Daughter wants to move back to mainstream

[izzykitty]

My 17 year old DD wants to move to a mainstream school. This is something she has wanted for a long time but I’m not sure if it will be possible. She has high functioning ASD, ADHD and possible ODD. She was in a specialist residential school from the beginning of secondary, and the placement has broken down. I thought it was a nice place, but we realised DD couldn’t cope with being away from home, and she was picking up bad behaviours from some of the other students. She was also exposed to inappropriate things at a very young age. DD has been struggling with her mental health for a number of years. She has anxiety, depression and C-PTSD. DD started feeling suicidal towards the end of summer, and she has had multiple suicide attempts and has self harmed, and she has been in hospital 3 times in the space of 2 months. She has now been moved to a psych unit where she is getting better. DD doesn’t want to go back to that school, and I don’t want her to go back there. She wanted to be homeschooled, but that wasn’t possible. She said that when she’s well enough, she wants to move back to mainstream. DD was in mainstream until she was 7, and I took her out because she had challenging behaviour at the time and she was moved classes and no longer wanted to engage after being moved from her friends. How do I find out if a mainstream school could take her, or ask to move her?

Thank you

Izzy

You will need to ask for an early review.

Unless the school you want is wholly independent the LA can only refuse to name your preference 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 bar is high and if they can’t prove one of the above the LA must name your preference even if the school object. However, depending on the level of challenging behaviour the LA may be able to meet the threshold. DD has a right to mainstream education unless the LA can demonstrate it is incompatible with the efficient education of others, and there are no reasonable steps to avoid this, but not a right to a specific mainstream school.

Does DD know what course(s) she wants to do? You can narrow down the schools/colleges by finding out which ones do the course DD wants and then speaking to the SENCO.

She wanted to be homeschooled, but that wasn’t possible.

Have you/she considered EOTAS?