need advice regarding the wording on part 4 of statement.

[bjkmummy]

my son is now in year 8 and is in a special school in the next county about 10 miles away from where we live - we have no special schools in county.

when it came to naming secondary LA wanted him to go to the huge local academy which has a DSP - he would have been expected to be in the main part of the school - ds wouldn't have coped and on a visit when the school was closed he really struggled. as the LA said academy could meet his needs they deemed this to be the nearest suitable school however named his current special school which has only 50 kids in it and is secondary only due to my preference on the basis that I would transport him. if I fail to transport him then his placement would revert to academy - this is all detailed in part 4 so in effect both schools are named.

I am happy to transport him and he is very very happy in his school and I defiantely made the right choice. over the last couple of year numerous children with statements who went to the academy have slowly been moved out as the academy moves to being more like a private school with grades being the focus. in my sons intake year the school took 12 children with statements last year it was 2!

I have been given a leaflet in the last few months regarding the academies policy regarding a place in the dsp - it now states that the school is not suitable for children with autism. I had a meeting with the senco re my younger child and she openly stated that the school is not right for children with autism.

my question now is that with this dsp placement being jointly name - the reality is that the school would no longer accept him - I doubt that the LA as part of the AR consult with the mainstream school to ensure it could meet his needs if he went there. I feel the academy should be removed from the statement now but also at this stage don't want a full on confrontation with the LA. I have had his statement back from the AR and the LA are asking for my views on - I feel I should say something - at the actual AR the school were quite perplexed as in part 3 it states he should be in a special school and then in part 4 names the academy and them. I mentioned at the AR how the academy wouldn't accept him and was just met with an icy state and frosty. I do have the written leaflet which clearlys tates a child with autism would not get a place in the dsp. im just not sure what to do!

Well Im baffled as to why they would name a school that has stated they could not meet the childs needs??

You should certainly say something, if noting else so it is on record that you have spoken up as this may come in handy when/if you need to go tribunal.

that's the thing - unlikely I would go to tribunal over it as I am happy to keep taking him to the special school - its just if say something happened to me or dh or if I wanted to get a job and was unable to transport him then they LA would not transport him and he would have to go to the academy named which now could not meet his needs. the LA I guess never thought I would find out but I have it in writing.

I think I will send the form back and just politely ask if they could confirm that they have before issuing the statement contact the academy and confirmed that they can meet his needs and happy to be named on the statement and could the communication confirming this be sent to me. I expect the LA will just ignore me but at least it is on record that I have raised the issue. im currently waiting to see if my daughter is to be statemented and expecting a refusal this week so will be battling over that so trying to pick my battle wisely at the moment

Can you get something in writing from the academy saying they wouldn't offer ds a place? You could then use that to support a change in the statement. I don't see why you shouldn't at least be entitled to recover mileage costs for transporting him.

If you don't want to go to SENDIST, you could reapply for transport pointing out that the reality is that there is no nearer suitable school. If or when they refuse, they have to offer you an internal appeal and you could go down that route.

the glossy leaflet that I have from the academy states :- the dsp is a specialist provision for students with moderate learning difficulties. students would normally be offered a place in the provison if they are working below NC level 1. this provision is not suitable for students who main need is BESD or ASD.

that is what has changed with them saying not suitable for asd which my son is. the academy are quite sly shall we say and when I approached them about my dyslexic daughter they wouldn't put anything in writing but met me instead and made it clear they wouldn't even accept her!

if the academy could not meet his needs then he is indeed now in his nearest suitable school.