DD got her statement back in July. Before it was issued it asked us to name the secondary school we want her to go to. Which we did - special ASD school. It was the same school that the LEA recommended for her too, so figured they're on the same page as us there. She's currently in year 6 in a mainstream primary.
The statement currently names her primary school. I was told that the statement would be reviewed early in the autumn term and would then name the special school we want her to go to.
I had a phone call from the SENCO at her primary school today asking about our secondary school choice and then she said that after speaking to the contact who issues statements at the LEA that the review will take place in the Spring term but, there is no guarantee that dd will actually get in to the chosen special school and a decision will be made in the summer term next year. And that I should still apply online in the mainstream admissions process making 3 choices in case she doesn't get in.
Yet when I registered on the council website after dd came home with a letter and unique reference number to apply online, the website says that if your child has a statement then you don't apply through the mainstream admissions process, and to contact the special educational needs department.
I'll contact the special needs dept at the council tomorrow and also talk to parent partnerships (if I can find the phone number again)! But I'm totally confused now. I thought that with the LEA stating that she should go to the special school in the proposed statement and then us saying we also thought she should go there, pretty much guaranteed her a place. 
I'm seriously considering homeschooling her from next September if she doesn't get in to the special school as I think she will just completely get lost in a mainstream secondary. Even if they do have a special ASD unit, their reputations are pretty bad, awful in fact and I really don't want her going there.