Choosing A Special School For DS with ASD/MLD

[Dad101]

As per the title we're laying the groundwork for a move from mainstream to special school for our DS (5) with ASD and likely MLD.

We'd like to move as soon as possible as his current MS reception placement is turning into a bit of a disaster, although it looks likely that will be September as DS's AR isn't booked in until the 4th of March so it makes the prospect of an Easter move unlikely. At present we've visited several schools, two of which we really like and have booked return trips to in order to chat with the headteachers. One school is fairly large and received a 'good' rating in their most recent OFSTED, the other much smaller but with a 'Needs Improvement'. We wanted at this stage to put it to the 'hive mind' of Mumsnet RE any questions we should be asking or anything we could be overlooking as at present we're really struggling to choose between the two....

I suppose the feedback I'd like would be...

*What questions should we be asking?

*What should we be on the lookout for?

Thanks in advance

Ignore the ofsted- I know that sounds counterintuitive but some of the best provisions I’ve seen are the “needs improvement” ones.

Go with your gut feel.

Ask to see the OT and SALT at those meetings, see how forthcoming the response is. If it’s “they’re not here now or busy” ask to see how frequently the children see the SALT and OT. How often is this reviewed?
Be wary of staff doubling up as OTs- one course of sensory integration doesn’t make you an OT...

NHS SALT usually visit a SS once a week- how many children are under that one salt?

Do staff attend training in positive handling?
Be on the look out for no external training being used- how do they keep abreast of improving practices and methods?

Do the children have a sensory diet- if they need it implemented within their daily curriculum? You want to see flexibility In the curriculum- not a “they’re all following Tudor’s this term. The end”

How many children in the class and how do they allocate children in certain classes- based on age? Skill set?

Do they go on trips - any life skills as part of the curriculum?

The chat section of the SN mumsnet tends to get more traffic so if you don’t receive much support ask for it to be moved across.

Go with your gut feel

Couldn't have put it better myself. Ignore the Ofsted, our son's ASD school is officially "needs improvement" but that was assessed after a calamitous period with undermining of the head / lack of leadership at the time, and the school has now turned itself around.

We viewed three schools when deciding where our son should attend. The one we chose just felt right, we know our son best and we knew it would be the right place for him.

Find out which school will you get transport to - it might not be something you need now but for the bus to pick your child up and drop them back home, it’s something that does help when they’re older. Not to mention the kids all love it.

Thanks so much for the responses here

We had a return visit to one of the schools we're interested in this afternoon and came armed with a list of questions we wouldn't have thought to ask thanks to you lovely people.

Much more insight gained and a step closer to making a decision we think!

Further to this we've now had a second visit to both of the schools we liked and also a third as another option.

@Lesley25, all of the questions on your list were super useful and we received great answers to all of them with all three ticking all the right boxes- Much smaller class sizes than MS, like six students per class, staff with external training and sensory diets being the norm coupled with individualised curriculums and life skills alongside academic work. The only caveat being that all three schools we looked at offer nothing more than NHS SALT provision (Not sure if I can name the schools here?) What's more all three told us that LA special schools in this area would all work on that basis and don't have the funding to have 'in-house' SALT provision. Despite two of the schools operating on a 'total communication model' that still seems pretty disappointing. Does that sound right?

We've tried to broaden the net with a search for local (Durham area) independent special schools but have yielded pretty much zero results although admittedly research on this has been limited to extensive googling as frankly we're not sure how else to look having gone outside of the 'local offer' site...

P.S- It would be great to shift this thread to the main 'SN Chat' section, any ideas on how best to instigate this?

Hi OP, press the report post and in the comments box ask for it to be moved to the sn chat section for more traffic.

NHS salt is the norm here, they are LA maintained schools so won’t offer any more. It’s the private witherslack Type schools that tend to have the private salt but don’t be disappointed.

The NHS salt provision for all schools will generally have a main contact who is usually in charge and most experienced, and they then outsource this to a smaller salt nhs team who look after children and come into school to assess communication plans per child and update move along as necessary.
What I would ask is for a meeting with the nhs salt of the school you choose - don’t let this factor too much into your decision if you’ve found a school you love.
At that meeting you can explain your child’s communication difficulties discus exoectations with that nhs salt person and next steps and how they will assess your child’s communication plans going forward.
If you like that person - generally they’re the most experienced, ask for your child to be under their care for at least the first year. It’s a fair request as your child’s new to the school and stops you’re child being outsourced to maybe the team who will need to refer to the main salt anyway.
That’s my experience.

But great you’ve found a school.

Actually instead of moving this post now you’ve chosen your school, start a new thread asking followers for guidance in that meeting with the nhs salt. You’ll get great responses in the sn chat section. That will give you a list of questions to ask the salt.
Chances are if the schools you like are in the same authority it will probably be the same main NHS Salt looking after all those schools anyway.
Make an effort with this person, it’s rapport you want to build here.

I forgot to add have you ever had private salt? We did and she helped us at home and came into school to discuss those first years- that did help.
But if you haven’t, give the move a chance first, a lot of SS are anti any outside help but it doesn’t stop you in the future assessing a private salt for home and if you feel there’s value after a few months then is the time to suggest this contact to the nhs salt in school and that could well be the bridge between home and school. But it’s not necessary right now.
As soon as you’ve Chosen the s school, that’s the time to alert everyone to your choice, the LA etc and talk about transition and time frames. Now is when school spaces start to become full, you want a concrete start date and the school and everyone to be happy with that for your peace of mind also.

Thanks again Lesley.

