Secondary school places - would primary know before us?

[FrayedHem]

I'm quite likely reading something into nothing, but a school support staff asked me if I'd heard about DS1's placement yet. I'm not expecting to hear until end of January when the EHCP transfer should be completed. We've requested an ASD base but the odds are stacked against us. (The SEN Officer said they did try to inform parents about Specialist placements as early as possible and in previous years that had been before Christmas but no guarantees).

It just struck me as a bit strangely out of nowhere but I didn't question why, just said no and how DS1 is currently saying he wants to go to the local mainstream without support.

Sounds to me like she was just asking you, er... because she was thinking about your ds, and was wondering if you'd heard.

Do you mean a TA at the current school ?

Yes a TA, sorry for my weirdly vague phrasing, she does some 1:1 with him but only started with him a couple of weeks ago. It sounds really daft written down, but it's been a very up and down week with DS1 at school this week, so was more expecting something about that. I probably sound like an unreliable crime witness, but I got the impression she thought I knew something as she seemed a bit surprised when I said no.

Would primary school be informed about placements or is that quite unlikely?

I doubt it. DD1 is virtually guaranteed a place at her local SS. It would be madness to try and send her to MS and other SS are relatively far away. We still don't get official word until February, so we still have to talk in terms of 'ifs' at her school because they don't know either.

It's dawned on me that there's actually a far more rational explanation. A couple of days ago I wrote in his communication book he wouldn't be going to mainstream secondary (DS1 wasn't coping with all the SATs prep they are doing). So she probably assumed I'd heard which I haven't, it was just what we had decided. Or possibly not now DS1 wants to go the local school.