hello. i am new to this site. i have a 10 yr old son with asd. currently in mainstream primary with statement.huge problems and trying to move to an out of borough special school. am being told this will be really difficult to get approved.school agree they cant help him any more and he needs to go to a special school but they want him to go to local school in borough which i dont want. this is going to go before a panel soon but i need to provide info on why the in borough school is not suitable when they say it is. the out of borough school is residential which i have said is something i want,maybe not yet but in future, he can attend until 19. they have said this is seperate. can anyone help me in what i need tell them, i cant say it is because i dont like the local one and prefer the out of borough one i need to have proper reasons. any help would be really appreciated as i am desperate to get him moved as soon as i can.

it is harder to get out of borough as lea dont really like the money leaving the area, not really knowing about either school its hard to give reasons but one could be as you say that in time you would like him in residential and doing that without him having to change schools again and disrupting his routines and teachers that know him then going to the residential school from the start would be better, i guess that would depend on if you are talking a couple of years away or 6. have you visited both schools to give yourself some comparisons?
Corinne

thanks for replying. yes i have visited both schools and taken my son to both. my son didnt like the local school either, it is very run down and the children do not seem happy or motivated unlike in the out of borough school, which he really liked. it is a big step for him to move and hopefully he will be there a long time so i want to make sure i find somewhere where he will be happy and will settle. i am going to compare class sizes and out of school clubs, therapies available, not really sure what else to compare. i will check his statement also to see if there is anything i think the local school cant provide. thanks for your help.

I can only imagine your frustration right now.
We had a very similar predictement when Euan started nursery as the school we wanted to send him to was also out of area on paper although only over the road But none the less was under another council!
Birmingham wanted us to start the statementing process first before starting him at school so they could make "Suggestions" of suitable schools
Although we knew the exact school we wanted him to go to as our eldest goes there and they have been amazing since
We unlike you had a backdoor choice so to speak as he wasnt already as school so with the school out of area we had a plan
Which was to send him there and once he had the foot in the door start the request for the statement which we have now started.
But he is now in the school and very happy and the support and services they have already made provided whilst awaiting the funding has been fantastic and confirmed what we already knew that this school was perfect for Euan and with the statement process now underway Birmingham city council will no doubt suggest some Birmingham schools but im not moving him and legally they would be walking on thin ice if they suggested otherwise.
I know you dont have this option but i know what a hard place you are in as Corinne said they dont like the money going out of area and its such a tough fight
May i suggest you contact IPSEA for advice as they are independent unlike parent partnership
They are a charity and they specialise in education advice and law so well worth contacting.
There website is http://www.ipsea.org.uk/

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