I've sent my kid to a dreadful school and I don't what to do.

[Usernumber463626363]

DS is nearly 12 and started mainstream year 7 in September. He coped well in mainstream primary but secondary has been a torment different game so far. He is autistic, has learning delays, anxiety and ocd as well as other issues. He masks heavily at school but school causes him huge anxiety and we've had issues with school refusal. This is new to me because he loved his primary school and was well supported. He has an EHCP.

covid made visiting schools really hard when I had to put a school on his EHCP in the summer term of year 5. I did however manage to visit the one I've sent him to, but not the other 2 options. The senco at his school seemed great, she seemed to be positive they could support him, it seemed like a friendly school, it was the smallest out of the three school options and also the vast majority of his class from primary go there which is an added bonus. It's the feeder school for his primary but I wish I looked into the other 2 more.

the school have since had a new senco and changed everything the first senco I had contact with had in place. There is no teaching assistants in the school, we always knew he wouldn't get full time 1:1 but he's not getting any support. He's 4 years behind at school.

the teachers at his school actually seen lovely and they do seem to want him to learn and support him. However, they are supporting DS and the rest of the class which isn't fair on anyone. I've spoken to teachers on the phone and they are even saying they are requesting more help. Ds working below bottom sets.

the school itself seems to have teaching staff number issues. I guess it might be the same everywhere but many classes are being covered and teachers are changed as well as his form tutor. I know changes are inevitable but they don't try and prepare DS for this. He likes to be fully in the loop and prepared for everything.

they have already excluded him from a school trip.

what the hell do I do? Moving DS will be heavily disruptive for him, even if the school was better than this one and there's no guarantee that another mainstream will be much better.

shall I try and fight for a specialist placement? The senco at his school said that the LA will do everything to avoid this. He doesn't get max funding on his EHCP, but the senco said they need to try and uo his funding but hasn't done anything about all this. She told us in October we'd review his EHCP but it's not been organised.

any advice?

don't know what to do

The SENCO can’t just change provision unilaterally. The provision specified and quantified in section F of the EHCP must be provided. If it isn’t you can enforce it. If 1:1 or other TA support is specified and quantified in F it must be provided regardless of what the school normally provide. Focus on the provision in section F rather than funding.

Why have the school excluded DS from a trip? Unless there is far more than what you have written this is disability discrimination.


If the last annual review was more than a year ago you need to email the Director of Children’s Services reminding them of the law and threatening judicial review. If it was less than a year ago you need to ask for an early review of the EHCP whether you want DS to stay in the MS or move to another placement. If you want a specialist placement don’t listen to the school or LA trying to put you off, a lot of it is myths and their own unlawful policies.

So sorry OP had a similar situation but at primary, definitely call an early review citing the school refusal and exclusion to school trips.
Google IPSEA lots of useful info and template letters, they were a godsend to me. Long story short, got DS out of mainstream and into special school we did have to go through the tribunal, but it’s not as scary as it sounds, and they usually find in the parents favour. Good Luck .

Thank you. What I meant is that the senco was going to arrange a review of EHCP and try up his funding. But she hasn't arranged that review yet. She seemed to think he'd better in a sen school but said that school will have to probe they can't meet his needs. This is all new to me but it's pretty clear they aren't meeting his needs 😭it hasn't been a year yet and the finalised copy from his last review hasn't come through (my LA has some serious delays which they've admitted to as they've had high amounts of staff leaving due to work place stress!!). The senco said that she was going to request an early review.

I think the senco is avoiding me because I keep emailing her about different things that need to be supported.

I need to visit some local sen schools I think.

they didn't have any staff to support him
on the trip. They even asked me to go with him which I couldn't do that day but didn't want to make a rod for my own back anyway. They would want me to go every time.

Thank you. I need to visit some sen schools I think. Just to get a feel and see where we go from there!

I second @SuperFi, the vast majority of appeals are upheld.

You mention school refusal, if DS can’t attend school full time the LA must provide alternative provision and anything in F whilst you are going through the process of amending the EHCP to better meet DS’s needs.

X post. Make sure to look at all schools within travelling distance including independent SS. Whilst it is easier if the MS can prove they can’t meet DC’s needs it is possible to secure a SS even if they don’t/can’t.

If the SENCO is avoiding you, email the HT.

Email the LA about the review. Email the Director of Children’s services reminding them of their duties in respect to AR timescales and inform them you will be forced to begin JR proceedings if they continue to frustrate your right of appeal.

Excluding DS from the trip was disability discrimination, if a similar situation arises again remind them of their duty.

Thank you! There were a few days last month or so I couldn't get him in so it shan't got to the point anyone has said much yet (even the school didn't query it too much which was surprising) but his anxiety is worse than ever at the minute so I fear that I won't get him into school in the coming weeks.

the problem is he masks heavily at school and the school don't see some of the issues! He gets a taxi to school and the masks goes on as soon as the taxi pulls up until he gets back again!

