SEN school for secondary age boy South of England Morehouse, Slindon etc

[Bearthedog]

My son - year 9 ASD and academically able, has been having a really tough time in a mainstream secondary school - bullying because he's geeky and quirky and not cool.... academically he's doing OK but he's really really miserable so we are looking elsewhere. We have been in touch with More House which I think would be perfect but they won't look at him because their last intake is at the start of year 9 and he would be going into year 10. He's currently having a taster few days at Slindon - but he'd have to board due to the location and whilst he says he loves the school, the boarding may be an issue - I also feel (maybe wrongly) that he might not be challenged enough? Any other recommendations please - boarding is an option in the right school, particularly a bigger school with more social options. Any thoughts on Slindon too please? I know it's been through some ups and downs but interested in the current situation.
He doesn't have an ECHP and has applied and been turned down - and probably won't meet the criteria, but is stuck between mainstream and miserable and SEN which may not stretch him enough....

Sorry no help with school ideas. Did you appeal the EHCP refusal? LAs often refuse as standard in the hope parents don't take it further, but the majority of appeals are upheld. The bar for an EHCNA is relatively low - has or may have SEN, and may need SEN provision to be made via an EHCP.

Check your messages @Bearthedog

Thank you both - so we were told appealing wouldn't be appropriate because he was right at the end of year 6 and therefore changing schools, by the time the decision was made. We are now two years down the line and have a miserable child in secondary school with pretty much zero support despite the diagnosis. We have gone back to the SENCO but I suspect at this stage we are going to move him anyway so again will be stuck between schools.
Have an offer of a place at Slindon College - he really enjoyed the trial days but we felt it may not be stimulating enough for him - he's quite able, sociable and loves trying new things (yes not every ASD child is the same as those of us with them are well aware!)
Going through the application process for More House Frensham and keeping fingers crossed although the year is already full so we'd be lucky.

Reapply for an EHCNA. You were incorrectly advised, it is always worth appealing. The vast majority of appeals are upheld.

Have a look at Shiplake College, my friend's son has ASD and got on fine there (may have changed in last couple of years, new head).

so we were told appealing wouldn't be appropriate because he was right at the end of year 6 and therefore changing schools, by the time the decision was made

Whoever told you that was talking bollocks. As 10brokengreenbottles said, the vast majority of refusal to assess appeals are upheld.

Reapply and if they refuse again, appeal the decision.

Use the model letter here:

www.ipsea.org.uk/asking-for-an-ehc-needs-assessment

Sorry to jump on this nearly a year later @Bearthedog . What did you do in the end? We are in a similar situation with a year 9 son with HFA and now not in school. Slindon have an open day coming up and we´re in 2 minds whether to bother to have a look. We have been turned down by Swalcliffe Park and are effectively stuck. We are in the process of appealing the EHCP from our last AR, but if there are no school places, what do we do?

Mackencheese why have you been refused Swalciffe park? They are a non-maintained special school therefore the LA can only refuse to name them if they can prove:

• The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
• The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

The LA can, and must, name the school regardless of the school’s objections unless the LA can prove one of the above.

10brokengreenbottles thanks so much for your reply. The LA have not refused to name SPS. They did consult the school. The school have said they can´t meet need because my son has been out of school for 2 terms. It´s so frustrating. I just feel like I will never get him back in school again! We are going to tribunal, but tbh I don´t really know why we´re bothering (and spending thousands in legal and expert fees) if all the schools close doors on us . Do you have any ideas, because I´m all ears......

The LA can, and must if they can’t prove one of the above reasons, name the school regardless of Swalcliffe Park’s objections. Refusing because DS has been out of school for 2 terms is unlikely to wash at tribunal.

Depending on where you live have you considered Lokrum Fields, Gretton and LVS Oxford?

If you are willing to consider boarding there are other possibilities e.g. Breckenbrough, Alderwasley Hall, some NAS schools and some Aspris schools (formerly priory).

Yes, we are considering boarding, which is exactly why we were looking at SPS. They very nicely and politely told my DH to look elsewhere and named some of the provision you have just mentioned . We went to Gretton Open Day in Feb but the journey was a nightmare and they insist on a Monday morning start for the weekly boarders. We plan to ask them whether its something they could change to Sunday evening. I just cannot see DS coping with a near 2-hour journey first thing every Monday!

Sorry I thought you were looking at SPS as a day pupil.

You can still appeal for SPS.

Oh thats really good to know. I have been so sad, and I´m losing sight of what we´re going to Tribunal for. There seems no point in getting a shiny new EHCP if we cant get the school we want (or any school). We´re in the southeast, so some of your suggestions are too far away but thank you so much for your advice, We shall keep soldiering on!

@MackenCheese

I agree the LA can still name Swalcliffe Park even without their agreement, as it is a non-maintained special school.

The fact that your child has been out of school for two terms is not a reason not to name your choice. The only reasons the LA can use to refuse are those listed by 10brokengreenbottles above.

Once the school is named on the EHCP they have a statutory duty to admit. (Section 43 Children & Families Act 2014)

Thanks for your replies @Ellie56 and @10brokengreenbottles. I am so confused. DH and the lawyer are acting like the door is closed and we need to move onto other schools even further afield. The school is still named on the amended ECHP but lawyer talking about only going for a school that is giving us an offer . is she correct?

If Swalcliffe is named in the EHCP it must admit. If the school is named in the amended EHCP why are you needing to appeal the placement? Even if it isn’t named in the finalised EHCP you can still appeal for it. Unless one of the reasons in my pp can be proven you stand a very good chance at tribunal. Can you get DH to do more reading about what type of schools you have the right to request?

I would be interested to know who your lawyer is as she should know this. You only need an offer of a place if the school is wholly independent.

I thought it was wholly independent. it is not on the Section 41 list.

No, it’s not wholly independent. It is a non-maintained special school. See here.

Oh I see. Sorry to be thick. That's very encouraging indeed. Thank you both so much!

Information here which may help you make sense of it all:

www.ipsea.org.uk/choosing-a-schoolcollege-with-an-ehc-plan

I cannot thank you enough. I will keep going!

@MackenCheese

Is your child still out of school?

Yes @Ellie56 they are. I never thought we would be in this position. The LA have just in the past week found some provision starting in May. We just have to wait and see. The whole thing has been stressful to say the least!

Under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 the LA has a legal duty to secure suitable, full-time alternative education for those children of compulsory school age(CSA) who, by reason of illness, exclusion or otherwise, may not for any period receive suitable education unless such arrangements are made for them.

As your child is of CSA and has no school place he requires provision now not next month.
See here:

www.ipsea.org.uk/getting-temporary-education-put-in-place

And I would seriously consider making a complaint about the period there was no provision as this has caused your son an injustice. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has repeatedly highlighted LAs' duty to provide alternative education.

www.ipsea.org.uk/News/the-duty-to-secure-alternative-education

I agree we should complain, but at the moment the LA are co-operating and we are using the LAs "guilt" about lack of provision to leverage what we want in the final placement. We can complain after we get what we want for our son, because it has taken so long....