It is the time of year for Open Evenings and parents/carers making anxious decisions about secondary school applications. More and more I am hearing that parents and carers of children who have struggled to thrive in school saying that the choice of secondary school is "impossible" in their local area with many school actively discouraging applications from students with additional needs.
It is interesting that the jungle drums around the new government and Ofsted appear to indicate a shift in the direction of mainstream inclusion which may bring some hope - schools move quickly to address changes in the Ofsted inspection framework, but that isn't going to come in time for this year's application process.
So, how do you choose a school if your child needs some individual care and attention or has educational needs of some kind? Last year I wrote this blog, which links to 2 other earlier ones, and, re-reading it, I consider that the points that I made are still absolutely correct!
If you would like to talk through the issues and look at ways forward, please don't hesitate to get in touch - all individual consultations are free of charge. Why? Because this matters so much and I strongly believe that independent, expert advice equips parents and carers with the knowledge to work constructively with their child's school - whichever one they choose!
James
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