post 16 education

[alienplanet]

We would like for my son to stay on at his special school after year 11. School can meet his needs and offer the courses he wants to do. The lea are saying that the course could be provided at a local mainstream and thats what they would recommend. He has Autism, ADHD and Dyspraxia he would find a mainstream college too big and confusing. He does not always cope in the small classes of 8 in his school so he would not manage mainstream. School have said if we want to keep him there we will have to collect evidence to show he would not manage, can anyone tell me what sort of evidence I will need? He has camhs appointments could they help?

We will be in this situation later on this year and will have to visit all the FE colleges suggested by the LEA. I think visit and then make some notes after about what would not meet your son's needs, such as size of campus, access, lunchtimes, courses available etc. Would he still get transport etc.

I think if a child moves to college the statement is no longer in place so any therapy he receives would stop.

Yep - as soon as the child leaves 'school' and attends a FE placement, the LA will automatically cease the Statement.

You need to do as vjg says - state exactly why local mainstream provision cannot meet his needs and why styaing at special school is the solution.
CAMHS will not state any specific placement but should be able to put the type of placement he will require in writing for you to use as evidence of need - that's what I did i.e. small, safe socio-educational placement that provided opportunities to practicise social skills and gain independence skills >

Some LAs are reasonable and will continue to fund post-16 special schools and some are utter bastards who are determined to pull stumps before the child has blown out their birthday candles.

Start dealing with this very early. The LA will drag their heels and ultimately may need to be dragged to SENDIST.

It is hard to believe they are insisting that you look at mainstream FE when your DS has not managed in mainstream up until now and there is clearly 16+ provision at his current school.
However, as vjg says you need to look around the mainstream college and list al the reasons why it cannot meet your child's needs. This is standard practice I'm afraid - I have friends who have had to do this, but they have gone on to get the specialist places they needed.
Re the Statement: Yes the statement does end if the child leaves school but it will be replaced by a document called a Setion 139a if he goes into FE/6th form college, as his needs will not have gone away.

Make sure your connections advisor or equivalent also completes with your knowledge and assistance. The section 139A assessment to ensure that the local F. E College can actually meet needs. Do not assume that it can. And like a school you need to go there and view it most carefully

What is the situation with transport if a young person attends a FE college?

My daughter's special school is non-maintained and outside of this LEA, we had a struggle with the LEA to have her placed there. We had a letter last year from the LEA intended to scare the life out of us saying only in exceptional circumstances would they fund a post 16 placement.

I take the view that she is exceptional already! I have also heard anecdotally of parents wanting school to continue also looking at more expensive placements to encourage the LEA to back down.