Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
cathcart3303

Any one come across dual registration of schools?

Recommended Posts

Just found out son is now considered dual registered by the mainstream school he has not attended for 21 months. Can someone enlighten my what that is about? Its not like they have made any educational provision for him.

 

Feeling angry as although I knew this school is named on his current statement I thought the LA would provide a new statement changing placement to independent Asperger school.

 

Have tribunal date for January so it looks like they are stringing things out.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Go to tribunal about it. The placement is the one named in the Statement. If you do not go to tribunal your child's placement remains mainstream.

 

Try to resolve any other issues there are about the Statement so that there is less to discuss at the actual Tribunal. But I would suggest that as well as going to tribunal about the placement, that you ask the Tribunal Panel to word the Statement so that it is legally binding on the LA to provide it. Have you annotated your Working Document so that you know where every need has come from and where each recommendation has come from. Only annotate your copy and a copy for the Tribunal Panel, which you can give to them on the day. Don't do one for the LA and make it easy for them.

 

I have heard of children having dual placements, but in your case you want the named school to be the ASD specific one as there is no benefit to your child of having the other school named as they have not and cannot meet his needs. That is the whole point of you seeking the ASD specific school.

 

As I said in your other post, when you said LA had agreed ASD specific school, but wanted a review in December. That is not following SEN procedure for the Annual Review. A Statement is a legally binding document and it stands for a year. It should not be reviewed again until a year has passed. The LA may argue that it needs closer monitoring and should be looked at again after 6 months. But I would suggest you argue that 6 months in a new school is not long enough for him to have integrated. The LA maybe hoping that he refuses to attend, or that he is not settled and then they can argue that he is not making progress at the new school.

 

He should have a graduated entry into this school which the ASD specific school should discuss and put in writing to you and the LA. They should have experience of doing this with other kids. And I think you need them to also say that he will need to be with them for a year and for the Statement to be reviewed via the Annual Review process. That is the whole point of an Annual Review. Once your child is at that school it is much harder for the LA to get him out because the LA have to prove that he is not making progress there. They might be able to prove that after a couple of months, but not after a year. Children with an ASD need consistency and routine. It takes them months or even years to get to know the staff and other children.

Edited by Sally44

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And yes, any change to the Statement should be made by the LA. I am worried that they are promising you something in the hope that you do not go to tribunal ie. he goes to the new school, you withdraw the appeal, they reassess in December and pull him out again. So DO NOT withdraw your appeal. They have said [do you have it in writing?] that he will go to this new school. If they have not sent you a letter, send one to them [addressed to the person who spoke to you, or if it was agreed at a meeting to the person that headed that meeting] saying:

 

"Further to our conversation [or meeting] on xxxxxxxxxxx it was agreed that my son's placement would be amended to xxxxxxxxxx school, which is our parental choice of school. Can you please amend part 4 of the Statement accordingly and give me a start date for this school. I would also like xxxxxxxxxxx school to arrange a meeting with me so that we can discuss and arrange my son's graduated transition to this school."

 

Do not feel under pressure to get him attending full time asap. Be sensible about it. My son started on just two afternoons a week where he saw either the SALT or the OT. He did not even go into the classroom, see any other kids or have any lessons for some months. They just wanted to get him in the door and to enjoy his time there so that they could gain his trust.

Edited by Sally44

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have the offer letter stating the placement is for a one term assessment. The new school have already been out to meet my son and the approach will be very gradual. But what happens if he is not in the school full time by December? Are they going to say this is a waste of money so sorry and make no provision again? What is the criteria the panel are going to decide it is worth it?

 

Just really annoyed as cannot see why he remains on roll at the mainstream school when they make no provision and my sons mental health has been affected by the fact this is his named school.

 

:(

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have the school given any indication of whether they think he is suitable for their school?

 

For Tribunal you need this school to have offered him a place in writing.

 

What the LA have offered is not permanent is it. So you need to continue to tribunal. By then your son should have spent some time in this school. Dont feel pressured into thinking he must be in 100% attendance by the tribunal date. It took my son over 6 months for him to be in school full time. Infact if the school think he can only cope with a couple of afternoons a week for he first term, that highlights and confirms your case that your son would not and could not cope mainstream.

 

Will the school assess or write a report for the tribunal?

 

Can they send their SENCO to the Tribunal.

 

Ask them to put together a copy of his proposed daily timetable for his gradual return to school.

 

The Panel will be interested in talking to the SENCO about how they will support him and his anxiety. REALLY important that they send someone who has experience of attending tribunals.

 

My son went for 3 days. He was seen by the SALT and OT and the class teacher. They wrote a report about him and his time there and how he presented with his anxiety etc and that he was suitable for their school and that they had a suitable peer group and class group for him both academically, socially and emotionally.

 

During those 3 days I stayed in the school. Each day I sat at the back of the classroom until my son said it was okay for me to leave. We did this because he had no trust or confidence and was seriously stressed. He needed to know that I was there in the school, and he needed to know that if he asked for a break, or to leave the room, that they would allow that and have someone escort him and spent time with him. Our children have some many fears after prolonged bad experiences in school.

Edited by Sally44

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Also wanted to remind you that the LA must go with your parental choice of school UNLESS they can prove they have something equivalent that is a better use of their resources [ie. cheaper]. So have you stated in writing that you want your son's placement to be amended in the Statement to read xxxxxxxxxxxxxx school [ie. the ASD specific one]. I presume your appeal is about part 4?? So as soon as he starts this other school in December [can't it be any earlier?], and the school should have a good idea whether he is suitable material for them or not, as soon as you know you complete a Request for Changes Form from SEND and complete it asking that part 4 of the Statement is amended to detail the name of this school. Your reason for this is that at the time you lodged the appeal you had not found a suitable school. Now that the LA have found this school and your son has spent some time there, and they have offered him a place in writing, you now want the Statement to reflect your parental choice of school.

 

Once the Judge has agreed that that is your parental choice of school, the LA now have to prove that they have something equivalent [ie. meets all his needs], and which is cheaper. Currently they have named the local mainstream school. Don't push them to do anything. SEND will send them an Order and then leave the LA alone to do what the Order states. If they don't do it DO NOT REMIND THEM THEY NEED TO DO IT.

 

For example the SEND Judge ordered my LA to submit costs for the therapies we were asking for because they said that "although the LA may feel that xxxxxxx does not need these therapies, the Tribunal Panel may find differently". The LA did not do it. I did not remind them. So at the Tribunal, the Panel had to go with the costs I had got which showed that it would cost the LA even more to have to buy in the therapies separately, rather than have the professionals employed on site as per our parental choice of school. It also looked very bad on the LA that they had ignored this Order from the Judge.

Edited by Sally44

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...