Do you have to put a second choice on a school application?

[GoldBl3nd]

Ok not the shortest if writers but there is no way in hell DS is going to our local seniors. Juniors in agreement. BUT (there is always a but!) DS currently yr 5 so ur 6 to go but early sort the better. Got school AS team and ed psych starting ball rolling.

Last year old head suggested taking DS to view a brand new unit attached to MS at a certain school. Did that and he loved it and thinking he's going. Cue old head leaving and new one not following up to try and get him there early. Only 9 kids in it and one place then it's as one leaves etc so tight.

Ed psych assess one morning only and AR meeting had hints of "oh he will be different agains in a year" blah blah changing from statement to these new fangled plans that are allegedly brill and parents have more say (hmmm) unit going as first choice but been told must put a second. She arranging a visit to another school how allegedly has great senco (another hmm)

DD has been moved by me to this school and she is doing fantastic but she is not DS and no DX just query. So no experience of support on autism side.

Transport is an issue as either school miles away and so don't know what to do about that. Only that DS has permanent TA strapped to his side and will learn fine outside of class but cannot cope inside class. Can't see a MS senior teaching him outside of a class permanently.

HELP

DD quirky not query! Can't edit on phone sorry! And dos end with HELP PLEASE

first question - does he have a statement? if he does then they willname secondary school place in the February of the year of transfer - if they don't name the placement you want then you can appeal and hopefully the appeal will be heard before the sept.

if the school named is the nearest suitable school then you will get transport provided - secondary placement is a nightmare - my LA have yet to name my sons and he is in an indie specialist school and it appears they are going to drag this out to the bitter end for me but his statement states specialist asd school so they are going to struggle to pull him out.

are there any other schools you would consider? to be honest even if you don't put a second choice down it is likely the LA will consult more than one school which they think is suitable and if your first choice cannot be made they will name another one that has said they can meet his needs

In my LA if you want to get a place in one of the special units attached to MS secondary you have to apply in the summer term of year 5 (and already be statemented). I think the application is made by your primary school SENCO not you, I looked into all this for DS last year. So watch your timings. All the info is on my LA website, the units are called resourced providion units.

provision not providion

Thanks for replying guys ??
DS is statemented 25 hrs plus school make up shortfall. He has been for last 3 yrs. come on leaps n bounds mind but cannot cope in a full class setting. School have now resigned to that fact.

New unit first of its kind down here and a couple kids have gone over last couple years and are thriving wonderfully ??

In South west so only have 1 senior within our area. In DS favour I have just moved one out of there due to 3 yrs verbal bullying.

Tbh what's going through my head is both other schools are so far away travel wise, he won't survive in full MS classes for more than a few minutes which hasnt changed no matter how many strategies put in place, so would be easier (stress wise for DS) if he stayed home and I HE as best I can.

Also there is the change to these new plans instead of statements and I can feel a scrap coming on ??

The requirement to put a second choice down is a local policy. Because you have a statement, I think you can ignore it. If the second, or third, or 99th choice can't meet DS's needs - and you can prove that this is the case - then they're completely irrelevant.

Thank you for that info. Think I shall visit this other school to show good will with a list of "can yous" and when the no's" come out list them and email confirmation of it.

Good idea. I'm still in the process of getting DS (Yr 6) statemented, so we missed the boat for the special units, but are going for indie special school instead. However as I was still awaiting a decision on whether he would get the statement at the cut-off date for mainstream applications in Oct I applied to mainstream school through the usual process (with a strong statement saying I don't believe they can meet his needs, following legal advice). The online application website says not to use it if your child has a statement but to contact the SEN department instead.

Well it's going to be a toughie to get him in this one and have a feeling they know this and are trying to make me consider another option. Not that I am thinking they are being untoward but that they know there are limited places iyswim. but this child is unable to spend 3 separate 17 min sessions in the classroom that they trialed recently to prove he couldn't handle it. How they expect him to fit in a large MS is beyond me.