SEN and private school?

[dixiechick1975]

DD 4 was born without her left arm below elbow.

She is due to start reception in September.

Currently in a private day nursery 2 days a week.

I've been pushing to get her in the system for when she starts school. CAF done and had first TAC meeting in Feb with educational psychologist. Plan was an environmental visit to the school with OT, teacher etc and a meeting with the teacher/senco after easter.

DD hasn't got into our chosen state school and the allocated school is not at all appropriate.

In a nutshell we have obtained a place for DD at our local private school which provides what we were looking for (small classes, catholic, good academics).

School have met DD and suggested she starts their nursery one day a week so she get used to them/ them to her after easter which we have agreed to. OT (from specialist limb centre) is also going into school.

I spoke to Ed psy and she implied DD wouldn't get any support in private and the TAC plan only applied to state school?

I've now formally applied for a statement for DD and i'm waiting to speak to parent partnership. We are also having a meeting with the school today.

Anyone with experience or any pointers of where to look for advice?

DD currently copes with no official support in nursery but they've known her since 9 months old and are used to her.

A Statement of Special Educational Needs will not be useful in a private school, other than to inform the school of your Daughter's needs. If you choose to educate privately, you are officially releasing the state from their obligation to meet your DD's educational needs, and therefore they are under no obligation to provide services that will address any Special Educational needs your child has. Sorry.

Physio and OT are provided by the Health Service, so they will be unaffected in the sense that you are still entitled to whatever the NHS is willing to provide. However, you will not be able to get provision set in stone as you would if it was detailed in Part 3 of a Statement of SEN, as that obligates the LEA to provide the service even if the NHS is unable to, and as I stated above, by going private you are releasing the LEA from their duties to provide for your child.

If the Final Statement of SEN names your preferred school, they have to take your DD regardless of whether she got in via the conventional application procedure anyway.

Thanks lou31205

Yes the reason I applied for the statement was thinking along the lines of getting a suitable school named in the statement and keeping DD at nursery until then. I don't know DD will get a statement and can't risk having things up in the air hence jump to private.

ISC website(independent schools) refers to a case where a statemented pupil secured LEA funding for support and the school's own inspection report refers to a a statemented child with support(although that could be parent funded). Finding it difficult to access any detailed info.

What I don't understand is that the Local authority 'system' is working with DD's current private nursery - CAT, TAC plan, IEP etc. This nursery is exactly the same status ie private as the school nursery/reception surely? DD will continue to receive her govt 15 hours a week grant until 5 at the new school.

Anyway meeting with school senco and head went very well - very positive and eager to learn about DD. SENCO going to DD's current nursery friday and suggested DD go in again to school for another visit this week.

It is frightening leaving the state sector and feel i'm very much playing catch up.

My gut feeling though is DD will fare very well at the small private school even with no support.

It is possible to get fully funded support at a private school, it is not quite as clear cut as lou puts it. What swings it is if the school and particularly the SENCo are willing and able (the able bit is important, willing is not enough!) to fight your corner with you. The LEA will not want you to educate privately and will put all sort of obstacles in place. If you can show that it is cost neutral to them, ie you pay the fees they only pay for the support your DD would have got in state anyway, then you have a better chance.

We have looked into this a lot, DS is currently in a state school with a full statement but will be moving to private in Y3, the private school is well used to dealing with all of this and are confident of getting him all he needs.

Interesting hairymaclary (DD used to love the book!).

Yes to make clear i'm not wanting LEA to pay fees, I just want to be sure what may be available if DD does need support in the future.

She's coped without LEA support so far and I envisage if she does need any support it will be alot less in a small class than as one of 30 in state - so cost saving not just cost neutral.

The Statement goes with a child whatever school as it is a legal document and has to be carried out...in my ds case whom is in MS this has not been happening...so will now ask for private school that can meet ds needs as MS defo cannot...go for it..I am!

colabottles that is true, except that you have to be able to prove that there are no MS or State Maintained special schools that can meet your child's needs. Generally, most MS schools would claim that they could cater for a child without an arm below the elbow, so unless there are other SNs, it is unlikely that a private school would be justifiable. The LEA don't have to provide the best education, just a suitable one.

HairyM and a couple of others of us had a conversation not so long ago about this on the Special Needs forum; my DD was at a private school for Key Stage 1, fully statemented with the help paid for by the LEA and us paying the school fees so it was possible (5 years ago now); physically disabled and in a wheelchair; it worked v well for us and we moved her to local primary at KS2.

I agree lou..lol I mean if op pay for fees statement still applies.

No, no other issues. Like I said don't want LEA to pay fees.

That test sounds more like the situation where parents are trying to get funding for a specialist private school and want the LEA to fund the lot and are arguing local state provision doesn't meet the needs.

That is the scenario i'm turning up when searching for info re private and sen.

Will be carrying on with statement process -just want to speak to parent partnership before returning the paperwork.

Maybe IPSEA and SOSSEN will be able to advice you also...speak to as many as possible to get advice..I do lol! Goodluck x

The trouble is, dixiechick1975, that it will not be cost neutral for the LA. The funding they give to schools is based on a formula, so they will not be saving your child's fees for state school, as such. Also, state schools are given funding for SEN as part of that matrix, and it is increasingly rare for everything other than the most exceptional need to actually attract extra payments. Schools are for the most part expected to meet the needs of statemented children out of their devolved funding. So as private schools don't get given this funding, any equipment will need to be paid for. If the OT equipment is seen as an educational need rather than a health need, the NHS will expect the LA to pay for it.