I would like the LA to consider a move to specialist school, how do I go about this?

kerryanne25

I have a annual review for my sons EhCP and he is currently going to a mainstream high school in year 7, but is not coping and I have taken him out due to suicidal thoughts and started to self harm, my concern is now I have taken him out of school, he does not want to go back and I would like the LA to consider a move to an independent specialist school which we have visited and he really positive and liked the school and what it offered.
I wondered how do I go about this? and what do I need when attending the meeting?

Attending the meeting with me is

Sendias, Pychatrist Nurse (Camhs) via zoom

Local Authority EHCP Co ordinator

Great minds together (family support/mentor)

Me and his dad

School Sendco

Head teacher

Any advice would be great as no one ever seems to come back to me and I am extremely stressed and it is on Wednesday morning 🤦🏼‍♀️

Bluebell21

Hi @kerryanne25 Welcome to the Community. IPSEA might be able to help you. Good luck on Wednesday. Let us know how you get on. Take care.

https://www.ipsea.org.uk

Mary_Scope

Hi @kerryanne25 and a warm welcome to the community!

It's completely understandable that you're seeking a school environment where your son feels safe and supported, especially given the serious concerns you've raised about his mental health. It sounds like it has been a challenging time for the both of you.

It is good to gather as much evidence and documentation about your son as possible. This can include things such as such as medical letters or reports from your son's GP, CAMHS or any other mental health professionals involved. These should clearly state the impact of the mainstream environment on his mental health, including the suicidal thoughts and self-harm.

Any documents from his current school such as attendance records, reports and evidence of support they have or haven’t been able to provide. If you keep your own notes as well then it is worth taking those such as a log of incidents, your son’s feelings and behaviours around going to school/talking about school.

If you have information or correspondence from the specialist school you want your son to then that is also helpful to bring.

Before the meeting it can be really helpful to prepare key points that you definitely want to mention.

Writing them down or discussing them beforehand can help you stay focused and less overwhelmed. Personally, I find that bringing written notes to meetings makes sure I cover everything I intend to and makes me feel more confident as I'm going in with a plan!

Some of these key points may be…
• The impact of the current school on your sons mental health and why they are a leading factor impacting his ability to have an education.
• Your sons needs and why his current mainstream school can’t meet his needs and why your sons current school has been harmful to his wellbeing.
• Emphasize the specialist school's expertise in supporting students with similar needs to your son and how they are able to meet your sons needs much more effectively than his current school.

In the annual review, you should have the chance to clearly state your request for a placement at the specialist school as well as providing all the evidence you have gathered which supports your request.

You should be able to explain clearly why you believe a change of placement is needed and how it will benefit your son. As you already have a school in mind, you should be able to discuss that specific school in the meeting.

There is information on here on changing a named school on an EHCP and some information on what to expect before, during and after an EHCP review

I really hope the review goes well on Wednesday and your son is able to attend a school that is much better suited to his needs!

I hope this was helpful, please reach out if you would like further support or have more questions