Special school placements

[inappropriatelyemployed]

How do you know if an Indy SS is right for your child?

It seems that you have to choose one after a brief visit and then fight for this at Tribunal at the cost of thousands and only then can your child get to have a trial to see if it is right for them.

This seems crazy to me. It's like we should feel so privileged to get a place in these schools that we should just assume that they will be right for our kids before they and be prepared to fight for them,

I don't know if any of these schools would be right for DS. I would like to see him attend for a day or so to test it out though,

The 3 I have on my list are all willing to do a day or two's trial to see if DS would like it as part of the selection process (is that the right term?). No way would I be pulling to put myself through the tribunal experience (the first left it's scars!) to win a place without that reassurance.

So many of DS's issues with school are around sensory stuff that it would be crazy for them to accept him without doing an environmental test run. A school can't change it's whole building to suit one child so any rejections would be completely non-personal. If he can't take the environment then the most wonderful teacher wouldn't make a lickety spit's worth of difference to his learning iyswim.

would it be worth approaching the schools to ask for a trial on the basis of his sensory rather than communication needs? Not sure what your child's exact diagnosis is.

Are they Indy schools? The one we were thinking of said we would have to get the LA to say it is prepared to fund before they did a trial.

After our state school experiences to date, I'm not even looking in that sector.anymore

So have you asked the LA to fund these places or are you just doing this as part of deciding where to go?

Ours did a two day assessment. If they offered a place and it wasn't taken up, parent to pay for assessment, otherwise it was free.

Our situation was a desperate one and I was choosing school purely on the basis if it being a safe place for DS. However, whilst it isn't perfect, I'm increasingly impressed with provision and commitment of the staff. It's taken 18 months for me to become really happy with it.

Point is, you can't know. I think that is one of the absolutely terrible things about our kids.

My advice woukd be to chose a school that can be flexible, undefensive about external scrutiny, honest about what flummoxes them, interested in parental opinion, makes time to build bridges when necessary. Even then it won't be perfect but there is no perfect in this time and culture for our kids.

Ours did an overnight assessment (resi school) including two days in lessons. It was the only place he was assessed for though, I think by the time we decided to do a trial we'd pretty much ruled out all the others (or they ruled out DS!). The LA weren't involved at that stage at all - I corresponded directly with the school, sent them all the paperwork (including some reports I'd not yet disclosed to the LA) and it never crossed my mind to ask the LA for permission for the assessment.

The school didn't charge for it though, I know some other schools do charge for assessments so it's much harder for parents to get past that if the LA won't even fund an assessment.

DS1's school did a trial of 2 nights boarding and 3 days in lessons before formally offering him a place. We also received a written report of the evaluation. We hadn't even received the finalised statement at that point.

To name a particular indi school in part 4 there has to be a written formal offer of a place and the tribunal require a letter from the head of the indi school stating when the placement is available from and how long the place will be 'held'.

I will go back to them and ask about this as surely most parents end up at Tribunal for these cases.

They have said that, having looked at his statement etc, they could meet needs.

But they then wanted to know what the LA were saying and then said they can't assess until Y6. Although their brochures say they take from 9, they won't admit until Y7.

So I have to put them down in Y5 without any assessment and any idea of what DS thinks about the school or whether they can meet his needs save for an indication.

It feels to me like Indy SS act like they are the holy grail but I'm not so sure!

and you have chosen this school because ...?

Well I haven't, which is kind of the point!

I would like to know more about it, to see it 'in action'. I don't want to name a school when I don't know if DS would want to go there.

I have come across Indy Schools that are trying hard to keep a good relationship with their funding LAs.

So they say that they'd like you to get LA approval first. They also say that they don't want to start any assessment/placement until LA approved because they themselves will upset tribunal panels and future income by those panels being fed up with the method they are supporting/encouraging, as you 'win' a point in that the child is already there and on parental preference as just looking at the child's needs, disruption should be avoided iyswim.

However, if you are serious about a place and keep on, and also demonstrate that the only way the LA will fund you, or any future children anyway, is through tribunal, they may well change their minds.

You need to tell them that the LA aren't saying anything, as you aren't going to initiate a negotiation for a school place that might be totally unsuitable.

The seem to think that they alone get to say whether they can meet his needs.

Bloody system!!!!!!1

That makes sense Star. I did wonder if it was about keeping their local LA sweet which I think may also account for them not taking children below secondary school age. I can see that this benefits the LA who have absolutely nothing to offer at primary level (precious little at secondary but nothing at primary).

They are businesses after all which makes me feel uneasy and I am not sure how they justify their extraordinary fees. £130k a year for boarders - 60k for day pupils.

The school will know the reality, but they are also a part of the system and have to pretend things are a certain way, and that all LA's want what is best for their kids etc.

When a new parent comes along it will start out like that, then turn into the isolating and individual 'Oh dear, on this occasion the LA seem to have it wrong so we'll support you at tribunal'.

At £60k a pop I doubt they have many children who didn't go via children, except for the ones that have done the rounds of every type of state provision first and arrive a mess.

DS' school is £38k. This figure is comparable to a mainstream placement with HLTA support, plus intense SALT and twice weekly Sensory Integration OT as well as immediate access to a clinical psychologist should it be needed.

I can't work out how it could get to £60k.

We may well be having this battle ourselves so watching this thread with interest. Heard yesterday that ds1 has been awarded 25 hours support at a mainstream school and ds2 20 hours at his current school. Will be interesting to see if a mainstream school will be persuaded to accept ds1 given he has been excluded effectively from two (one was managed move so technically not exclusion) and the two others in the LA with the most ASD experience have already declined. I guess we have to try to see if the support makes a difference - haven't actually received a copy of either draft statement yet so need to read the fine-print to see what support is actually specified. Complicated as we are trying to move so think we will snatch statements with open arms and postpone battle for new LA.

At £60k a pop I doubt they have many children who didn't go via TRIBUNAL

DS1's package is also equivalent/comparable to m/s placement with adequate support.

DS1's school believe that it is important that the child evaluates the school but also the existing pupils can and do veto potentially new pupils they don't think will fit it with the existing community.

When DS1 saw DK she said it was essential for a child to visit a potential school and that they may not be able to verbalise or articulate it but they 'know' if the school will be right for them and that this is crucially important to a successful placement.

I don't know if you read the Baker tilly report about value for money in the Indy sector, but it did point out that the costings you'll find online for LA options don't include things like the cost of premises, while those lovely indy schools in their rambling country houses with lots of land usually have a mortgage or rent, plus other costs to pay.

That said, that's a massive discrepancy in day and boarding fees. The indy school we're looking at is about 55K day and 65K term time 7 day boarding.

I know the fees seem massive for boarding.

It does make me wonder if these Indy schools charge so much because they attract kids no one else wants

I know that some of the schools with children considered more challenging offer packages to their staff that include yoga, counselling, massage, private health insurance etc. as they deem it necessary to both attract and retain staff.

Not sure it is justified but perhaps it is.