funding independant special school

[mamaabc]

This is all hypothetical:
if a proposed statement is issued with £15,000 attached to cover costs of provision.

if LA won't agree to indie special school as too expensive.

could we say you put in £15,000 and we will top up the rest on the grounds we feel this is right place?

DS1's Indie SS only deals with payments from LAs.

What the LA should be agreeing to isn't "£X worth of provision" but provision that meets specific needs, in whatever form that takes, whatever that has to cost. Obviously, if a child has assessments that say it has certain needs which can be met in certain ways and has a statement which echoes that, then the placement in part 4 should meet those needs in part 2 and 3. Obviously, if 2 possible placements can meet those needs, the LA will fund the cheapest, in most cases.

If Parts 2 and 3 don't reflect the documented needs of the child, then that is grounds for appeal. If a school named in part 4 can't meet the needs set out in parts 2 and 3, that is also grounds for appeal.

There's no way we could afford the difference between £15000 and a typical Indie SS place, btw. The fees are usually serious money unless they are set up under agreement with an LA to fill a particular need in the area.

It is possible to self fund at indie special schools (even ones which say they don't accept private arrangements). We have done before (but thankfully don't any longer), and there are a few children at our current school who are self funded (although officially school doesn't accept private arrangements).

I don't know whether a joint effort would be accepted, either by the LA or by the school, though.

How much is the total cost of the provision in total?

A post 19 placement at indie specialist college is approx 45K on the top banding. Not sure about indie schools costs. Serious money per year.

The new EHC plans will allow parents to have more of a voice.

Our current placement (primary age) costs 56K. Previous one was 35K, one before (preschool) was 28K.

My barrister proposed this - splitting costs - to me just before we were due at Tribunal. So, obviously can be done - I had already used up all our savings, so rejected the idea. Mind you, saying that - I provide transport, which severely limits my ability to work and saves the LA a considerable amount of money.

Happily, LA backed down two days before Tribunal and agreed to pay - but the solicitor had costed provision in mainstream at £43,000. Does that £15,000 include a TA because a fully trained one is double that i.e. can you pick their costings apart legitimately?

is the 15k on top of 6+4k pupil premium?