Archived Forums

I do not think it will be easy as your current school will probably argue 'we meet your childs needs, she's making progress and doing fine'. So you need good arguments why you think this other school is better, this can be easy if your child is not doing well, and than I mean plays up big time in class. If your child is compliant and still to correct with words it's more tricky.

Ok, thanks Pluto. Have you had your own experience of this? Px

As Pluto says. As this is an independent school and fees will need to be paid there would have to be detailed and protracted discussions about who pays those fees, and only then if strong evidence that a state school couldnt meet her needs equally well. The school would get her PPP+ but only if she goes to the school under LA direction. I picked a small independent non-selective school locally for my AS where he's in a class of 14, but I can no longer get his PPP+ cos I chose to send him there rather than our very excellent, but enormous local high school. The burden of his £11K a year fees falls fully on us.

Another related question! If we moved to the area where the school is located would that help? Could we argue that the independent school is the best placed to meet her needs in the area? Would her adoptive status help with that? Thanks px

My experience goes asfar as that I did not agree with the school where my son was placed. But I could not get it changed as this school was named. Maybe things have changed as my experience was a decade ago.

That's appalling! What if we moved to the small town where the school is located? Px

Than they are likely to find a state school who has experience in special needs children as they try to avoid school fees for independent schools. If you pay yourself you are much more free in sschool choice. I know some people on the board managed to get their kids on independent (boarding) schools and the LA, education, care whoever paid. Those children were hugely challenging in school and at home. If your child is no chair thrower the LA will not be in a hurry to provide. That is the reason why I say you need experts agreeing with your choice, reports about what's less perfect in your child, tests and the results, and you need to be very pushy as parent. And if you want things to move on you are sort of forced to go private to get the tests done you want. How is your child's speech? have you ever considered asd? Hyperactivity, attachment issues and sensory stuff are symptomes. It can present differently in girls. I do not think moving a small distance will make much difference.

Are the current school meeting her needs? Do they understand her? Differentiate appropriately for her? I honestly don't think a diagnosis alone will be sufficient for them to consider funding an independent school place. We're currently mid lengthy battle to get my daughter into special ed for KS3. She has an appropriate diagnosis for the place we want - state school - and it's in catchment. But so far we've been turned down 4 times. Now escalated as high as it can go and we're trying again this week. If we fail again we're in the realms of solicitors and tribunal. And yes we have a private EP report too. Everyone agrees she needs this place but apparently she's not quite autistic enough! We're now in month 6 I think of trying to sort this out - so I wouldn't hold your breath tbh. Research whether the LEA have suitable provision which they could offer. Some LEA provision is very good - I know ours is because I have a child there already.

Hi thanks for the replies, she has various diagnoses, ADHD, attachment disorder, current assessment for dyspraxia, also querying Aspergers. Assessed by EP as having mild learning disability and moderate learning difficulties. She sustained a head injury as a baby but was also prem so nobody sure what's contributing to what? She has a TA in school but emotionally and educationally I feel she's going backwards because relationships are becoming more tricky as her peers grow and develop interpersonal skills beyond what she can engage with. Her anger and frustration are shown at home more so than school, her self esteem is my main worry. She is highly self critical and routinely hits herself, just the other day she gestured towards me with a knife, it was dinner time and in a moment of frustration she picked it up and started jabbing it towards me. She routinely hits out and calls me names. The physical aggression is generally only aimed at me We are receiving sensory attachment therapy after a long fight, we are due to begin theraplay but my sense is that as we make progress in one area another layer reveals itself. Her school which I chose because it's small are doing their level best but 30 plus kids all high achieving isn't working on so many levels. I'm used to a fight! Looks like we are going to have another one! We've got private and NHS assessments coming out of our ears! Ironically the senco gave me details of the special independent school as they are offering a free training event and she thought it would interest me, I looked on their website and it sounds perfect! Going to visit them this week and see amongst other things what their experiences have been with my LA cheers px

Hi Donatella I was told by the EP there isn't a special school within my LA that would be suitable. Px

Hi Pigeon, Move that head injury as a baby bit much higher up the list. If she has had a traumatic brain injury as a baby this could be key to her behaviours around learning, memory, aggression etc. Did you get details of how bad the TBI was? What were her in hospital treatment needs? What did MR scans show? If you havent got this info you need you get it. PS did anyone make a criminal injury claim?

