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llisa32

Private mainstream

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Hi,

 

I was wondering if anyone knows whether private schools are obligated to provide 1 to 1 support - or any set number of 1 to 1 support if it is deemed neccesary?

 

I know the whole thing about support is pretty much hit and miss, and from what I've read it's usually a fair old battle

 

What I'm not sure about is what the procedure for getting it would be in a private school??

 

Any useful info much appreciated >:D<<'>

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Lisa, I don't know about all private schools. I think it would depend on what the school was like and if they already had special needs support onsite. My experience is the following; when we lived up north my kids were in a private school which had a special needs teacher who would withdraw individual pupils individually or in groups up to 3 for several lessons a week. Both of my boys benefited from this hugely as she was a very experienced special needs teacher. They also benefited from a classroom teaching assistant who was there to offer support during all lessons for any kids who needed it.

 

When we moved down South my boys went to a private school but I withdrew them after 6 weeks because they were obviously not going to do anything to support the boys. It transpires that I was absolutely right to do this because a friend of mine whose son has been at that school since nursery and is now in year 5 has many difficulties and has never had any help whatsoever and his mum is not happy at all.

 

I think some small private schools are great for your average to bright NT child but as soon as they are faced with a challenge then they fall at the first hurdle. Then you get the schools like the one my kids were at up north who are on the mark ready to jump to it at the first sign of difficulty.

 

Does it mention anything in your son's school prospectus about the kind of help available for kids with SEN? Does the school have a designated SENCO? If no to these questions then you should probably talk to the class teacher and the Head teacher.

 

If you think your son needs a statement I am sure you can still ask for an assessment even though he is not in a state school.

 

Hope any of this infor/experience is useful.

 

Flora

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Thanks Flora, the school does have an LSU and a Senco, and J has an IEP - he currently has 1/2 hour a week of 1 to 1 time with an LSU teacher which we pay extra for :(

 

As we ended up by default in a private school (long story but involved J freaking out and legging it down the road at last choice state primary school :(..I didn't really research what private schools can provide re SEN and what they may be obligated to - if anything.

 

I'm totally confused re statements etc as these seem to involve the LEA's and I have no idea of an LEA's involvement in a private setting :wacko:

 

J is starting to voice worries about going to school again and this morning has asked if he can stay at home 'to talk about how I am going to help him '!

 

Convinced him to go until after lunchtime, cos I wanted him to take some letters I'd done for the school in the morning requesting a change of maths set etc - plus giving them in some general info about HFA.

 

He's starting to mention different lessons that he needs help with and I'm starting to worry now that he does/could do with some one to one during lessons and I have no clue how to go about doing that in this school :(....

 

Phew!! - thats my panic over :).....I'll see how my letters go down this morning, but all advice welcome thanks >:D<<'>

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Hi Lisa.

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=612

This is the link to the Code of Practice information on the Forum.The Code of Practice does include some details regarding private schools where education is funded by the parent.

See 7.24 for Statutary Assessment.-A parent can request that the LEA conducts a Statutary Assessment of SEN for a child in a private school where the school place is payed for by the parent.The LEA should consider the request and should follow the same procedure that would be followed if the child was in an LEA mainstream school.

See 8.97 for Statements for children with SEN in private provision where the school place is funded by parents.

It appears that the LEA must be satisfied that a school is able to make SEN provision for the child that meets the child's SEN and that it is realistic that the parent is able to fund the school place.If the LEA is satisfied regarding these factors the LEA is then relived of their duty to arrange provision.

However in such a case the Statement would be maintained by the LEA and would still be reviewed annualy.

 

I am not an expert on this area at all.I hope somone else may know more...however if you look up the info in the link it may be a starting point.

It is also worth checking the school prospectus and SEN policy to see what the school says parents can expect for their children if support is needed.If the school are not doing what they say they should be doing then it may be worth challenging them on that basis.Karen.

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Hi Lisa,

 

See what resopnse you get from the school.

 

Regarding statements and the LEA's role: there are situations in which LEA's have agreed to fund extra support in independent schools. When I say "agreed", - in some cases it has required a lot of pressure, but it depends on the LEA and how reasonable they are prepared to be. It's more likely that thy will agree to a top up for additional support if the parents are already paying the fees. Especially if the overall cost is lower than it would be if the child was placed in a maintained school.

