Advice on securing independent school

[sunflower1]

Dear all

 

I have posted this on another AS/ASD forum without any response so am posting here in the hope someone might be able to help

 

I have a friend who has a an 11 year old daugther with pretty complex needs. She is currently in an ASD base attached to a primary school. I don't even think she has a typical ASD diagnosis - but she used to have a lot of fits. Her mum has been using an alternative therapeutic approach at home which she is sure has led to the elimination of her fits. She is due for secondary transfer next year and her mum has identified two residential special schools - one in Ringwood and the other near Bristol which are part of Campshill Trust and which she says take the same approach to their child as they do. I want to give her some good advice on what she needs to do to set about getting our LEA to agree the placement. I understand the process well as I have just successfully persuaded the LEA to agree to an AS specialist residential placement for my son who is high functioning without a tribunal (after a long fight). But I want to know a bit more about these schools from other parents to help her shape her case. For example, my son's new school is DCFS (or is it DH?) approved for provision of education but she wants to know if these schools are. Does anyone have any experience of getting their child into one of these schools and what was the clincher that ensured you successfully argued that the school was able to meet your child's needs over and above. I know with ABA schools, parents ususally have to provide evidence to tribunals that the child has already shown progress with ABA interventions at home to get a place. Not sure how to do this for less established therapies/approaches?

 

Any help or advice greatfully received. PM me if you can help in anyway

[Kazzen161]

http://www.camphill.org.uk/silo/files/an-introduction-to-camphill-communities-sept-2009.pdf

 

is quite informative.

 

It seems to be more skills based - I presume they offer a standard curriculum in the schools.

 

To convince the LA it comes down to the same as always - you have to show that that school can meet all her needs (as described in her statement) and others suggested by the LA can't. To get a residential placement, she would have to show that she needs a 24 hour curriculum. Would SS part fund it?

 

I presume she has visited these schools and they have indicated that they would take her child? She shoudl ask the schools if they are approved (by the seceretary of state I believe it is). I think they are, but if they aren't that does not mean they cannot be used (it's just a bit more complicated). Their prospectus or and Ofsted report will often state if there are children there funded by LAs.

[Kathryn]

The law changed fairly recently: enabling consent (i.e. Secretary of State approval) no longer has to be sought prior to placement in an independent school, which simplifies things a bit.

 

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen/schools/independent/

 

She should talk to the school staff in detail: they can probably give her lots of good advice about how to sell their educational approach to the LEA as they have probably supported many parents doing the same thing.

 

K x

[sunflower1]

Thanks Kazzen for rightly putting the issues into the correct perspective - it does usually come back down to the same couple of issues - I was getting sidetracked by the fact that the schools provided alternaitve therapies/steiner approach!

 

And Kathryn, thanks for highlighting the rule change. I wasn't aware of that at all.

 

I think my friend needs to do her research in detail on the schools she wants and those that the LEA will name at transfer and then get any specialist addtional reports to fill the gap so to speak! Will ring her today and pass on the info

 

All the best

 

Sunflower1

[caci]

Sunflower, I am fairly sure I read about these schools in a book called something like "How to become a Velvet bulldozer"

 

The book is the true story of how a family fought the system (several times) to get their adopted children the right support.

 

I read it from cover to cover several times whilst trying to sort out our sons assessments and statemnet about 3 years ago, but didn't actually buy a copy. I had it on VERY extended loan from the library.

 

It might be worth trying to track down a copy.

[caci]

This is the book (sorry I can't do clever links, only copy and paste)

 

Surviving the Special Educational Needs System: How to be a Velvet Bulldozer [Paperback]

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[sunflower1]

Fab - thanks you lovely people!

 

Spoke to my friend tonight and she seems ready to go into battle! Will defnitely recommend the book to her

[Kathryn]

Yes I remember at least one of her children went to Camphill, so worth getting the book just for that - I think she describes it in detail and how she has to fight to get her daughter there. It's an inspirtional story, even though some of the details concerning the appeal procedure are now out of date. She had to battle the SEN system for each of her 4 adopted children.

 

K x