Our 11 year old son was recently refused a secondary school place at a 'close to home school' despite medical evidence stating he had narcolepsy. It also stated it would be diificult for him to attend the other school 2 miles away as it would impact on his educational development and he would fall asleep on the bus journey.

We are appealing this decision and will soon attend the school appeal panel. Do any users of the forum have any advice for us please that would help us win this appeal.

Here is my take on things from the start.

All schools are expected to make reasonable adjustments to allow pupils to attend. So the LEA panel need to be convinced that your son would benefit from a "local" school. I am sure you have talked with your SENCO and Headmaster at his existing school and they are supporting your claim? In addition I am sure you have asked BOTH your GP and your Consultant to back your request. Probably the Consultant is more important and if you can get him or her to write "In my opinion X would be better placed in Y school" you should be home and dry. I am also sure that you have been onto your local LEA website and read the criteria they use for admission. If not and to all other members - this is how you start!

If you have done all this and they still say no, what then? Well you appeal and keep apealing. You must demonstrate your childs need to attend this school and not others. You must also explain how it would impact on your childs health if he didn't attend this school. So, for children with narcolepsy you could suggest the following; long bus journeys after limited slep are stressful and dangerous, and if the child falls asleep he risks being bullied from the start of his school life for which you will hold the school he is forced to attend reasponsible. Roads and children with narcolepsy and cataplexy are a big problem; if he walks to school and has eithe a cataplectic attack or an EDS the results could be very serious indeed. You could stress that he is emotionally fragile after having to come to terms with the diaganosis and being close to home is the only way that you can provide the emotional support he needs; again stress that if he suffers from the move you will hold the LEA responsible. It will help if he has friends attending the local school who know his diagnosis and can support him. Then we have drugs; if he is on medication or is planning to go onto medication you could stress these have the possibility for abuse (modafinil and dexedrine certainly) and that his medication profile is such that that only by having him at a local school can you make sure that he will take his meds at the right time and without any fear of abuse.

However all of that is secondary. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE LETTER FROM YOU CONSULTANT. I am unaware of any medical appeal for school placement that has failed after the Consultant has said it should happen. The LEA would have to prove they have taken equal authorative advice to counter this request. Threaten Judicial Review and say your charity will support the claim. We are up for a fight!

john

Hi John, Thankyou for your comments, and offer of support. It has been very useful. I will contact you after the appeal with the outcome.