WWYD? SS/proposed statement/Essex context

[babiki]

Ds due to start school September this year. I have sent back proposed statement with our changes, no reply yet. Want local SS.

Today I had a meeting with the Head of SS: good news she thinks they could meet ds needs, bad news: school takes children from the age of 5 (Year 1), ds will be 5 in November 2014.

I was hoping he could stay at preschool until he is 5 and then start SS in January. BUT Headteacher said, this year first year ever there is no KS1 at all; ds would be the only one - wouldn't work. Second youngest child will be in Year 3 in September...

She did say they could take him next September (2015), there will be more younger children then - which is great news as the school is just perfect for ds.

So: what's the options?

1. Defer ds a year until September 2015? Does is ever happen? Would the preschool have to keep him?

1. Home edu? What happens to statement then, is it 'put on hold'?

1. Is it possible then, not to name school on proposed statement, or to name it with SS, but year 2015?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

Sorry no advice just to say I hope you get it sorted out school sounds great

babiki

What changes did you make to the proposed statement?.

I would run through all those proposed options with IPSEA and seek their advice.

www.ipsea.org.uk is their website.

Autumsmum, thank you!

Atilla - I have an advocate, so we did it together, thank you :)

Bump :)

On phone

If your DS is 5 in November, he'll be in Year R in September. So do you mean the school starts in Reception? If they don't start til year 1 (I've never heard of that), then he'd be almost 6, in September 2015, in Year 1.

At the moment, the HT would have to return saying that they couldn't meet need due to no suitable peer group.

Your choices would be MS with support until September 2015, when he'll be Year 1, or another SS until then, or homeschool. Exceptionally, some private nurseries/preschools are registered beyond 5, so can keep children on, but it's unusual.

thanks Lougle - yes they take from year 1... I found out online that the SS belongs to 'old style' SS called Community in Partnership and they all start from Year 1 - September 2015 for ds.

... Community Learning in Parthership to correct myself. The school is Thiftwood in Chelmsford.

If a school only admits from yr1 where are children supposed to spend reception?

I thought that lots of private nurseries were registered for the whole of the EYFS, which includes Reception. For reasons of convenience rather than practice.

DS went to a private Nursery when he was supposed to be in reception as they had increased staff to child ratios and allowed my ABA tutors in. The LA didn't even know. Didn't seem to care either. Who even knows what they thought we were doing.

Dd2s old preschool has reception aged children as well I would have kept her there if she hadn't got I to her excellent school. My concern is that op will be expected to start her ds somewhere then move him

Autumsmum, I think they are expected to be in MS - which I won't do. The Head said LA in Essex put so much pressure on parents to send to MS initially.

Star, thanks I will chat with preschool, they are run by LA so it's all going to be fun!

And did you both manage to keep dc in preschool; did you get deferral?

Dd2 is at her sp sch nursery now she will start reception there in September. There is a boy at her old preschool who is reception age who has stayed there as he is waiting for a place in a hearing unit

And are they allowed to stay pass the first term after their 5th birthday?

I could try and find out

That would be lovely, thank you!

Just remembered I'm sure there was a girl who went straight from preschool to year 1 . I have to say I really feel for you I've never heard of a school where they miss out early years

Another thought could the head of the school tell you were most of the pupils spend early years before they start the school

Yes, it's weird. The Head said it's the first time year they won't have KS1, because the LA has been so successful in pushing parents for MS in Early Years, and then from Year 3 she gets 150 applications for 15 places...She was quite upset about it.

It's a school for moderate LD, maybe that's why it happened, if it was for severe, they probably couldn't do it.

Well I spoke to Senco at preschool and she thought even if a child defers, they have to be in full time education, meaning spend 2 sessions at preschool...but she will check with LA.

Autumsmum, the children who stayed at preschool past 5th birthday, did they do 3 hours session only?

DS did just 15 hours.

They are entitled to a full-time education but that does not all have to be in a 'setting'.

They stayed all day

Thank you. Star and the rest of hours you home ed?

Not really. The EYFS is a playbased curriculum innit.

We did some stuff. If anyone asked I suppose we could have insisted it was HE. Some of it was ABA type stuff. CBBC is educational right?