So what do I do now...

[bjkmummy]

Currently sat in McDonald's having a good old cry - not even hungry.

Been to see the secondary school today and from being a positive meeting last time and giving me hope it will all be okay today was positively frosty. Clearly the LA have probably in meetings being talking about the parent who wins tribunals, such a small place I live that I would be easily identifiable as 'that' parent

Can help with her being unable to probably cope in a large noisy classroom, can't guarantee they would have any specialist teachers when she goes there, can't guarantee 1:1 per se any 1:1 would be shared so if she was lucky for it to be worded 1:1 they would use it for another child as well, admire their honesty I guess. But I've come away in tears with that gut wrenching feeling that there is nowhere for her and the secondary years are going to be such a battle unless I fight and somehow find the money to fight . I'm also conscious that I do not have a report which states what level of specialist teaching she needs

My heart is telling me she's needs specialist but my head tells me I don't know if I can fight - again, another year of my life and there is no schools nearby so will have to be boarding and then there's the cost element as well. I've got the la EP next week and just know that's going to be a completely pointless exercise

Feel for you. We had that sort of meeting at a school recently for ds1 who despite the LA SEN team officer sitting there saying he would be allocated full hours TA help including breaks told us they couldn't possibly give him any support and emphasized all the features of the school that would make it unsuitable (we suspect there was exaggeration here). They did say they would welcome him for sixth form and somehow we managed to contain ourselves from giving them an unprintable retort. The only thing I can recommend is to write a letter summarising the meeting to confirm that the school is unable to offer the support your daughter needs so that the LA can not argue the school can meet her needs. I think ds1's current HT was as horrified as we were about the attitude even if she did confess afterwards she didn't feel it was the right place for him.

One - did the school put in writing that they couldn't meet need? Ime the school say yes to the LA and even attend tribunal hearing as a witness whilst simultaneously telling the parent that in practice needs won't be met and you should really consider elsewhere.

Should say can't help her cope in busy mainstream classes. Should have seen this coming I guess but definately feel like I've been physically punched with that gut wrenching feeling that no where is suitable - I'm willing to compromise but ..... I daren't go and look at a specialist school because I know once I go, then I will desperately want that for her and so the battle begins, I know I've own twice but sooner or later the odds are that we will lose. The fight will be long and expensive and we still really don't understand exactly what all of her needs are so I need to do that first

Bjk

I registered DS1 as a day pupil at first because I couldn't get my head around boarding.

If transition fails, you may not have any option but to fight. We only 'choose' tribunal when the alternative is unthinkable. You can do it if you need to

There is nowhere here that she could go to as a day pupil. There's an excellent school but its a day school but is a long way away and the cost of the transport means it would be more economical for boarding but they are hundreds of miles away.

The school was hundreds of miles away but I still put DS1 down as a day pupil . It was a year and a half before he began so I had time to get used to the idea.

Also, at the stage of SA we only knew that DS1 was dyslexic. All the other needs were revealed by assessment on the run-up to tribunal.

Looks like my journey is going to be following yours keep. Im just shocked at the schools u turn today, maybe they just didn't think I really would fight to send her there. I cut the meeting short and got out of there as just felt I was getting nowhere. At least I know a good year in advance of secondary.

Current school back to playing the game of her making ridiculous progress. Anyone would think the LA EP is due any day now.........

Feel for you bjk

Try not to feel hopeless - you have already achieved so much for your DD and you will go on to achieve even more - just as you did for your DS'es.

I have had days this week when the whole thing seems overwhelming (need specialist or at least independent mainstream schools for DS and DD so two statements required). But I find myself this week committing to taster days at different schools for DS and DD which would potentially involve me in an hour and half round trip to get them both to school and me back home, to be repeated at the end of the school day! (I will need to fight a transport 'battle' with the LA too if need be) And I hate motorway driving but both schools mean a trip on the M25....

As Keep says in the end there is not much option but to fight. Secondary transition failed for DS and I have had to 'start at the beginning' - I've put in for a statement. You already have your DD being assessed and you may not have established all her neds yet, but once again you are going to get loads of evidence and your record on tribunals is ace for a reason, it's not just that you've been 'lucky'. and

Is your DD Year 5 bjk?

If you're going to have to fight for every piddling bit of provision, you might as well be fighting for the right provision.

Yes she is year 5. Thank god I have started this battle early. Now off to read the code of practice that has just been published