Dual placement- bad idea?

[adrianna22]

Hi

For the past couple of months I've been interested about dual placements for DS.

Though, usually the majority of the people that I've spoken to about, seem dead against it.

They also strongly advised me that I'll need to argue why a dual place setting will be best for him.

I'll appreciate if you can tell me your views about this.

Sorry to hear NAS slow to get started for you billiejean. When some of you mumsnetters are heading for calmer waters, you would make great NAS volunteers....

I know this thread has moved on, but I'll comment on the original question, anyhow. Consistency is a huge issue - even if both schools use the same approach, your DS would have 2 sets of adults and 2 sets of other children to form relationships with. It's hard enough for our DC to form strong relationships with other children, without them not being there while all the rest of their class are getting on with things together.

DS1 was by necessity part some for some of year 1 and it really did affect his relationship with other children, even though he's known them for 3 years by then.

Another huge issue was continuity. He was missing out completely on certain topics and subjects. It was either that, or the teacher plan work in a way that meant that he missed out on certain lessons in a progression, so he'd risk missing a step in the Big Write that his school do, over the course of a week, so would always be behind and confused. Being part time meant that I could liase with his teacher to cover some of the topics he was missing, when he was able to do so (he was often knackered, after his morning, and in no fit state to do any more than a bit of reading together) but a second school wouldn't necessarily have the flexibility in their class planning to do so, or might be busy doing things other than academics, which would be the whole point of a dual placement, really.

Thanks ouryve

I have decided to not seek a dual placement, and I definitely understand the issues that comes with it. I guess I was trying to see a balance, as DS does love his mainstream school.

We looked at a split placement for dd when she started primary, we were refused and she went to Ms school, we are now about to look into it again for high school and getting prepared to fight.