Specialist Schools North West London

[1LT]

Hi there! I'm looking for a specialist school in Camden or north or north west London area for my 5yo ASD son. He doesn't really have many behavioural issues, is pretty chilled and compliant, average intelligence, verbal but not conversational - so i guess some may say he's minimally verbal. He has social, communication, interaction difficulties. Therapists have told me that Blossom House would be a great fit for him but it doesn't look like they're going to offer him a place. Any advice on specialist schools would be super helpful. I love the sound of Windmill and Gesher but I don't know if he has the right profile?? Also I've heard Windmill is totally oversubscribed and would be almost impossible to get into. Any suggestions on schools would be really appreciated!! Thank you!

When you say DS is minimally verbal, is it primarily interaction difficulties or primarily difficulties with speech itself? For some schools, the answer will affect whether a school is suitable or not.

For The Windmill School, being oversubscribed isn’t enough for the LA to lawfully refuse to name it if it is your preference. The LA has to prove the school is so full placing DS there is incompatible with the efficient use of resources or efficient education of others. There is a point LAs can do this, but the bar is far higher than LAs and many schools admit. Although this doesn’t stop LAs refusing and forcing parents to appeal. They don’t normally have non-verbal DC, so it would depend on what you mean by minimally verbal, I think as to whether the LA could prove one of the exceptions for refusing your preference.

Lots of pupils at Gesher have learning difficulties, but not every single one.

It isn’t in North or NW London but if Blossom House would be doable, you could look at Chelsea Hall.

Some parents like The Grove in Haringey. I have only looked at in detail at secondary level, so I don’t know what profile their lower primary cohort has, but at secondary level they have some DC who are working around their chronological age. But equally they have DC who use PECs and other AAC to communicate OP’s will be able to support DS’s language skills.

Thank you!! That's helpful. So DS is verbal in that he is able to label things, comment when prompted, request things. But you can't have a full blown conversation with him. He talks when he is very interested or motivated in something. So he has social interaction difficulties. I'm going to call gesher to find out what profile kids they take but I'm really liking the sound of windmill. I'll check out Grove. I think Chelsea hall is too expensive and also too far to get to potentially.

From your explanation of what you meant by minimally verbal, Windmill would be suitable from that perspective, IMO. The LA wouldn’t be able to successfully claim it was unsuitable on that basis.

By the sound of it, Gesher could meet DS’s needs too. Their pupils have a wide range of presentations.

If it would be doable, don’t rule out Chelsea Hall based on cost. It can be named in the EHCP and therefore funded.

I have heard really good things about Gesher so I'll look further into that school. But I sort of got the impression that they're intake is more for higher functioning children and I'm not sure my DS's profile would match that. But I'll talk to them. Maybe I'm using the wrong terminology by calling him minimally verbal. 🤔 Maybe he's more semi verbal.
What do you know about Chelsea Hall?
Thanks for your advice!

I wouldn’t describe DS as minimally verbal. That is usually used to describe children who have a very limited range of words/phrases they use. It doesn’t sound like that is the case with DS?

Using the old terminology, all high functioning means is there’s no co-morbid learning disability. DS would fall into that category if he is average intelligence as per your OP. The high functioning terminology isn’t used much these days because lots of people use it to mean something it isn’t - people use it to describe how people should manage/function in every life when that isn’t what it means. People can need significant support but be high functioning.

Gesher doesn’t admit when there is a severe learning disability (and sometimes not when there is MLD) or when there are severe learning difficulties.

Chelsea Hall is generally well thought of. They cater for a wider range of needs than some schools, which some DC find overwhelming. Their cohort can vary so it would be important to see if they have a peer group for DS.

Yes, perhaps DS is not minimally verbal. He talks when he needs to - it's limited talking but when he wants something, he'll verbalise it.
I'm waiting for gesher to get back to me. Any knowledge about mapesbury school in Brent, Cricklewood? By any chance!

From your posts, I wouldn’t say DS is minimally verbal. Although he obviously needs SALT provision.

Your DS is too young for Mapesbury. It is a bit of an unknown with it being so new. That has positives and negatives.

Thank you for your advice