Hertfordshire ASD schools??

[steph007]

Wow, I've not posted here for a few years; it's like a blast from the past coming back to read posts!

OK, OK, as for the subject question, I know there aren't any specific ASD mainstream schools in Hertfordshire (lucky us) but I was wondering if anyone could help with some ideas of what schools in county, or just out of county, might be suitable for a very intelligent but not exactly high-functioning girl with autism?! We suspect she has PDA, so her refusal to conform is probably the biggest issue - so sadly I'm not sure any of the private schools are really going to want her. We definitely would not send her to a BESD, but she has no learning disability as such so don't think the MLD schools would be suitable either (though let me know if you think otherwise?).

What we really need is an autism specific free school run by people who actually understand her difficulties... pipe dreams I know. So any suggestions of small schools in or out of county that could cope with a difficult but not violent child who is unlikely to fit into a big mainstream please??

I have been looking at Dwight school of London based Barnet, maybe have a look at that. Not sure if that helps or not. They also have a connected sister school called holmeswood also in Barnet. I have no idea what either school is like or what exactly they can offer tbh.

Can you get to The Rise?

There is also Egerton Rothsay school.

NAS school in Radlette (though they're a bit all over the place ATM)

Middleton when I looked had excellent staff but cohort variable.

Hillingdon Manor also worth looking at.

The best thing you could do is a freedom of information request to Herts requesting names and addresses of all out of county or independent/free schools they fund children at.

Everton Rothsay seems great but you have to pay, they said they don't have statemented children to me.
I'm watching this post as also very interested steph007

Why can't they open a free school like The Rise in herts !

Why can't they open a freeschool in Herts?

Because Herts would throw money at legal teams to oppose it.

ER does take statemented children ffs. Whatever they say. Do a FOI of Herts to ask how many statemented have gone there.

Did they lie to me? OMG... Thanks star

Was it the school or Herts that told you ER don't take children with statements?

The school when I called months ago. I can't see where it says they take statemented children on their website either but I probably haven't looked hard enough.
I like the look of the sch for my Ds although I haven't looked in too much detail, but not a good sign that they have fibbed.

Tbh, they might well have a policy of not taking children with statements now.

I know of a couple who take kids with SEN but don't want the headache that is Herts LA coming anywhere near them, making demands yet not being able to identify the child in the playground.

star I asked the school again and they said they do take statmentedchildren , half of pupils there are statemented. Obvs just spoke to a very incompetent person when I last called. Thanks as had you had not said that I would have never have looked into it again. I like the look of it. They did say it would be very hard to get a place funded by LA in statement. What are your thoughts on this as I know you are very knowledgable on all that is SEN.

ERS told me (last year) they do take statemented children, but it is a real struggle to get Herts LA to pay (its on the border with other counties who maintain children there).
There has been talk of a new ASD specific free school in the pipeline, but I have not heard anything recently. Will post if I hear anything. Perhaps contact HARC?

Herts take all out of county placement requests to tribunal as a matter of course, and use a morally corrupt legal team to do this. However, their recent spat with the Local NAS who have been unable to accredit any of their provision, and so proposed their own school and their subsequent retaliation of producing a damning piece of research/evidence means that I think at the moment, chances are higher than they have been for getting OOC placements.

The ASD specific free school if established will have the same difficulties as ERS.

Herts have always had policy of keeping the money within the LA. This doesn't just apply to schools or education.

So would there be more chance of going to a school that is not an indi school, somewhere like radlet lodge. Ds is capable of mixing with ms kids he is not getting his needs met at sch so suffering. He is bright and on the ball most of the time. Not badly behavioured in class. It's so hard as there doesn't seem to be much choice in terms of inbetween schools, it's either severe or main stream .

star or magso do you know anything about Dwight school of London or holmewood In Barnet?

No, all schools equal if not LA maintained, so just go for the one that meets need.

No sorry. My understanding is that Radlett Lodge is counted as out of county as it is not LA.

I know this post is 4 years old but wonder how you got on??

Merryfeckingchristmas So glad it worked out for you! We still continue with our search !!