Early annual review and naming an independent school, any advice please

[sazale]

My dd14 was placed in a Lea special school in October after they said not appropriate but the Lea over rode them. Against my better judgment we decided not to go to tribunal and give it a try as there wasn't another local option. My dad has ASD, ADHD traits, motor skills impairment, auditory/sensory processing difficulties, mild dyslexia, demand avoidance and hypermobility. The school is not an asd school but a quarter of the children there have an ASD diagnosis. It has become the school of choice for the Lea to send the high functioning kids that can't cope in mainstream there. However there knowledge of ASD is none existant and they aren't delivering the statement after 5 months of me prompting them! My dd is above average academically but the majority of the peer group there are not. They do however offer GCSE's.

My dd 's anxiety is through the roof as they aren't supporting her right and seem to think that the answer to anything she finds difficult is to take her out of it (eg don't let her socialise at break as she finds it stressful even though she wants to do it, teacher won't take her ASD into account when expecting interpretation of emotions so take her out of his lesson).

At the recent caf I requested an early review as not the right provision. The EP went through the statement and pointed out they weren't delivering it and told them what they need to put in place. They then agreed to early AR as say they need extra funding to deliver the provision!

I have seen the school I want and I am expecting to go to tribunal and get independent reports. I was just wondering how to deal with the AR. I also what some wording changing/tightening up, thanks.

Bumping as it had wierdly disappeared!!!

Go to the annual review, request the changes, you could even say you want to change school. The LA will then go away and think about things and re issue the statement with or without any of your amendments. When the amended statement comes it will also trigger your right to appeal to tribunal. If you want independent then need to appeal parts 2 3 and 4 and get the necessary reports etc.

You may be okay if the current school will say in th annual review they cannot meet his needs as that will force the LA to do something although that did happen to me and i still ended up at tribunal!

From my review in may 2012 where school said they couldn't meet his needs and the. Going to tribunal to it has taken me nearly a year to secure independent asd school so it can take some time but hopefully your path will be smoother

Thanks bjkmummy

So it's best to wait to get independent reports till nearer tribunal? The school will probably say they can meet her needs when they get the extra funding but they can't coz they don't have a clue about asd. I know of 4 other families with children with asd that attend there and they're all having problems with their child's behaviour because of the lack of understanding/adjustment at school.

I went to my emeergency review with a brilliant OT report - the LA just ignored it and finalised the statement with nothing else added into it. They then sought their own report which came back even worse than mine and found even more needs! We by then were heading to tribunal. They then sought to put the OT in part 6 but conceded on the morning of the tribunal the OT and salt.

Sometimes I think itsmgood to go with more evidence but have to say at the early stages dont think it did help really.

Have the review as you will gauge their response , they may agree with you and feel a change will be needed, that did happen to a friend of mine who could show that the school was not meeting her sons needs. It's really hard to say what wil happen as every LA seems to work to their own agenda. If you have a school in mind go and get as much information about it as possible and if they would have a place, costs etc. you can formally ask at the review for a change of school and they will have to consider it although mine ignored me but he was in a mainstream school and I was asking for special and my LA dug their heels in that his statement was a 'mainstream' statement. Try and get the wording on your statement tightened if you can.