changing schools

[bluefish]

Hi,

I have decided today that I am going to change schools as the problems I have encountered since the beggining of september seem to be constant.

I have met with school many times and last week put my concerns in writting to them. The letter I got back beggered belief, firstly it answered nothing and secondly lied about what they have been doing and they have phoned lea and lied to them so I look like I am fussing! Cant not and will not put up with it.

 

Anyway I am waiting on the HT of another school to contact me with regard to my son starting in January,( they have space)

Is it my right to move him? does his statement remain in place?

any advice?

 

Thank you very much in advance

[chris54]

As far as I know you would need to get the statement amended to state new school. If new school are happy then this should be straight forward and supposedly new school would sort this out/help you sort it out.

 

Yes you can move your child to any school that will have them.

 

If you apply to a school they have to have a valid reason to refuse a place.

 

Schools with spaces are always keen to fill them as their funding is dependant on number at school.

[Kathryn]

Is the new school in the same LA? If not, the procedure is a bit more complicated.

 

K x

[bluefish]

Hi yes in the same lea.

thanks for your replies

[Kathryn]

Hi Bluefish,

 

Am I right in thinking this is a fairly new statement? When was the final statement issued or amended? This is important as you can't request a change of school within 12 months of this date. You can ask, and the LA might say yes, but they have no legal duty to comply and you won't have the right of appeal if they refuse.

 

 

If you wait till 12 months has passed, you'll be in a stronger position. The LA must then agree to your request, unless they feel the school is unsuitable, your child's attendance would be detrimental to other children, would or it's an inefficient use of resources (the onus is on them to prove this). If they refuse you can appeal to the Tirbunal.

 

Paragraph 8 schedule 27 is the relevant bit of the Education Act if you want to check it out.

 

Hope that's clear - come back to me if not.

 

K x

[bluefish]

Hi, yes it is a new statement. The final statement was issued in june. and started in September.

Thanks for that info, bit worried now as new school called to say they have contacted Learning support and tried to get hold of Education officer today in order to sort out cover. If Lea refuse to let him move that puts me in a very difficult position, things are strained enough with relationship with school,and as I live in a very small community am sure school will already know I have approached another. Can I, if lea say no to move, de register my son and home ed until 12 months has passed?

I have no real wish to have to go into detail with the lea or new school into the many reasons I wish to move him as it will just become a bun fight into who is telling the truth.

I had his review LAST week! and I did not bring up the many many times things have gone wrong and I have had to meet with school ( which I now deeply regret)

as I felt it important to TRY to work with and support school as up until "the final staw" this week I was trying to work with them. I did however mention that I was Gravely concerned about my sons personal safety and that staff needed training in ASD in order to understand my huge concerns.

I hate being assertive...... and also did not mention lots of things at review as when the people you want to complain about are in the room and there are lots of them and just you, it is not easy, and can sound very personal. However twice I have contacted lea about problems and Twice I have contacted Specialist advisory teacher.

I have no axe to grind, I just want my son to recieve what is on his statement. Life is tough enough eh without this hassel! I parent help at school (or did untill today) twice a week and saw first hand how bad things were.

silly thing is my son is well behaved and complient at school and they totally underestimate him, but I get the meltdowns and panic at home due to the fact changes are not communicated and he is totaly confussed! thought about videoing 2 am when ds is hysterical about his school day!

aaaahhhhhh

 

[Kathryn]

Can I, if lea say no to move, de register my son and home ed until 12 months has passed?

 

The June date would be the deadline then.

 

The problem with deregistering him - if he's no longer a pupil at that school the LA will cease to maintain the statement and if he isn't officially attending any school then you won't be in a position to request a change of school.

 

You could do what many have done, and get him signed off sick due to stress, as long as you have a sympathetic GP who agrees that his school difficulties are severe enough to warrant this. He would remain on the school roll and this would put you in a better position with the LA.

 

This is really frustrating for you. Reading through your posts, my impression is that you've been largely battling on your own with the school so far. It would help to have someone else on board who can back up what you're saying - another professional who can fight your corner objectively, and the more they know about ASD the better. Schools don't take kindly to parents telling them what they should be doing - they might listen to someone else though.

 

K x

Edited December 3, 2008 by Kathryn

[bluefish]

The June date would be the deadline then.

 

The problem with deregistering him - if he's no longer a pupil at that school the LA will cease to maintain the statement and if he isn't officially attending any school then you won't be in a position to request a change of school.

