SEN School Transfer to New Local Authority

It seems like I have quite a niche situation, just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar and might have any tips.

We moved from Birmingham to Wolverhampton over Christmas and put in a transfer request with the council on 14th December, well so far my son is still not in school! The council took forever to get the file to the school and now the school have another 15 days to decide whether they want to accept my son or not. It really feels like some kind of disability tax, because had he not had an EHCP it would have been an immediate transfer and start at a school.

The ed psych recommended he stay in a mainstream education setting, but he has an EHCP and it seems to be confusing everyone that he is supposed to be in maintream (his Birmingham school was a mainstream school). The school, who previously assured me they would be able to support additional needs within the classroom, have now gone suspiciously quiet.

I don't know what to do! If they take the full 15 days and then come back with a "no we can't take him" then it will go out to another school who will then have 15 days themselves to decide whether to take him. I could see this happening with every school in the area and him never getting in a school!

Has anyone got any tips for dealing with the school or the LA to help things along?

Has anyone got any good pointers to resources for home educating in the meantime?

Anyone else's kid been out of school for this long? 

Thanks!

Parents
  • My son was out of school from September to end of November last year. Not because of moving but because L.A. was dragging its feet to find him a school!

    You  some decisions to make.

    You can contact all suitable schools in your new area yourself (send them your sons EHCP) and ask if they can support him until you find one that will do.

    You can wait for L.A. to pull their finger out.

    You could wait 6 weeks (in which L.A. must tell you if they planning to make any changes to existing EHCP) and after that you can JR them.

    You should write to your new case worker explaining you want your son in closest suitable mainstream school ASAP.

    Give them a week then start complaining. 

    Also while they are looking for schools they have to arrange alternative education (after 15 days).

    I’m sure all legality will be on websites all ready posted here in previous post.

    And I absolutely agree it does feel like we are being disadvantaged and penalised for having children with EHCP.

Reply
  • My son was out of school from September to end of November last year. Not because of moving but because L.A. was dragging its feet to find him a school!

    You  some decisions to make.

    You can contact all suitable schools in your new area yourself (send them your sons EHCP) and ask if they can support him until you find one that will do.

    You can wait for L.A. to pull their finger out.

    You could wait 6 weeks (in which L.A. must tell you if they planning to make any changes to existing EHCP) and after that you can JR them.

    You should write to your new case worker explaining you want your son in closest suitable mainstream school ASAP.

    Give them a week then start complaining. 

    Also while they are looking for schools they have to arrange alternative education (after 15 days).

    I’m sure all legality will be on websites all ready posted here in previous post.

    And I absolutely agree it does feel like we are being disadvantaged and penalised for having children with EHCP.

Children
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