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Mainstream school saying they can no longer meet need.

Goldie03

Hello,

Thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this. I really need advice!  

My son is in year 2 and currently attends mainstream education. He has had an EHCP since the beginning of year 2, and he has 1:1 support throughout the day. 

We have applied for an RP placement for when he starts year 3, and I am really hopeful that this will be good for him. 

We had a recent meeting where his school have basically said that they can no longer meet his needs. He struggles with his emotions, and his school think he needs alternative provision now.

We are really reluctant to move him at this point, as he hates change and it would mean unsettling him twice. I am not in a position to be driving him out of the area as I work. He would never get in a taxi or anything, and this would be detrimental to him as he suffers from separation anxiety. Furthermore, I don’t feel it is in his best interests to start a special needs school, and then come back to Resourced Provision either, and we really do have our hearts set on him getting the RP placement.

i don’t feel he has bonded well with one of his 1:1 LSAs, which may be part of the problem. They also say he is not spending much time in the classroom, but I don’t necessarily see this as a terrible thing. He is still interacting regularly with other children, and he is very happy in adult company.

Am I unreasonable to try and push for him in to stay at his mainstream school? 

  • Dear Goldie03,

    Thank you for your message. I wonder if anything on our Education advice page may help you. Please find the link here:

    https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education

    Also, someone in your local council Education department should be available to offer advice and support. 

    With best wishes, 

    Anna Mod

  • Goldie03 said:
    Am I unreasonable to try and push for him in to stay at his mainstream school? 

    Have they been able to articulate why the service they provide is no longer up to the job? Is it manpower or the changing needs of your son?

    With 1:1 support he is consuming a lot of their staff resources so it could be that they have had an influx of other pupils who have high needs and they need to be able to cater for them too - they will not have budget for more staff I suspect so they may need to stop supporting the highest need child (eg your son) in order to be able to help several other newer children instead.

    This is a hypothetical case - they should explain why to you.

    Will they offer him support through this school year? For them to drop it after it is well underway seems unreasonable and I would put them on the spot over this. It could be that there is a behaviour issue triggering this in which case it will pay to listen carefully to their concerns and maybe take legal advice.

    It would be worth meeting with the other school as soon as possible to discuss if they are capable of taking him and what they can do to help with transport - they may have a bus that will come to your door for example.

    All transitions will be a challange but it should only be the once for this.

    Once you have all the facts and the options reviewed then a decision should hopefully be clearer.

    Good luck