 

You would go down the usual statementing route, beginning with a statutory assessment. Karen's COP reference spells out the LEA's obligations when a child is in an independent school.

 

K x

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Thanks both - I think the best I'm expecting to battle for would be the LEA to fund additional and for us to continue with the fees - there aren't any other schools that would neatly fit the bill in out area - either state or otherwise, so I'm keen that we are just able to 'tweak' this one a little to help J.

 

I'm due to meet with the school next week - if not before and one to one support is what I'll be asking them about amongst other things - I'm expecting they will say they don't have the funding - in which case they will hopefully help me in 'begging' the LEA!

 

Onwards and upwards huh! >:D<<'>

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Thanks both - I think the best I'm expecting to battle for would be the LEA to fund additional and for us to continue with the fees - there aren't any other schools that would neatly fit the bill in out area - either state or otherwise, so I'm keen that we are just able to 'tweak' this one a little to help J.

 

I'm due to meet with the school next week - if not before and one to one support is what I'll be asking them about amongst other things - I'm expecting they will say they don't have the funding - in which case they will hopefully help me in 'begging' the LEA!

 

Onwards and upwards huh! >:D<<'>

 

I believe that many LEA's have a policy that they their funding to support special needs children goes entirely into State schools and we are 'on our own' in a private school.

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I believe that many LEA's have a policy that they their funding to support special needs children goes entirely into State schools and we are 'on our own' in a private school.

 

I think the LEAs are wary of parents trying to short circuit the system.

 

Generally, a child goes to mainstream, doesn't cope; they put in extra support, the child doesn't cope; they look at LEA special schools, child goes and child or school does not cope; only then do they look at independent schools (as obviously they cost more).

 

The LEA only have a duty to provide for the child's needs - not to provide more than they need. They don't know if a child could manage in one of their own schools, if he has been in a private school all the time. Also, agreeing to pay for support in an independent school, may lead to a parent requesting they pay all the costs (claiming that by paying for support they are agreeing that it is the most suitable school for their child).

 

I know someone who did pay for their child to go to an independent school, and then fought for the LEA to pay instead. She did win in the end (after about 18 months), but the child had previously been in an LEA school, so she had evidence that he could not cope.

 

LSAs are employed by the LEA, and are paid x amount, have performance management, are insured, have access to training re: restraint, asd, etc. The LEA could end up paying for an LSA over whom they have no "quality control" (+ independent schools generally pay their staff more than the LEAs do). Who is then responsible if things go wrong eg: the child is injured in a restraint, doesn't achieve a level 4 in their SATs, etc?

 

Generally a child requiring 1:1 in a mainstream school, would need to have a Statement to get it. That option is still open to those with children in private schools I believe, but I think the school then has to pay for the support, so they are not going to be keen (much the same as mainstream schools - lol!).

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Thanks all...looks pretty much like a lose/lose situation at the moment :(

 

J's ended up in private after a disasterous attempt at state (before diagnosis etc) and there was no other choice of state school left as the one that was a disaster was already the 3rd choice school - we would have had to take him out and wait for a place or struggle on where we were.

 

Now in private and yes...the environment really suits him - it's a small school with small classes and overall and calm atmosphere...but the only sen they have much knowledge of is dyslexia.

 

Pretty depressing situation when u start looking at all the 'options' really...

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Incidently your situation sounds almost exactly like ours - 8 3/4, same diagnosis, private school, small classes, IEP etc.

 

As you see from my other post, I'm now starting to try and work out which secondary school.

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Luckily...(pending which way u look at it :) - I picked a school that goes up to 16...so he can stay at the same one if they can manage to support him - my fingers are currently permanently crossed at mo.....!

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Hi lisa - have to say I think it does come down to what the statement says, my son is in independant mainstream (I think we've conversed before) and they follow the statement very well but don't know what they would do (or not do :rolleyes:) if the statement wasn't in place - not as much I suspect - as you are only paying for what is there already rather than any extras IYSWIM.

Take care

Luv Witsend.

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