School Woes

Eve has a statement...it is not perfect but it says more or less what we wanted...particularly the fact it names the mainstream school we want her at 4 days a week and the special school we want to support the mainstream school is named for one day a week.

OK so there are issues over quantifying provision from outside agencies but I am not too worried about that for now...once in school I thought we could tweak the provision as everyone was accepting of her needs ion those other departments.

So first day of School year arrives and we arrive at the named school to the shocked Head teachers surprise....they had not even advertised for the one to one support and were really not expecting Eve to start yet!

Fast forward a few weeks and a few increasingly frustrated phone calls and there is a muttering that this named school is not able to meet the needs! Further phone calls and increasing frustration and promises to ensure things move forward....still the school is becoming more adament they cannot gurantee Eve's safety, they cannot meet her medical needs...in short they are panic stricken about having a child with complex medical needs in their care!

More phone calls more empty promises from the LEA and eventually I get really stroppy and start mutterings about Judicial review...the statement is a legally binding document and it names a school and gives detailed information on the financial package and some sketchy detail on outside agencies in puut and basically that should mean Eve is given a place at that school and supported adequately to achieve her potential there. However they are not offering her the place! Therefore they are breaking the law!

At last the LEA realise I am not accepting their excuses and decide to come and meet us face to face....I am cautiously optimistic that this may actually achieve somehting....I am bitterly disappointed! It was a waste of time...it was just more delaying tactics...it was just them telling me all the futile excuses with no basis, fears that are totally unfounded, reasons without valid facts.

I have now insisted they set up a meeting with the School for us to actually discuss these futile arguments face to face. A chance for me to put Eve's needs into perspective and show them they do have the skills and abilities to meet Eve's needs.

Aparantly they have professional advice telling them that Eve cannot be put into her standing frame in the class room and cannot be moved once in her standing frame! Both of these statements are incorrect....however the issue no longer exists anyway as Eve cannot stand anymore! Slight technical hitch in that she cannot maintain breathing in her standing frame! Unfortunately this could actually fuel their fears about keping her safe rather than reassure them that the issue of use of the standing frame is no longer a cause for concern!

Eve has life threatening medical issues. Eve has complex health needs and physical disabilities. However Eve does not have a cognitive disability nor does she have a social difficulty. First and foremost Eve is a little girl of 5 years old who was looking forward to starting school and taking part in all the fun and hustle and bustle of a reception class. Eve's condition is deteriorating...she is losing physical skills, however she is not losing her sense of fun, her desire to make friends and have fun, she has a right to these things, her statement says these things should be being provided by a specific school....the management of that school is far more interested in protecting their own fears and feelings than in meeting the needs of a very special little girl!

LEA thinks the best way forward would be to rewrite the statement to name the SLD school...a school for children who have difficulties with cognition, who have difficulties with social skills, some of whom have behavioural difficultites.....Eve is safe there! She is cared for, she is loved...the school want her there....however she is not getting the social interaction she craves from her peeers, she is not getting the level of educational input she could gain from and she is not making the friends she could! We have a great working relationship with this school, Joanthan and Rosie are both well placed there....we dont always agree...we have had some serious concerns and issues with them yet we have always come away from those times feeling listened to and confident that the school has the children's needs at heart. However it is not the right school for Eve and much as they love ehr and want her there they are not able to give her the best opportunities available to her and they cannot give her the interaction with her peers she craves!

How do we move forward...do we take on another legal battle and fight this through to the end? I dont know if I have the energy to carry it through....Eve needs, deserves and wants mainstream school....why can this not just happen as it should?

I think I may go to bed and sleep on it!