Home programmes

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I have 15 days to put my reasons in writing for refusing a mainstream placement. Those of you who know my story know that DS has burned his way thru 3 already in my old LA, & that along the way it's had a terrible impact on all aspects of our lives.

My favoured option is a home programme, as we are on one at the moment & it's working! It also avoids the tricky secondary transition as he's already year 5. I'm wondering what killer arguments people have used to justify home programmes in the hope I can improve my draft letter of rejection to the LA's suggested placement. So far most of my argument seems to hinge on DS's sensory issues causing major problems with the mainstream environment despite past sensory diets/TEACHH stuff etc.

If it weren't for the fact DS will need continued OT input and exam concessions etc i'd tell em stick their placement where the sun don't shine. As it is I need to at least be able to tell myself I made the attempt to engage before throwing in the towel and going it alone completely without state help forever more.

Well you can explain that a school placement would only work with small classrooms and specialist teachers, onsite OT to ensure that adapts are ongoing and SALT and communication interventions to help with the social demands of group learning.

Inform them that you are currently looking at some schools and name the most expensive one you can fine with considerable transport costs.

Are you trying to get HE funded?

I want online school funded + NHS OT & salt visits once a term. Not a huge amount of theraputic input but blummin necessary iykwim. this is based on the fact that if you tell me what t do to help my kid, I'm used to going away and getting on with it.

LA offering:-
They are offering a mainstream portacabin in a playground backing onto the M4 + 20 hours TA time for 18 months followed by the mahoosive upheaval to a comprehensive. he is year 5. Personally I think it's nut's that the caring carrots seem unable to grasp the concept that the single most important thing he needs to be able to learn is just a bit of peace and quiet!

My proposal:-
Online school - he's set to join the secondary science classes in year 6 as he is currently working at year 8 level, (except he can't write it down!). Lovely smooth transition with no fuss at all for a child that's suffered too many chops and changes. He can just go straight through. Academically he's making far more progress than he ever has since he started school. Snotty mare that I am, academics progress matters to me.

It's the NHS OT especially I'm concerned about as he'll need this for years to come yet. It's why I'm thinking I'd be better funding off direct therapy rather than yet another set of Tribunal reports. (I won tribunal for a decent statement at his last school, who then simply refused to implement it, and made our lives hell). He'll also need a scribe, laptop or similar for public exams.

I'm a bit worried about the long term implications of dropping out of the "system" altogether as currently his DLA pays his school fees. His disabilities aren't going to go away iykwim.

There's a residential school in Somerset - one of the priory group. Should I ask for that as the fees are beyond astronomical?