Thank you. This all seems so surreal to me. His primary were generally pretty supportive and never had many issues - we did have some issues with school refusal bug the school were always willing to help and support and put things in place. This new school not so much! I always knew secondary would be a struggle but never imagined this. I was told he'd have adult support in some lessons (not all) but he's not getting anything academically. The poor teachers are struggling. It's not fair on teachers, DS or the other kids in the class. He's not necessarily disruptive in class, he just can't really do the work!

What provision is in section F? Is the provision in there being provided? Or is it that section F isn’t written correctly with all the necessary provision? If the former you need to enforce the EHCP. If the latter, focus on amending section F and potentially I via the review process and appealing if necessary.

Unfortunately some parents find that the primary school while supportive didn’t ensure the EHCP was fit for purpose which results in the wheels falling off at secondary when the pupil doesn’t have all the necessary support.

Does DS have SALT, OT, MH therapies included in the EHCP?

Provision for those unable to attend school should begin once it becomes clear DS will miss 15 days, the days don’t need to have already been missed or be consecutive.

@JustKeepBuilding

Unfortunately some parents find that the primary school while supportive didn’t ensure the EHCP was fit for purpose which results in the wheels falling off at secondary when the pupil doesn’t have all the necessary support.

this is spot on. Although they were generally supportive, I feel when we reviewed his EHCP with the previous senco at his primary, it wasn't that thorough and his needs were not truly reflected. When he was in year 6, they had a new senco who did a very thorough review in the summer but the LA have no amended or finalised this yet. But the school were aware of his needs.

he was signed off most things after diagnosis. We are in the process of getting referrals for Camhs and OT. He was signed off SALT when he was 9 but issues arriving speech and speech related activities are still listed in his EHCP which the school should be doing!

I feel like this new term after Christmas is going to be a struggle. Historically he's always struggled after Christmas, after the first term has ended. When he was younger we did generally manage to get him dressed and to school but I can't keep forcing his clothes on if he refuses. As much as I don't want him off school, it won't help his anxiety either I feel maybe if he did start missing the odd day because it's too much, the school might start opening their eyes a bit! They are almost like just make sure he gets here, he's fine once he's here etc!

If the LA haven’t amended the EHCP following the annual review in the summer or informed you they won’t be amending email the Director of Children’s Services threatening JR as they are in breach of the timescales. They should have informed you whether they are going to amend or not within 4 weeks and if they are finalise within a further 8 weeks.

Are the SALT activities specified and quantified in F? If so, email the LA’s Director of Children’s Services as it isn’t optional and the LA are the ones ultimately responsible for ensuring it is provided.

Rather than an early review you could ask for a reassessment of needs. That way you can ask for OT, SALT, psychiatrist and clinical psychologist assessments without the need to sit on the normal waiting lists. Then push for provision to be included in F so DS doesn’t need to sit on the waiting lists for that either. A reassessment of needs comes with the right of appeal if refused as well, whereas an early review doesn’t.

Alternatively, just push for the right of appeal following the summer’s AR and then appeal, seeking independent assessments to secure provision in F thus they must be provided.

Sadly, your story isn’t unusual, and many parents don’t realise the EHCP isn’t worth the paper it is written on until it is too late and DC aren’t receiving the support they need.

Many schools say DC are ‘fine’ when they are anything but, so don’t let them saying that put you off pursuing additional support &/or another placement.

• if SENDCO isn’t responding appropriately start copying the Head in. You should at least get a response.
• Follow up every phone conversation with an email so you have it in writing.
• Hiring decent TA is really difficult. Getting high quality on the available wages is getting increasingly challenging.
• Might be worth talking to the attendance lead at school too.

Hiring decent TA is really difficult. Getting high quality on the available wages is getting increasingly challenging.

If the provision is specified and quantified in F it must be provided even if the LA have to fund it at a higher, potentially much higher, rate, and a good EHCP will state training, qualifications and experience so it can’t just be anyone.

@JustKeepBuilding all good in theory, but you’ve still got to find someone suitable to employ. It’s not a quick fix if there’s no one available in school.

That is not the parents concern. If the LA have to fund at a higher rate in order to attract someone that is what they must do. Schools and LAs often cite funding or recruitment as a reason not to provide provision specified and quantified in F, but I have yet to meet a case out of the hundreds I have supported parents with and my own DC where it is an actual barrier and where with the right funding and effort someone suitable can’t be found. In one case that meant a 1:1 was funded on the main pay scale. DS3 has had the HT, DHT and SENCO support him previously when there hasn’t been anyone else.

@JustKeepBuilding you sound very knowledgable and fierce as hell. I’m sure schools are terrified of you. Just offering my perspective from the other side of the fence and a bit of wider context for @Usernumber463626363 regarding why it won’t be such an easy fix.

It can be fixed relatively easily if the EHCP is specified and quantified. If the LA don’t comply the parent can go down the judicial review route. Often the mere threat to the Director of Children’s Services works, if it doesn’t a pre-action letter usually does, few actually get to a hearing.