Statement

[JenRose]

Hi

i posted the other day that the LEA have told us that they are preparing a proposed statement for M.

 

They asked us to choose a school to reintegrate M into and we have chosen a local school. The LEA are confirring with the school to see if they have a place for him.

 

I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night and thought, "oh no, we want to name an independant school on part 4 of the statement and as we have said we will try and get M into a local primary school does this mean we have scuppered our chance?

 

M only has 1.5 years of primary school left and everyone has agreed that its going to be a slow slow process to reintegrate him with his level of anxiety, by the time (and if it works) we get him into a primary school full time it will be time for him to leave for secondary school and theres no way he will cope with a mainstream secondary placement, we have visited an ASD school and they have told us that M fits their criteria, even with the NHS saying no to AS as the things we have told them does indicate ASD.

 

I know we are in for a fight with this with the LEA and i hope we havent scuppered things!!!!!

[Kathryn]

Hi JenRose,

 

I don't think it'll make much difference at this stage what kind of primary school he goes to. You would still have to go through the same process in a year's time to get the ASD school named on the statement, and as it's an independednt school, it will be more difficult as you know.

 

You can use this year to gather evidence about what the secondary ASD school provides, as opposed to other mainstream secondaries in the area, because you will have to show when it comes to amending the statement next year, why the former school is the only one that can meet his needs, and why the mainstream schools fall short.

 

When you get the proposed statement, it will help if you have a close look at parts 2 and 3 with an eye on the specialised secondary provision you eventually want. Make sure your son's difficulties are accurately described, and the high level of support he needs even at this level is clearly specified in the statement as far as possible.

 

K x

[Kazzen161]

Do you mean you want him to go to the independent school now or at Yr 7?

 

If at Yr 7, what Kathryn said is correct.

 

If not, you should write to the LEA now. With the proposed statement you ususually get sent a form to fill in with your choice - but it should ask for your choice of school - not for your choice of "mainstream for re-integration".

 

It might be that the local primary do not have a space/do not feel they can meet his needs.

 

Karen

[JenRose]

Its for now that we want him to go to the independant school, they take pupils from age 5-19.

 

We had to tell them what primary school we want M to be reintegrated into at the meeting the other

day as the one they had said hadnt worked out.

 

So, when the proposed statement finally gets sent to us, we should put our preferred school on part 4?

 

Im getting a bit anxious now cos surely the LEA lady will ring me and say "I thought we agreed to reintegrate him intp H........ School"?

 

But i can still put which independant school we want him to go to cant i.

[Kathryn]

Sorry, JenRose, I misunderstood - I didn't realise it was a 5-19 school you were considering. Ignore my previous post!

 

Yes, when you get the proposed statement, put your preferred school down. Don't worry about what was discussed before - if you believe the independent school is right, stick to your guns. When you get the proposed statement you will have opportunities to meet with LEA officials to talk about it anyway.

 

K x