Hectorshouse Report post Posted March 3, 2006 (edited) My LEA have finally responded to the letter my MP wrote them about the misleading information he had from the Dir of Ed previously .... Dear Mr Br Thank you for your letter of 4th January to **** ******. I apologise for the delay in responding. As you may know P has now taken up his new post of Chief Executive and I have been appointed as Director of Children and Young People?s Services. I regret the confusion that appears to have arisen in this case. The process of placing children with Statement was explained to Ms W prior to her move back to Devon. The County Special Education Team informed Ms W that the LEA has a duty to consult with the school for which she expressed a preference. Ms W had already visited the schools in Exeter, she has also visited XXXX and stated that she felt that was the most appropriate school for T. There has been no intention of misleading anyone. The Inclusive Education Panel considered T?s case on 6th September. As that time Ms W has expressed a wish for a special school placement for T. On the 12th September the County Special Education Team wrote to Ms W indicating that Panel considered T?s needs could be met at a local mainstream secondary school. Ms W was asked to let the Team know in writing which school she wished T to attend and the County Transport Policy was explained. Ms W responded that she wished T to attend XXXX and gave her reasons for her preference and formally consulted XXXX. As this was not the nearest appropriate school to Ms W?s home, transport was not provided as had been explained previously. T began attending XXXX after the autumn half term. On being informed of the difficulties Ms W was experiencing in getting T to school due to her ill health, the entitlement to transport was reconsidered. At that time the local Exeter schools were becoming oversubscribed and so on exceptional grounds transport was agreed. I trust this now answers your query, but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further comments OK ... hmmmmm .... somewhat better written than the original response from the DOE ... Yes they did explain the process before I moved, and categorically stated that they don't place children in special schools anymore .... must dig out that original letter Yes I stated that XXXX was the most appropriate ... but only after all the other schools in Exeter had turned down the placement, and didn't feel able to meet his needs .... that is not preference, that is a case of take the best you can get when there isn't a lot of anything else out there! Yes the panel did feel that T didn't need a special school placement, this was against the advice from the old LEA which felt he did .... hmmmm confused I am ! How can XXXX not be the nearest most appropriate school, when all the other schools in our direct locale felt they couldn't meet his needs of SEN? Is it appropriate to name a school that the SENCO has said 'thanks but NO thanks!' (not literally but just about the response from them all!) appropriate means surely the school that feels they can meet the needs of the childs SEN. I'm not sure about the ill health thing .... unless my keyworker at SS's was laying it on with a trowel to the LEA to help with the transport issue ... and as for the Exeter schools being oversubscribed .... tell me about it, our designated school was oversubscribed but .. but there were two others with places, and I am sure they still have places. Sounds like a definite back track and cop out, lets make it the mums fault and oh dear all the places have gone ... Anyway, its a response, but I think the aim has been missed, at no time was any local school able to meet the needs of T's SEN and all turned us down for placement ... this is the issue, along with the immortal comment from the LEA 'parents should consider what provision is available locally before they decide where to move' as detailed the Newspaper article. ..... anyway sorry for the long post, but I thought I would share this with you all. HHxx (HH have just removed name from above - hope you understand the reason for doing this. Phas) Edited March 3, 2006 by phasmid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hectorshouse Report post Posted March 3, 2006 Have just applied to the council under the freedom of information act for copies of all records appertaining to myself and T .... should be interesting reading, although it takes about 20 days just to get a response, but will keep you updated. HHxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted March 3, 2006 Yes they did explain the process before I moved, and categorically stated that they don't place children in special schools anymore .... must dig out that original letter Why on earth would you be doing that then? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LKS Report post Posted March 3, 2006 HH that should be interesting Hope you and T are both well <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
helenl53 Report post Posted March 3, 2006 How could you have misled the MP into believing that the LEA were misleading What a naughty parent Hopefully when you get the file, they will leave some little nuggets in there Best wishes HelenL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hectorshouse Report post Posted March 4, 2006 Why on earth would you be doing that then? Well just thinking that I might be able to catch them out on a blanket policy statement and quite possibly discrimination ... its this whole thing about 'appropriate' thats really bugging me as well, I know I'm stirring the waters at the LEA even though T's placement is ok(ish), but the fact that there is no provision apart from SLD or EBD leaves a big blank in the education provision for many children here with an ASD where mainstream isn't working or hasn't worked, we have a high number of children in independent schools (althouth the LEA are actively trying to reduce this and re-place back into mainstream) with an ASD or placed at the few secondary schools that have ASD experience and success ... and it is a few. In Exeter itself there is none, they have just finished the rebuild, but still one of the main secondary schools has just gone into special measures, another (our designated school) has just been highly publicised for its apathy towards bullying, with an increasing number of parents home eding because of this. Shiny new buildings are lovely and look nice, but they don't necessarily make for better teaching and improved students, meeting the needs of the students should be paramount, and a continued ignoring of the SEN issue undermines the whole process. It is very much a case of one extreme to another, and its the children that suffer, and as always those with SEN are the most vulnerable. OK off my soap box now ... but I think you get my drift HHxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
