Advise needed deaf school

[Maggiemiller123]

My son is 15yr has been in main stream but I am at last getting a EHCP for him, he has various problems including profoundly deaf with a cochlear implant, I visited a school for the deaf which I feel is perfect but I am told he will not be able to go as it is to far away and they will not provide transport and will not pay for residency as a weekly border as he doesn't qualify. What does qualify for boarding ? Can anybody give me advise thank you

The fact that he is getting an EHCP suggests that his current school are having difficulty meeting his needs!

If thats the case and there is no where closer that could then you are perfectly entitled to request that school!

You might have to fight for it though so be prepared!

When they finalise the EHCP you can appeal if they dont name the school you want, make sure all of the education provision he needs is quantified and specified and that any health needs that impact on his education are in part B not the health bit eg, SALT, TOD! Every need in part B should have a provision in part F and they are appealable as is the school that is named! Nothing else!

Saying that he cant board may be part of a blanket policy, they are not allowed!

Good luck

Thank you for the advise, I realise it is still a massive fight and has been to get this far, the school now accept they are not meeting his needs but all the proffisional who do not know him are definitely pushing for him to stay in mainstream with more help, I am only just managing to get him to go now, he has no friends and he still is unable to read.

Hi maggie is the deaf school in the south of England close to the M4? If so, it's the school my DCs go to - PM me for anything you want to ask

Everything ineed says above is spot-on. They can't say your DS can't go just because it's too far away. If this school is the only one that can meet all of his needs, then they have to pay - education costs, residential costs, transport costs. All of it.

The hard bit is proving that the LA's preferred options cannot meet your DS's needs. If your school has said - in writing - that they can't meet his needs, then that is a big boost to your argument.

The school might get pressured to lie through their teeth look at ways they could keep DS with more support. The best thing you can do here is get independent expert assessments. The Ear Foundation in Nottingham is the place to go to get these. If affording them is a problem, contact the Birkdale Trust, who can help with the cost of these assessments.

You might have to go to Tribunal to resolve this. This is hard, but you have a very good chance of willing. Last year, there were 37 appeals to SENDIST Tribunal for deaf kids. Parents won 36 of those appeals.

It sounds like mainstream is failing him badly! I agree with ugger that the authority will likely encourage the schools to lie and say they can meet his needs!

Go with your guts and fight for your boy! Dont give up now you are within reach of your goal!!

Tribunal is hard but loads are conceded and the odds are stacked in your favour!

Good luck

Fantastic information I am feeling a bit more positive now, the school I would need to go to is in Doncaster We have been to an open day and we loved it,. Independent assessment at the ear foundation is this something that they are happy to undertake knowing I am getting an EHPC, I have been there several times as it is not to far from us x

Yes, they'll assess for that. You can ask for assessments from a teacher of the deaf, a speech & language therapist, and an educational psychologist. You'll then get a detailed report highlighting needs, advice on how to meet them, and recommendations for the type of school placement that would work best.

They are honest, effective experts who know what they are talking about. They don't pull punches, and they don't just assess - they talk to you as a parent about things you can do at home to help. They are also far, far cheaper than most of the other independent experts in this field.

Look for 'Sound Advice' on the Ear Foundation website - but get in quick, this time of year they get booked up quickly!

Agree about Ear Foundation, when we went there was someone else there having the assessments to get into the school you mention. The people there are great my son has little time for hearing professionals but worked well with the people there

Thank you every body just sent an email to the ear foundation x

More advise please, I recently got my sons final EHCP what a joke !!! I am about to send in my appeal forms as I really need him to go to a specialist school for the deaf. We have been to our chosen school where he stayed for a couple of nights and this just confirmed to us this school is perfect for him. The EHCP is keeping him in the same mainstream school that have not managed to teach him anything he is still unable to read at 15yrs. i have Assesments coming from the school and From the Burwood centre , Speach and Language, teacher of the deaf, education Psychology. Please can anybody advise what else I will need in the way of Assesments. Has anybody been to appeal with Nottinghamshire LA ? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I have been in contact with a specialist solicitor who advises me the cost will be around 15k if I was to take him on does this sound about right . Thank you

A rubbish EHCP will be a great help at Tribunal.

ndcs can sometimes get families pro bono legal help

Hi maggie - it sounds like you've got all the assessments you need. Have you got recent audiology reports for DS? The reports from your local services should be sufficient.

It might also be a good idea to request your son's school records, using a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act. That should provide more evidence of the school's failure to meet his needs.

Another thing worth getting from the school is confirmation that their classrooms are compliant with the DfE's updated Building Bulletin 93 acoustic standards. They should have a certificate confirming this, signed by an accredited acoustic specialist or an educational audiologist. If they don't, the LA's case is in deep shit.

The specialist solicitor quote sounds like a correct ballpark figure. I'd strongly advise you though to approach the NDCS for help. They have a team of experienced Appeals Advisers - the vast majority of them are as experienced & effective as any specialist legal firm, and if you are an NDCS member it will cost you nothing.

Best of luck!

Also ring round solicitors: some (e.g. Simpson Millar) offer fixed fees which I'm pretty sure are lower than the figure you've been quoted.