Is it a FOI request I need to do or something else?

[moosemama]

I need to find out how much it costs for a LA to send a child to an out of area independent school, in terms of both fees and transport, compared to the cost of sending them to a ms secondary.

Do I need to do a FOI request to the LA and if so, how do I go about it and how long do they get to respond?

I know the LA has quite a few children already attending the school, so they should have the figures.

Sorry, I know I should Google, but I am just too tired and struggling with concentration.

when i did it i went onto the website 'what do they know' and asked on there via FOI so im guessing that you could do it directly to the LA rather than putting it on the website. re the fees - you could also ask the school directly or if you look up the schools ofsted report it often states it on the report how much the fees are or if someone on here has the gabbitas book they could look the school up for you - i did have the book but its out on loan at the moment

Thanks bjk.

I know what the school fees are, as they're clearly stated on the school website, but have been told a couple of times that the LA has a 'deal' to buy in X number of places a year at a reduced cost and they have to pay for those whether they are filled or not.

I'm not sure if that's just gossip, but would be interested to find out the facts by directly requesting the figures.

What I want to know is, if they do have a deal, how much difference does it make in cost, bearing in mind the need for transport. Although if ds doesn't go to the local ms, which is looking unlikely, they would have to pay for transport anyway, albeit not over such a distance, to any other ms secondary in the area.

You need to make specific requests, naming specific schools.
Ask also how many kids there are educate privately or out of county and how much each costs.

Remember also that the NHS and Social Services will be chipping in, so whatever sum you get, double or triple it.
You could ask what % (of each of the cases cited) of the total cost is the LEA funding.

The results will take your breath away.

Thank you moondog.

Can it all be asked in one FOI or do I need to do a separate request for each question?

Someone else said something to me about tri-partite (sp?) funding, I think that's where the NHS and SS funding comes in doesn't it?

Am I right in thinking that all I need to know for tribunal is how much it's going to cost the LEA - or do I need to find out the whole figure? If it does reach tribunal, will I be up against all three of them or just the LEA?

I can't seem to get my head around specifically what questions I need to ask and don't want to waste the opportunity, especially as we are getting tight on time.

I suddenly feel like I'm in over my head with this, but it's either that or home-schooling, which neither ds1 or myself want.

If you make a specific request then it will be answered.
Thus do not ask how much a typical m/s placement will cost as all slightly different.
Cite specifics.
You can ask how many kids educated elsewhere/in other ways and where they are and how much each costs.
Once you have that, you can research each one in particular. What amazed me was how many LEAs fund utterly loony stuff to shut middle class parents from hell up basically).

It's tough and it will be hard work. Manke no mistake about it.
You have to think like a detective and to keep scrupulous records of everything.
I said goodbye to my private life for a year procuring appropriate provision for my child and I work in this sector.
That gives you some idea of the Herculean battle ahead.

We don't have a year. We are in a real mess thanks to the actions of the school we chose to name. We have since identified perfect provision, for which there is a precedent for several children with similar dx attending from our LEA, BUT we didn't name them first or second on our original form. They are supposed to be informing us in early Feb of which school they are going to name, but as it stands, we no longer wish ds to attend the first school we named, even if the LEA have battled them and won - because their attitude is and behaviour has been atrocious, they clearly don't want our son or any other children with SEN at their school (they have refused every single statemented child) and based on what we've seen to date there is no way they will support him properly.

The LEA themselves said to dh on the phone (unintentionally and I bet they kicked themselves immediately afterwards) that if the first school won't take ds he is effectively rendered unsuitable to attend any of their MS schools and he also doesn't qualify for any of their specialist placements. So - that essentially only leaves out of area placement.

Fortunately, I no longer have a private life!

Right so I need to ask:

1. How many pupils from X (our) LA were placed in out of county provision at the cost of the LA for the years X/X and X/X?

2.) How many of those pupils were in independent placements?

3.) What was the total spend on out of county placements for the years X/X and X/X? (thought I should perhaps ask for a few years to see if there's an upward or downward trend?)

4.) What is this total as a percentage of all LA placements for the same years?

5.) How many pupils from X (our) LA, attended X independent school at the cost of the LA for the years X/X and X/X?

6.) What percentage of out of county provision placements did the pupils attending X school represent for the year X/X and X/X?

7.) How many of the aforementioned pupils at X independent school have statements for ASD.

8.) How many of those pupils were placed there for the years X/X and X/X without first appealing to SENDIST.

9.) How many pupils requested a placement at X school but were unsuccessful for the years X/X and X/X?

10.) How many for X/X and X/X years appealed to SENDIST for a placement at X school, but were unsuccessful.

11.) What was the cost to the LA of sending a child to X school for the years X/X and X/X?

12.) What was the equivalent cost of sending a child to (the school they are most likely to name within our area) for those years.

13.) What is the projected cost to the LA of sending a child to X school for the year 2013/14 (I'm saying projected because of the funding changes that are due in March, so last year's funding may not be properly relevant)

14.) What is the projected cost of sending a child to (the school they are most likely to name within our area) .

13.) What was the cost to the LA for transport for one pupil to X school for the years of X/X and X/X?

Is that too many questions for one FOI? I have seen quite a few on the 'What do they know' website that seem to have lots of questions all around the same topic, so obviously researching a particular point.

As someone who regularly responds to FOIs , would just say that if there is a chance that by responding to your FOI that a single person / child could be identfied then they would be in their rights not to respond - different sphere but I have done this on a number of occasions when the number of people who fit the criteria of the question asked is 1 or 2 as the respondant could identify who the resonse is about.

Not trying to say don't do it, just that by having such specific questions they may legitimately say that they aren't going to respond

Thanks for the advice ChristMoose, I'll bear that in mind.

Having spoken to the school, there are a few people carriers worth of children going to the school from our LA each day and the school describes itself as a ms independent with a specialism and expertise in ASD, so it shouldn't be too child specific. I will have a think though and see if I can rework the questions to get the information I need without risking it. Maybe I don't need to ask what the other pupils are statemented for, as the process is still the same and I do know from professionals in our LA, staff at the potential school and parents from our support group that there are several children who have ASD and are from our LA already attending the school.

Would the number of questions be a problem or is that acceptable?