Special Needs schools in Bromley or Kent?

[ValeriaDel]

Good evening all,

We are looking to move away from the hustle and bustle of London and currently considering the areas of Bromley and Kent.
We want to be somewhere quieter and greener than London (and obviously get a bigger house) but I still need to be able to commute easily into either London Bridge or Cannon Street as I work in the city.
Both the areas of Chislehurst/Petts Wood in Bromley and Sevenoaks/Tonbridge in Kent seem to have a nice village feel but also great transport links into London.
So my choice is going to come down to which area has the best schools for children with special needs as my lovely boy is 5 years old, autistic and non-verbal and currently attends a special needs school (reception) in London.
Can any parent share their experience (either good or bad) with special needs schools (either public or private) in any of the aforementioned areas or any surrounding areas?

Any advice is highly appreciated, many thanks in advance!

No personal experiences but friends in Kent have said the county council is very challenging to work with in regards to any form of SEN support.

I'm sure you're aware that if you move, the new LA will reassess his EHCP? There is a danger that they could decide to cease to maintain his EHCP. Some good info here (apologies if you already know all this):

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/moving-to-a-new-local-authority

With that in mind, I would think carefully about moving to Kent. Kent CC's SEN department is sadly rather newsworthy and not for the right reasons:

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2023-06-20/parents-describe-trauma-and-neglect-over-special-needs-support

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/damning-report-into-special-educational-needs-failings-in-ke-276772/

If you google Kent and SEN you will see many similar stories come up.

If your DS is in a settled in good setting and is getting good support, I personally would think hard about moving him unless you really have to. Although appreciate that as he's only in YR, if you are going to move it's probably better to do it sooner rather than later.

Thank you, that’s very helpful. I was aware he would have to go through an annual review of the EHCP if he needs to change school but hadn’t realised it can be such a convoluted and lengthy process, so thanks for the heads up!

His school in London is okay but I wouldn’t say it is so great that it would stop me from moving somewhere else. But obviously don’t want to go somewhere where the level of support is worse than where we are now so Kent is not looking like an option anymore!

We were considering moving to Kent but have decided to stay put - at least until DS finishes school (he also has an EHCP).

Kent is a very large rural county and I know that SEN transport costs are crippling them (I think they have 6,000 DC who are in taxis.) However, that doesn't excuse some of the judgements that have gone against them.

It does seem so unfair that families with DC who have additional needs are forced to consider/risk losing support when moving home. Do we not have enough on our plates?

I'm not sure where you are now but have you looked around Blackheath/Eltham/Greenwich? (This isn't an endorsement of their councils mind!)

@Toomanyminifigs, we are in Ealing which as far as SEN support goes is one of the best councils in London (I seem to understand) so no point moving to other boroughs if we are still going to be in London I guess.
But you are right it’s frustrating that we have very little flexibility when it comes to choosing where to live as we depend on the local councils decision on the EHCP …

By the way, I found this article quite interesting as it shows the London boroughs which are best and worst in terms of percentage of EHCPs that were issued within the 20 week time limit
https://www.swlondoner.co.uk/life/20082022-londons-children-and-young-people-with-special-needs-left-without-adequate-support

Thanks for sharing that link. It is very interesting. Unsurprisingly, I see my LA is one of the worst!

I have heard that City and K&C are some of the better in terms of sticking to deadlines and support. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise in that they're quite small boroughs so dealing with less numbers. Plus they have a significant number of wealthy residents who may be more likely to go private.

I meant to say that in terms of moving to Kent (or indeed anywhere), obviously if they do try and amend/remove your DS's EHCP then obviously you can appeal. As I'm sure you know, tribunals go something like 98% in favour of the parent/carer. Although obviously it is stressful and time-consuming.

Kent county council are abysmal with SEN. Avoid them at all costs!

I don't agree...I live in Bexleyheath (Kent) and my son goes to Belmont primary school . Their SenCo is excellent and always one step ahead of us for anything we need considering my son has a physical as well as a cognitive disability. Transport links to London are also great...door to door 45 mnts.

It may be too late now since this thread is old, but if you move LA, the new LA will review the EHCP. They don’t automatically reassess in every case but they can potentially amend, reassess or even cease to maintain. You will have the right of appeal, but it is still something you need to be aware of.

I would not move to KCC if you have the option. KCC is one of the harder LAs to deal with. Some of the SENCOs are good, but if DS has an EHCP, you will still have to deal with the LA.

@Tanvig Bexleyheath and Belmont Primary don’t come under KCC. They are Bexley LA. Better than Kent but still a Safety Valve LA.