Best choice for Aspergers (part 2) - Skinners/Judd

[strobeme]

Thanks to everyone who's provided their thoughts and experiences in our previous request for info about Bennett and TWGSB.

Our dilemma has further increased though!

The day after posting the message, we got his scores and ( to our great surprise) found that our son got the top 420 score!

Although we have visited both, we previously hadn't considered Skinners and Judd as realistic options for him.
I've noted on another post that Judd has an SEN entry of over 30% and Skinners 16%. Does anyone know how many of these are Aspergers. & therefore do they have a good pastoral policy for such children.

Seeing this score has also raised our concern slightly with Bennett, as we would expect that academically, there would not be children there at the same level. Is this right?



Any thoughts/experiences, again very appreciated.

[sevenoaksdad]

I've noted on another post that Judd has an SEN entry of over 30% and Skinners 16%.

Where are these figures coming from? They seems extraordinarily high to me given what I know about the schools.

To quote the latest OFSTED report for Judd:

"The number of students with learning difficulties and disabilities is well below average as is the number of students with a statement of special
educational need."

In 2007 just under 3% of pupils across all schools in England had SEN statements. So my guess is that Judd and Skinners have maybe one or two boys a year with SEN per year - a far cry from the 60/70 SEN children entering the schools each year that the 30%/16% figures suggests.

Also have a look at the big state feeder schools for Judd. They have very, very low levels of SEN children. So unless the big numbers of SEN childen are coming exclusively from the private feeders (St Michaels, New Beacon, etc) I don't see where the 60/70 SEN children entering Judd/Skinners are coming from in the first place.

The amount of KCC SEN-related funding for both Judd is just £7,311 across the whole school of 933 pupils. This doesn't suggest to my mind that the school has 300 pupils with anything other than very, very mild non-statemented SEN.

To be honest if your child has statemented SEN then you shouldn't be basing your school decision on heresay in forums. If I were you I would be setting up appointments with each school and asking for specific information about SEN provisions rather than relying on second hand information here and wooly statements of aspiration from school secretaries.

Seeing this score has also raised our concern slightly with Bennett, as we would expect that academically, there would not be children there at the same level.

What makes you think that? You'll find plenty of bright children at BM. Do not confuse a high mark in the 11+ with academic ability. I think that a bright child entering BM is going to do as well as a bright child entering Judd.

[inkypinkyponky]

My DD2 has dyslexia, dyspraxia and vision problems and is on the 'SEN register' at her secondary school, but her problems are not considered bad enough to be given a 'statement' as she has a 'functioning level' of 21%.

A friend with an Aspergers son of 7 cannot get a statement as her son has a functioning level of 2%. The psychologist used by the school has told her that he will only 'statement' a child if they have a functioning level of 1%.

I think therefore that it is possible to have many pupils with different levels of SEN, but who are not statemented.

Well done to Master Strobeme!

You can't beat going to see the schools in action during the school day. So, go see, and ask lots!

[strobeme]

Hi sevenoaksdad

I can't back up the fiogures quoted on my previous post, by Kentmum1 , but I think the Judd info you quote is possibly out of context .

"The number of students with learning difficulties and disabilities is well below average as is the number of students with a statement of special educational need."

As "tinkywinkyponky" says, you do not have to have a statement to have SEN. Aspergers is a social awareness disability, and very few Aspergers children, ( unless they have related behavioural difficulties as well) have a statement. A number of Aspergers children have very high intelligence though, and therefore, assuming they can cope with exam situations, would perform very well in 11+. We know at least 2 other children in this category who are looking to send their child to Judd. 30% SEN does indeed sound high, hence our query whether Aspergers boys made up a high proportion of that figure.

I think that a bright child entering BM is going to do as well as a bright child entering Judd

We certainly believe that in "normal" circumstances, but the context of our question is particular to Aspergers. We are trying to verify with Bennett , but it might be Judd/Skinners ability to care for and understand Aspergers children might be better (than Bennett even) if they have a high number there. That is what we are trying to understand.

[inkypinkyponky]

Just to let you know "tinkywinkyponky" is actually my evil twin who makes me love chocolate!

[sevenoaksdad]

The 30% figure has come from somewhere and must, if people are relying on it, have some evidential basis. EduBase for example has no children listed as SEN for Judd.

http://www.edubase.gov.uk/establishment ... urn=118843

The Good School Guide SEN questionnaire, completed by the school, is interesting. Broadly speaking the school has some experience of mild aspergers etc but has no provision for the management of any SEN disorders mild or otherwise. "[Judd] does not receive any specific funding for Additional Educational Needs and there are no specialist facilities, nor are there any teaching assistants, beyond those dedicated to statemented students." This seems to sit oddly with the notion that one in three children at the school have SEN disorders.

http://www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/schoo ... ?Itemid=53

By the way the quote from OFSTED is clearly intended to cover children with learning difficulties and disabilities or with statemented needs. I would have thought that autism and Aspergers mild or otherwise must fall within the definition of learning difficulties and disabilities. I also think that had one in three of the students had autism, Aspergers or any other the other spectrum conditions that this would have come up in the OFSTED report.

Anyway, what impact do you think it would have on the social makeup of the class and the management of the class if one in three children had a social awareness disability of some form or other?

[Twinkle]

I suggest that you speak to the SENCO at your school to see which school he / she thinks would be best for your son taking into account the SENCO's knowledge of your son's needs ( where he is on the spectrum etc ), his academic ability and ( hopefully) the SENCO's knowledge of the schools. I would also suggest that you make appointments with Judd and any other school you are considering to talk about whether / how they will address your son's needs - if you could take the SENCO along, all the better. Lets hope they can see you before the CAF needs to be submitted.

Btw - congratulations to your son on his results. Our son got 420 too!

[crazydaisy]

I'm afraid I don't know anything about Judds but we do have a son with statemented aspergers in yr 11 at grammar in Bexley. Totally agree that you must see the respective SENCOs, and while you are looking at the different schools ask yourself how well you can relate to the SENCO if problems arise. Our son is quite disabled, and we've had loads of meetings/brief exclusions etc. - a SENCO who is on the same wavelength makes it a much less traumatic journey through secondary school. Also ask about any children with aspergers who have had to leave the school in the last few years and why they left. It's enlightening - we thought of St Olaves initially for our son, but when we asked, they had had several aspie boys leave because they didn't have resources to manage their behaviour. Good luck and be confident when visiting, you know your childs needs better than they do at first and are they able to meet them to your satisfaction?

[mystery]

I don't know how you can check this, but when you speak to the SENCOs, you need to be sure that you are hearing about stuff that will really happen n reality, rather than a SENCO telling you what should happen but in reality it does not.

Presumably, it all rather boils down to how well all the individual subject teachers do their lessons as to whether it would suit your son or not. Can you ask for some extended time observing a range of lessons to get a feeling whether it would work for your son or not?

Good luck.

[strobeme]

Thanks for everyone's comments so far. Would really appreciate if anyone has any particular experience with Aspergers children at Skinners. Many thanks.