Statements & Independent schools

[happyfrogger]

My daughter is not yet one so we are somewhat early here, but never too early for the independent schools it seems.

She has a moderate hearing loss and wears hearing aids. We have a Teacher of the Deaf (LEA) and a Speech Therapist (NHS) visit us at home regularly.

We had always hoped that we would be in the lucky position to choose the right school, be that state or independent when the time comes, finding the best fit regardless. However, with her hearing loss I'm not sure how Statements work in independent schools. This will obviously impact on budgeting if we go down this route and I suspect if she is Statement-ed that a fee-paying school would ask us to pick up the additional support costs.

Does anyone have any experience of this or advice? Obviously we won't know the extent of her additional needs and if a Statement would be necessary for a little while yet but just curious to know how this usually works.

TIA

Statements in independant schools do not have to be adhered to and yes you would have to put up the aditional costs for your child.
The local lea will most likely want her to attend the local school with support.
( although whilst putting some extra money the school needs to provide 12 hours per week out of its own budget. this money is rarely available).
If you can afford the private route go for it! state schools are about inclusion, i have a blind child and he was bullied alot at school made to feel different and isolated b the other children. Teachers often dont have the time or resources for children with sen. even with a full stament which my son has it is rarely adhered to and its has been a constant battle over the years just to get the support which has already been agreeed hes entiled too. have been through the same situation with my other ASD child also with full statemnet. LEA also are doing less and less statemnets claiming the needs of the child can be met in mainstream school without one!!! Op keep up to date with info on whats going on over the next couple of years within education as more and more cutbacks are being made. My advice would be definately to go private for you child if you can afford it but its not cheap!!!

Thanks, Kittycat. Do you know why the LEAs are often so keen for the local school + support route over an independent?

Sorry to hear your child was bullied as a result of his blindness - this makes me so angry that schools are not vastly more proactive in dealing with this when they say they are all for inclusion but don't have a tougher line for this.

Good advice, thanks very much!

LEAs want aminstream placement in local schools because its vastly cheaper than specialist provision. Also if they spread these children around as a parent you tend to go along with what the school provide and thus dont know what you are entilled to!!!! Unfortunately i am preety sure that you will not get a specialist school via the LEA you need to have very complex needs to get into them. It took me two years of court action to get my autisic child moved out of mainstream to specialist school. if your child has a sensory issue with or without mild learning problems you will only be offered a mainstream placement. Primary schools dont have the experience to deal with sensory issues. They do however send in a sensory teach 2-3 times a year for an hour to get advice from and thats your lot. You get more help with pre school provision. MY DS is now going to be going to specialist college in sept and its private college and its going to cost 45,000 a year!! so be aware of the costs involved but i feeel its the only way for him to progress into a fully functional adult mainstream school ahs severely let him down. And funding cuts are only going to get worse.

Hi Kittycat you seen to have been down the long road of tribunal etc. we are just starting that road. Have a son of 10 has ADHD and Dyslexia have a statement and current middle school failing miserably have all the evidence all could want. It seems no other choice to get the right help, has this cost you millions ? Did you use a good lawyer can you recommend ? Any tips ?

Try talking about this with the ToD
the amount of support from a ToD in Mainstream varies. It might only be a monitoring visit termly -but it might be a weekly session depending on need.

I agree that the peripatetic service is under resourced, the NDCS is running a campaign against the cuts - go and sign their petition!

Most of the specialist schools, although non-profit making independents, only take students funded through statements (soon to be Education, Health & Care Plans) because they are very expensive, and the know the difficulties that can be caused when for instance family circumstances change.