guarantee him a place in a school post 16 as the LA will say they have no responsibility post 16 to accommodate him in a school. DS had a Statement and LA refused to fund any post-16 school. They'll probably try to move him into FE College - which is free for the LA. But it will definitely be the passport for all sorts of help in later life including job-seeking.

alison I agree with everyone else - apply again for the statement. He's in a PRU already so clearly his needs can NOT be met within a mainstream setting.

I didn't know that a statement could help with job hunting - wet august could you elaborate on that?

Wet, you're completely right about ministar being unlikely to be ready for mainstream post-pru. My thinking was that

1. PRU actually costs quite a lot, which can focus minds
2. Being out of school for 6-12m during tribunal against NIL might be difficult
3. the new stupid untried integrated-thingummy-whatsits may be in by then
4. Which would mean LEA might then force mini-star into the PRU anyway and just delay proving it can't meet his long term needs

But I'm aware it's a risky strategy, and am partly playing devils advocate

It's a form of proof of disability. So Connexions have to support young people up to the age of 25 (instead of the 19 cut-off point without Statements) so Connexions should assist with job-seeking, training etc post-19.

If he wanted to go to a specialist FE collge - they ask for a Statement as proof of disability and also have placements up to age 25.

In these days when DLA is getting harder to obtain it will become more useful.

Maria

PRUs are more expensive than mainstream but they are centrally funded and the LA recoups part of the cost of placemnet from the child's current mainstream school. The main thing is they are one hell of a lot cheaper than specialist education - so the LA saves money.

You're right - Starfish may have to send him there, as if he does not have a sick cert the LA will not provide home tuition. I guarantee that if she did send him there she's have sufficient evidence with a few days that it's not suitable and good grounds to withdraw him.

But if Starfish sticks to her guns and quotes all the 'PRU not suitable' arguments the LA should back down.