christmasdonkey Report post Posted April 28, 2006 Hi, I have just joined this forum and want to ask if anyone else is having to face a tribunal to get their child into the school of choice. The local authority want children to attend mainstream schools, but if the closest one is not suitable, why is it such a fight! My 11 year old AS and dyslexic son is very talented musically. The school I want for him is 2 miles away - hardly distant - and has an excellent music department as well as a very supportive special needs department. All his classmates now know which school they are going to, but we have been given a date in June for a tribunal, by which time induction days will have taken place! Our children need more time to visit and get used to a new school. I am so angry and stressed. Has anyone been through this? Any advice for a stressed out Mom? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted April 28, 2006 Hi Christmasdonkey. Welcome to the forum Sorry to hear of your struggle to get your son into a secondary school. Does your son have a statement? I'm guessing not or you wouldn't be having such a fight on your hands. I'm not sure what you can do here. I'm sure you've been in touch with the SEN dept of your LEA, if not then you should ring them asap. I agree it's very bad that your son has to wait so long to get a placement, it's so important to have a proper period for secondary transition for kids with an ASD. I haven't been through exactly the same thing, but something similar and it took me making a lot of noise for our LEA and schools to be more flexible and understanding of my son's problems. It's an ongoing saga! I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, but you have certainly come to the right place for advice and support and I'm sure someone else will be able to advise you further. Lauren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zemanski Report post Posted April 28, 2006 We've been through tribunal twice - hell of a trip! the second was just like yours, the school the LEA allocated returned the statement saying they couldn't meet his needs and there was no safe route to school but, as the crow flies, it was the nearest. The one we wanted had a direct and simple route and ASC experience (supposedly - we found out later it wasn't anywhere near as good as we thought). We ended up very much in the same position with no school place at all till June. Fortunately, the new school was ready and waiting to put transition arrangements in place, even though they fought against taking him. Com's new LSA was in the primary school working with Com by Wednesday the following week and although Com attended the induction day he found it daunting and benefited far more from visits on his own with both his old and new LSAs. Talk to the new school senco about transition arrangements now so that they can be in place as soon as the tribunal has given the decision, if you are clear that this is the school you want for him then they should be prepared for him, it's as much help to them as to your son. Zemanski Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PinkSapphireAngel Report post Posted May 2, 2006 I am in almost same position. My son is ASD/AS/Dyspraxic and does NOT have ANYWHERE to go for September and we have NO date for appeal/tribunal to get him in where we want. We listed 2 schools and were not offered either of them, we were offered the nearest with a vaccancy (he is NOT statemented but we are now going through statutory assessment after having won at SENDIST) The school the LEA offered is on special measures and has been for over 4 years and is also ALL BOYS so basically could not be more inappropraite for him, we refused the place and sent a letter backing up our reasons from our school SENCO and the LEA now agree its the wrong place for his needs but say they met their statutory duty by offering a place at the nearest school The school we want him in is always very oversubscribed, but we chose it for its excellent SEN department, I got in touch with MP (who I have just found is not standing in this weeks elections so thats another problem) he asked the school where we were on the waiting list a while ago and we were 90 then and I have since contacted the school several times to ask about appealing and they are not replying (as they are not desperate for pupils I guess) I have got onto the head of LEA and he has asked the SEN department (who I have already tried and got nowhere with) to investigate this as I said its not right there is no provision made for children with recognised complex SEN unless they are statemented and they are the ones NOT statementing! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christmasdonkey Report post Posted May 3, 2006 ...and I thought we were stressed!! Poor you! Thanks for all the replies. It certainly helps to know that someone is listening and cares. It's so frustrating when you want things sorted out and the LEA don't seem to see these cases as children, but simply as problems or statistics. Have managed to get the tribunal date brought forward to the end of May, which is something I suppose. Will let you know what happens! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PinkSapphireAngel Report post Posted May 3, 2006 That is a start hun, will keep everything crossed for you, think I will email head of LEA and give him a little nudge to remind him we are not going to just disappear. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted May 3, 2006 Good luck with your appeal Christmasdonkey; what date do you have? How soon after the appeal to you find out if you were successful or not? Lauren Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christmasdonkey Report post Posted May 9, 2006 Great news! Have just been told that the school we wanted will take Mike in September. What a relief! Just shows that it pays to make a noise and not accept second best. Good luck to everyone in their efforts to get the best for their children and thanks for all your support. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PinkSapphireAngel Report post Posted May 9, 2006 Oh hun that is BRILLIANT news I am so happy for you and you did not have to go to appeal after all even better. Hope your son will be really happy in the school!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarerQuie Report post Posted May 9, 2006 Glad that you got the school that you wanted.Hope that things work out for you,too ,PSA.xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PinkSapphireAngel Report post Posted May 9, 2006 Thanks, we got a letter from our first choice school (which I have since developed doubts about anyway) saying we are 85th on the waiting list and a form asking whether we want to remain on the waiting list, it seems they do not have an appeals process or we stand so little chance anywa as they had 181 places and 1139 children applied to their school this year! Am going to arange to visit a special school asap but of course can only stand a chance of getting in there if we get the statement. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarerQuie Report post Posted May 9, 2006 I do hope that you get the right school for your son.Visit as many as you can while the assessment process is underway.You will probably get a feel for the one which is right.xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
