Statements and independent schools

[Canopus]

Can anyone confirm whether these facts are true for statemented kids transferring from a state school to a fee paying independent school.

 

1. Statements are only exist for kids attending state schools or state funded SEN schools. They do not exist for kids attending independent schools. Once a statemented kid is deregistered from a state school prior to transfer to an independent school, their statement is effectively thrown in the bin.

 

2. Independent schools have no right to ask whether applicants have been statemented. If the school asks then the parents of a previously statemented kid have the right to deny that their kid was ever statemented.

 

3. Independent schools cannot determine whether an applicant was statemented or not by asking the LEA because LEAs are legally obliged to refuse to supply such information to third parties.

 

4. Independent schools cannot find out about any bad behaviour that took place at a previous state school unless someone from that school personally knows someone who works at the independent school. This is also because LEAs are legally obliged to refuse to supply such information to third parties.

 

5. Independent schools cannot find out if an applicant has been expelled from a state school. If the school asks then the parents have the right to deny that their kid was expelled. The LEA is legally obliged to refuse to supply information about expulsions to third parties.

[helenl53]

Hi Canopus

 

I don't know how well I can answer this but here goes.

 

I have a child who transferred from a mainstream school to an independent school and ALL his records were transferred to the indi school. The indi school is not a special school but needed a full history to ensure that the education of our son was compatible with the education of the other kids. We were on a montly contract for the first term until each party was happy that it was the correct placement.

 

My son started in Sept at indi school and in the October, the Statutory Assessment began as I had requested it back in June when he was attending a cr*p state school. He was knocked back but I provided the LEA with loads of info and in the August, just prior to him going back to school, they decided to proceed with Statutory Assessment and this led to a statement which was issued in January. Our son was so settled and happy in his indi school and of course we named it at Part 4. The LEA refused to fund the place and claimed that provision could be made in one of their schools. We had tried this - it did not work out and our son self harmed and was bullied to within an inch of his life by kids and teachers in the mainstream setting.

 

Despite overwhelming evidence from specialists and community doctors, us and our son, we could not get them to move. We went to Tribunal in September and the decision was that his needs could be met at a mainstream LEA school, albeit, he would be educated in the domestic science room and he would play in the playground by himself and that he would have 90% of his education delivered by a TA and that it was acceptable to be 'inlcuded' in an open plan workspace containing 60+ kids.

 

Because our son is so happy and settled, we decided to keep him where he is and wrote to the LEA who promptly wrote back to say that they no longer had any duty to our son and that it was now up to us parents to arrange to make the provision to meet his needs per the statement. We has such things as Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy intervention that was required and they have passed the files on to these departments but will not get involved, so we are on our own. However, upon checking with the Dfes, they still have a responsibility to maintain and review the statement on an annual basis!

 

I would say they have had a bit of a result - a child with a statement and mug parents to pay for the provison. (we have increased our mortgage to do this)

 

The ony thing is - we could put him in the mainstream LEA school and save ourselves the increased mortgage, but would we really feel happy if we contributed to the suicide of our son - I don't think so!

 

In a nutshell - the lea wipe their hands of the child if they go into a placement that is not funded or controlled by them.

 

Hope this helps. I think that I am trying to tell you that it is not normally the indi school that are the bad boys, in my experience, however the LEA will stop at nothing!

 

HelenL