All three schools made it clear that rather than having a main contact as you describe, children would continue under the existing arrangement RE the SALT that deals with them and the provision outlined in their respective plans. This in a nutshell would mean DS would continue to work with the same NHS SALT who visits him once a term since he started nursery and left targets for nursery/school staff to review/manage. Not ideal but there doesn't seem to be an alternative to this set up locally and if on the whole the provision is better and life will be happier for him in a new setting a continuation of this arrangement may well be a cross we'll have to bear.

RE private SALT- We're already on the ball there DS has been seeing the same private SALT for around the last 8 months. Initially she completed a 'PACT' course (A relatively new evidence based therapy recommended and supported by NICE) with us over the course of 6 months and we've now moved on to colourful semantics and other interventions. In the time she's been with us she's brought DS's communication on FAR more than the NHS SALT managed in the 3 years before. Frankly she's amazing, she also contributed to DS's EHCP application writing a report and having input into the plan. She's made contact with DS's NHS SALT to aim towards working together however the NHS SALT doesn't really seem to want to play ball unfortunately. Naturally when the plan was written the LA sided with the NHS SALT, dug their heels in and insisted that one visit per term was sufficient and after 3 drafts being rejected that was one element we had to really let slip in order to get the plan issued in time for DS to start school. If there was a way to fund our private SALT via the plan to support in school and have more documented involvement from her drafted into the plan we would have done so but at present we're funding the odd visit to school ourselves coupled with monthly home sessions ourselves.

RE putting plans in place, the SENCO at his current MS school is trying to contact and LEA SEN caseworker asking for a plan review on the 4th of March but getting zero response. We have the caseworkers name and if by the end of the week we haven't had a response I will Email and call myself, allow two days and then Email the head of child services for our area expressing a concern if we've still had no reply/contact (This is how I managed to get the LA to comply with timelines/obligations when arranging the plan last year).

We've chatted with the EP that the school use and he plans to observe DS at school and then attend the review as soon as we can get the LA caseworker to play ball. He understands that a move to SS is what both us and the school want and said he will support this by stating in the meeting that the school have followed all his recommendations and are still not able to meet needs re the plan. I'm slightly put off by the fact that he's made it clear he won't be writing a report for the meeting but will observe DS beforehand and attend/support. The guidelines on SOSSEN and IPSEA seem to suggest he should be submitting a written report... At this stage we have two choices....

A- Put up with the arrangement he describes re no written report but an observation beforehand and attending the review ergo getting the review completed as soon as possible.

B- Insist on a report being written an circulated beforehand and delay any review until such a time as that happens.

Which approach seems best? Again, am I getting all of this right?

Thank you so much for the help so far, it's literally been priceless.

Re. Private salt. Fabulous. What I did was I liased with the HT of my chosen school and my sons new teacher- they are much more receptive to salt intervention to help them in the classroom when you’re funding it, which we were happy to do so as you say the benefit was huge. NHS salt was poor in comparison. Even now, at 11 our salt plays a heavy part in our life and schools but we have a much more agreeable salt at the new school who’s happy to accept our private salts interventions and exercises.
Meet with the new teacher later on down the line with the head and mention how effective the salt and her ideas / exercises have been for home life and communication - they’ll be much more open to a reciprocal arrangement once your child’s down to start the school.
It will help them - and this is how you should phrase it, start an approach that they already know you’ve used before with your salt instead of figuring out for themselves which could take weeks and lead to so much frustration. I know it’s a little cheeky, but once your child’s down to start and the paperwork’s done, ask for a meeting with the ht and new teacher and tell them you’ll be bringing along your old SALT to the meeting so the school can see where your sons upto with communication and where to pitch communication from the get go.
I watched my Private salt wow them at the initial meeting and then once people put a face to an idea it becomes much easier to gradually push the salt in whilst your son settles in. The class teacher will positively bite your hand off, HT may be a stickler for rules and processes but explain this can cut out so much frustration out of the equation when your child starts.
Beforehand sit down with your salt and explain you want her to create exercises that school could encompass In their daily curriculum and basically show them where your child’s up to- pay for her time to create the pecs etc whatever the next level is for your child so you ca give the to school at that meeting. Basically make it easy for the school to follow the same pathway as your private salt.

As for EP, you’re not asking for a report but a recommendation based on their professional opinion as to where your childs educational placement should be. That holds weight.
If that’s verbal at the meeting review - fine, don’t delay that meeting. The sooner everyone is in agreement and it’s rubber stamped, the quicker the place can be secured at the chosen school and your child’s name accepted.
You have an ehcp - dig out any letters and see who your caseworker is, could be multiple individuals, if that person isn’t getting in contact call the department. Explain the situation.
That review meeting should be parents, HT of MS, EP, LEA Sendo, MS Senco.
That’s enough to get it changed and amended within 14 days. The LEA Sendo person will get in contact with the chosen ss about start dates and spaces- make sure you have made your decision before the meeting- and ask the question about start dates with your chosen ss so you have an answer at that annual review meeting if they say they have to go away and Speak to your chosen ss.
That review meeting should then give your MS HT and senco an idea about when your child will leave them if you have the answer.
So, you can’t get fobbed off here from anyone about places, starts dates etc.
Don’t let your child’s place be September if it doesn’t need to be because of paperwork or the LEA reluctance to fund the summer term at ss.

@Lesley25, yet again you've engaged hero mode and answered our questions

I wish there was a way we could thank you for the time you've spent talking us through this! It now feels like the landing strip is FINALLY in our sights touches wooden things and doesn't count chickens yet

I'll be sure to update any progress or developments in this thread

You’re very welcome. All the best with it, when this is all rubber stamped and depending on start dates, take your family off somewhere to celebrate and recuperate. Even if it means going during school term! If your child’s leaving now and it’s a matter of start dates feasible for everyone, take advantage of the lull period and book somewhere that’s ridiculously expensive in school holidays but not during school term.

If I look back at the first time we moved when DS was 5, I would’ve told myself that.