I think you can make a strong case, mld is in old fashioned terms mentally handicapped (just use it to your advantage) , plus all the additional issues. How much does she really learn in school? Is the gap getting bigger? This is a strong argument, she is not learning enough! My son made no progress and was doing 'very well' (not in my books), see there I had an good argument. They as the experts are not able to learn my child the stuff he needs to know, while at home he can. And you say he has no stress whatsoever. Unfortunally he does not throw chairs and is over compliant in school (but very sneaky, half of it going unnoticed), exept with me, lol.

Hi midge an MRI scan wasn't done at the time just a CT scan but we had a very understanding paed who organised an MRI scan last year. It didn't show any current 'damage' however it was a subdural bleed and my understanding is that there may not be physical evidence but 'damage' all the same. Yes criminal injuries comp auth continue to monitor AD via medics involved in her care, my sense is that unless they can pin her difficulties entirely on the brain injury they are reluctant to settle, it's been going on for 7 years the claim! Thank you for your responses px

Thanks Pluto I will use whatever evidence/terminology necessary to help her get what she needs, sadly school is currently making things worse. She hates going to school at the moment and they are genuinely kind but don't altogether get AD or her problems☹️Px

Poor child, ofcourse she does not like school, as many children are likely to ignore her and maybe even bully, the teachers are half the day talking about concepts she can not grasp. Beside the fact that she will feel that she's not as quick, clever, and funny as the other children. You need to be very lucky in finding a supportive class where the children help, invite her for parties, include her. If that's not the case inclusion in mainstream is not more than a hollow phrase what's hurtfull to children. My oldest has been in mainstream in primary this worked out well as he was included, it was a steiner school and after that a very small village school with 25 students total, did have his own ta full time, she was lovely. Ones in secondary, what was a unit in mainstream he was bullied as mainstream kids told him what to do and he did it. The downside of a child what listens, lol. 'B jump', 'jump higher', B sit down', 'B clap you hands and jump' etc, etc. Now he's in another school as we moved, only children with disabilities/problems, works out much better. My child could not tell me what happened in school, as I pressume your daughter can not. I knew it was not good as he got tears in his eyes when I started about school and what happened there. Can you not 'home school' her until the right school is organised?

Hi Pluto I've considered the idea of home schooling but if I'm honest I think I would go mad if I didn't work Which wouldn't help anyone. I obviously work part time and flexibly. The flip side with school is she likes individuals there such as the TA although as an environment it takes away what it gives. Px

I understand, it's all very tricky.

Hi pigeon I have today posted on the other post- "specialist v mainstream", exactly on this point. Have a read of my post as it's very relevant. In summary, my ad got an EHCP last July - full time ta in mainstream. In February I called an emergency review of her plan as I wanted to move her to an independent specialist school for kids with mild learning difficulties. I was successful, and the lea are now funding the independent school. So it can work out. My Daugher has similar profile to yours- ADHD, dyspraxia, mild learning difficulties- she was very prem too. The older she got the harder it became for her to access a mainstream curriculum and in effect she was been educated by a ta outside her classroom! I argued that this was detrimental to,her self esteem and this separation from her peers was damaging for a child who had already suffered significant loss. In the 6 months from July to February she had also made little academic progress. There is research to show that kids taught by ta outside the classroom do worse than kids with same needs taught within the class with no support!! I quoted this research. The mainstream school also sent a letter in support, as I had a good relationship with them. My ad want acting out - they could manage her in mainstream with ta support- but it was not good for her. The lea did make me visit two mainstream specialist schools, but neither were appropriate for her. One was a behavioural school (she doesn't have behavioural needs) and the other was a school for children with severe learning difficulties. Both schools thankfully agreed that they wouldn't be right for my ad. Good luck xx

Hi freddie2 that's very encouraging. Thank you for responding. Was that the first step, to arrange an urgent review with the mainstream school? I've got a date for the same but wasn't sure who I should speak with first? Thank you px