Mainstream or specialist primary school?

[Sunny4124]

Hi All,

My DD is due to start primary school next year, and we need to apply end of this year so I’ve started doing some research!

She’s not diagnosed as yet but on the ASD pathway, non verbal so far (although only 3.4) and very sensory seeking and quite hyperactive :-)

She’s currently in a mainstream nursery setting and loves it, and whilst she doesn’t join in with everything her peers do, she’s not disruptive either!

Just after any experiences on mainstream vs specialist schools in this situation? Thanks so much x

I always say to people to try not to fix in your mind if you want 'mainstream' or 'special', but to go and look at as many realistic options as you have, and decide after that.

I've come across absolutely superb mainstream schools and I've come across some incredibly bad ones too. Most of course are somewhere in between.
'Special' is such a broad term too - what you really need to find out about is what specialist provision there is in your LA. You need to factor in the advantages alongside the disadvantages.
Talk to as many people as you can, about the particular schools, rather than an overall mindset as to whether we think mainstream or specialist is 'better' as you tend to get people with an ideological viewpoint that might not match the reality in your neighbourhood.

Well the first thing is does she have an EHCP. Because if she doesn't then a special school is not an option.

But I agree with Backforgood and that you have to look at the specific schools in your area. Mainstream HT's can have very different attitudes to SEN and what support they are able to provide. Special schools vary even more in the type of support they can give. As an additional option are there are any schools with an additional resource provision because then you might get the best of both worlds. If there is a support group for parents with children with an ASC in your area they are usually a great source of information for which schools are the best in your area for this profile.

Totally agree with the other views posted here - schools are all very individual beasts and the only thing you can really do is visits as many as feasible and trust your gut. A good mainstream school can be a much better setting than a poor SEN and vice versa....

Ask to speak to the SENCO or Head in each one to talk about your child's needs and see what they can do to support. You can tell a lot from how much time they are willing to give you and how proactive they are about suggesting possible solutions to issues your child might face in school. The school we eventually chose was a mainstream school that had a very supportive head who was totally solutions-focused. (I went to one school where the entire conversation with the Head was 'we can't accommodate kids who do X, Y, Z etc' and she was trying to subtly chase me out of the room after 10 minutes. She got what she wanted, they didn't make my shortlist. It's their loss. My son is chock-full of potential and has a huge amount to give. They are frankly not good enough for him.)

Be mindful that a lot can change development-wise for your DD over the next few years. My DS was barely speaking at 3.5, barely interacted with other kids and was way behind with lots of his motor skills. He's 5.5. now, pretty chatty, is starting to make friends, can jump/run/ride a scooter and is starting to read etc. So don't be took quick to rule out mainstream - she may do well there...

I have two kids with asd and adhd. One in mainstream the other in specialist. The youngest did a year in mainstream and it was awful. School treated her appallingly. I’d go and have a look at options. Also, you’d need an ehcp for specialist. My youngest has very little speech and is better in a total communication environment. I took advice from everyone who worked with her and we all thought to try mainstream. In hindsight I think we should’ve gone for specialist. Outside of the play element even early years kids seem under pressure to achieve (they have weekly spelling tests). Specialist schools can be a bit of a shock to the system at first but ours is amazing.