Moving statemented child to an independent school

[3mum]

Thinking of moving my son to a much smaller independent school from a state school. Does anyone know if the statement will automatically transfer with him so that the funding for his LSA just moves over to the new school? I have a gut feeling that the LEA will try to be difficult about this especially as the school is private sector, but I'd like to know if anyone has experience of this?

Thanks a lot.

We looked round a private school recently for dd2. I asked about SN support (dd2 has mild language delay), and the Head told me she advises parents whose child needs one-to-one support to transfer to a good state primary, as the LEA will not provide an LSA in a private sector school. Parents who want that level of support have to fund it themselves, even if the child has a statement and would be entitled to one-to-one in a state school.

This is in London, but I would imagine you might hear a similar story elsewhere.

I know there are two children with ASD in our LEA who have funded places at private schools. They found the class numbers in state schools too overwhelming but both functioned well with minimal support with the smaller class numbers and more structured environment of a private school. One child goes to a Montessori primary the other to the local priave ex-grammar secondary. I think the LEA agreed to fund the places as they found it cheaper to do that rather than employ LSA and adapt the mainstream school. My only concern would be what would happen if the child needed additional support (have heard parents being asked to fund this directly) as they got older or the placement at a private school broke down

Liz x

Thanks everyone. I took my courage in my hands and phoned the LEA. They said they will only fund it if I can convince them his needs can't properly be met unless he goes to this school. I guess that means we will be funding it as I doubt if they'll accept my reason which is that the secondary state schools are famously rubbish in this Borough and that to get into any half awy decent school he will have to be able to pass some sort of academic selection process which certainly won't be a runner if he stays at his current lovely but low achieving primary.