 

You could do what many have done, and get him signed off sick due to stress, as long as you have a sympathetic GP who agrees that his school difficulties are severe enough to warrant this. He would remain on the school roll and this would put you in a better position with the LA.

 

This is really frustrating for you. Reading through your posts, my impression is that you've been largely battling on your own with the school so far. It would help to have someone else on board who can back up what you're saying - another professional who can fight your corner objectively, and the more they know about ASD the better. Schools don't take kindly to parents telling them what they should be doing - they might listen to someone else though.

 

K x

Hi Kathryn,

thank you for you help and advice, yes I have done all of the fighting alone, I am a single parent and have been to every assesment and meeting alone, and challenged school alone on what now amounts to countless occasions, however it's the advice and support from people on here like yourself that have armed me with the knowledge and strengh to do so,

I am going to get pp involved due to your advice, I have called them once when I needed to sound them out about school being in breech of a legal document (his statement of course) but didn't think to call them regarding all the other stuff.

Your right about school not liking a parent telling them how to do their jobs , they no longer look at me let alone speak.....

Thanks again

I have a missed call from the school I want him to go to, but tonight can not face hearing lea said no, as I have a horrible virus and need to sleep rather than stress, will call them tommorw to find out the verdict!

In your opinion, if the answer is no till June would you a, keep your head down and start him in year 1 b, take lea to tribunal or c, keep him off?

You of course do not have to answer that and any answer you did give,I would only consider as another parents opinion.

 

Thanks for all your advice

[Kathryn]

Hi Bluefish,

 

Sorry you're not well - hope you're feeling a bit better now that the weekend is here. <'>

 

PPS vary from area to area - some are too close tho the LA to support parents adequately, but if yours are helpful, use them. They may be able to put you in contact with an independent parental supporter who can go with you to meatings. If there's a local ASD support group you're in touch with, they might also be a good source of advice about help available in your area.

 

Regarding your question - the situation may have changed by now depending on what the other school said today, but based on the information you've given so far, if it was me, I would keep my head down and try to continue working with the current school, for the next term at least, as it's early days and your son hasn't been in school that long. (Easy for me to say I know, as I don't have to deal with your son's stress. ). You aren't in a position yet where you can take the LA to tribunal. If the situation is still difficult in June, if the other school are willing to take him and think they can meet his needs, then you can go for the request, and the appeal.

 

As you said yourself, it's only my opinion though, based on what you've said here and hopefully others will add theirs too. It would be good to talk it over with someone who knows the schools and local provision for ASD and can go through everything with you thoroughly.

 

Hope that helps a bit,

 

K x

 

[bluefish]

Thanks again for your advice

This morning,yet again problems at school... No p.e. but his visual timetable had p.e. on and it was p.e. day! ds was upset and would not beleive me that there was no p. e. so asked his teacher who said " no you are watching the year 1/2 nativity instead! ds was cross and upset, I said "it is on his time table for p.e." she shrugged and said lsa probably didnt know!!!!!!! I am no longer shocked at the lack of communication between home and school but think there is a huge problem with understanding asd when the teachers dont communicate with each other and never thought it might affect ds that no only were changes being made, but is visual timetable that he trusts was... WRONG! he has been very angry and upset all evening!

please oh please keep everything crossed that the lea let him move schools

[Kathryn]

Sorry to hear it's been a rough day for your son.

 

Posted on your other thread!

 

K x

[Kazzen161]

This morning,yet again problems at school... No p.e. but his visual timetable had p.e. on and it was p.e. day! ds was upset and would not beleive me that there was no p. e. so asked his teacher who said " no you are watching the year 1/2 nativity instead! ds was cross and upset, I said "it is on his time table for p.e." she shrugged and said lsa probably didnt know!!!!!!! I am no longer shocked at the lack of communication between home and school but think there is a huge problem with understanding asd when the teachers dont communicate with each other and never thought it might affect ds that no only were changes being made, but is visual timetable that he trusts was... WRONG! he has been very angry and upset all evening!

 

I do hate this - when teachers just pay lip service to the timetable. It is probably worse to have a wrong timetable than no timetable at all. Last year, I used to put yellow post-its on for last minute changes - at least they knew it was something different happening.

 

It is amazing how schools keep changing the timetable. I work as an LSA in a school, and every day this week someone has changed the timetable, and we only find out at the last minute. It really annoys me - no one seems to talk to each other. Someone higher up decides that rehearsals will now be in the morning rather than the afternoona and that is it. I can totally symapthise with our children now - I hate going in expecting to do one thing and then having to so something else.