primary school

[opheila]

I have started looking at Primary Schools for L. I have a meeting in November where we will all get together and decided which school we should apply to.

If life hasnt been difficult enough lately has anyone ever notice you are given booklets about each school and you read them and they sound great just what you are looking for.

However when you visit you wonder where is the school or special facilities are that they mentioned in the booklets.

I have visited two schools in my area and have one left to visit. This is a large primary with a united attached to the mainstream school. I am having nightmares as i have herd lots of reports about this school. I did read the inspectors report but this was carried out in 2002.

I keep asking all involved what happens if i feel this school is not suitable either and i cant get a straight answer from anyone

L is in a nursery at the moment but had to moved to a class with only a small amount of children in it as he could not cope in a large room with a lot of children. The other schools i visited were all to big or were honest enough to say they didnt have the staff or facilites to met his needs and he would be spending most of his time in a mainstream class which is not suitable at all

 

This is the hardest thing i have to take on at the moment what if i choose a school which is all wrong for him? what if i am forced to by lack of choose and pressure by local authority saying they wont provide his transport

grey hairs appearing by the day

[Jericho]

I agree with you about how frustrating it is that their seems to be little or no information about what individual schools can/can't do to help pupils who have SN. My son's school has a fantastic sensory integration programme but it isn't mentioned anywhere. The SENCO is excellent at her job too. On the other hand the latest OFSTED report was not very good at all but personally I'm very pleased with what the school does.

 

My 3yr-old (also ASD) starts school next year too. It's still stressful even though I know which school I want him to go to so lots of sympathy for you. <'>

[BusyLizzie100]

Oh, I know that feeling!!!

 

Firstly, is your son getting any extra support at nursery? does he have or is he likely to get a Statement? It's a bit off that schools say they won't be able to support him, especially with inclusion flavour of the month these days. do they mean they won't be able to support him with or without additional/Statemented support? What do the nursery staff think? Has an educational psychologist seen your son, or any outreach teachers? Have you asked for specific information from the SENCO at these schools you are visiting?

 

It's hard enough trying to distinguish between the schools available and choose the right one, whether your child has SEN or not. We were so happy with our choice of school for DS1 and had no idea he had Asperger syndrome, then with DS2 we wondered whether he would do better at a special school, so we really hadn't chosen the initial school with him in mind - how could we? we had no idea he would have the difficulties we since found that he has (ASD). So, he went to the same school as his brother, with a Statement, although the school is not at all brilliant at SEN.

 

And now we have DS3 and we're about to apply for his school place. The easy way is to put him in with his brothers, but with ADHD looming loud and clear on the horizon I just don't want to send him to a school where the SEN is inadequate. But how can I be sure I'll find a school that IS good at SEN? And what about the logistical and practical arrangements?? I could be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. It's a minefield, isn't it!

 

If you can, talk to parents of children at the schools. Go back again, as often as it takes, to ask questions and find out more as well as getting more of a feel for the place. Don't just rely on the brochures - they more or less all say the same thing. Talk to the Senco, if possible, to discuss your personal concerns.

 

If I had my time over again, I would not have sent DS1 and DS2 to the school they are currently at; you are in a position where you know that you need to be looking for something special for your son, so do as much groundwork as you can and it'll pay off later.

 

sorry that my advice is a bit woolly; I've had a ###### day thinking about all this myself and I'm typing one-handed with a glass of wine in the other!!

 

Good luck.

Lizzie

[opheila]

L has a one to one teacher in his small room due to his outburst in the pass. He has his IEP individual education profile and we attened meetings every so often to update etc. He has speech and language difficulties although his speech is coming on not full sentence yet but maybe two words together. He does stand out from his peers and his doesnt really interact with them. He does allow two to play along side him.

 

Basically all the schools i am looking at are in mainstream settings as all involved think this is where he should go i have told them while he might manage the work assigned to him he wont manage in a classroom full of other children.

 

I am all for schools within mainstream settings but i feel parents arnt really given a full choose. There is a special needs school in the next town but they told me it wasnt suitable as he was at the higher end of the spectrum. I feel differently i think the setting would suit him but it would require extra staff as you know this is not possible these days

 

i wish someone had a magic wand

[UltraMum]

Any local autism support groups in your area? You may find out more about autism friendliness (or not as the case may be ) from the horses mouths - IYSWIM

[bramblebrae]

Hi I'm up here in the freezing north too. Is L going to or has he been assessed to see if he needs a co-ordinated support plan? That would be equivalent to the English Statements. My son hasn't so far I've never had to push it quite that far and he has got 121 support now within a mainstream setting with no base unit involment though there is one within the school if it becomes neccessary. They were quite good and someone from the base did some anger management stuff with him when he was having an aggressive period in Primary 1 before the 121 was put in place. I didn't take much care at all in what school I picked it is a bit large the school DS is at now but they are quite good with having reviews with the ed psych every term just not so good on general awareness of exactly what high functioning means - there first stance when anything goes awry is that it's nothing to do with DS's ASD because, well I don't know why just cause they are so ignornant of the actual facts surrounding our kids. Anyway knowing what I now know and what has helped us the most is the autistic outreach teacher and she would have been available to give advice and help my DS which ever school he was at within the city - the real difference is that some schools don't like taking advice from outside sources even though they all work for the same ed. dept sometimes it even comes down to the individual and there isn't really much to help choose the actual teacher your son will get. If your city has some advisory outside resource they use such as a specialist autistic outreach teacher or maybe they have a teacher from the nearest special school who can advice lol 'normal' teachers on matters involving ASD I would ask to talk to them and see if they can give you pointers about which school would be best for L. Hopefully you'll get an honest bod who will be able to tell you which schools take on board her/his advice and treat their ASD kids appropriately.

 

Hope you get something your happy with soon.

Try not to worry about it to much.

Lorraine

 

edited : for political correctness (her/his)

Edited October 14, 2006 by bramblebrae

[opheila]

HI L has a support plan of needs that is why he was moved to a smaller room at nursery as it was realised he couldnt stay in the room he was in. I have a good pre fives teacher who is also coming around the schools with me but i always remember at the end of the day it has to be down to me to make that choice. The local school L was suppose to go to has no resources at all for special needs children that is why i am having to look elsewhere. I do feel a little bit pressured as i was warned should i wish to go outwith my educational area there could be alsorts of problems with funding and transport. Therefor i feel pressured to take a place within that area even if its not what i really want. This is so hard to deal with as it is his future i am dealing with and i feel guilty and frightened encase i get it wrong. I have seen so many parents who want to remove their child from a school and enrol them in another go through hell even down to having to go to court

 

who ever said ignorants is bliss should be put up against a wall and shot

[Karen A]

Hi I am no expert but have been reading here for a few months.Just don't be put off if you believe in the end that a place out of area is most appropriate.Don't give in to pressure exerted by those who say it would be difficult.Others here have had to struggle but have got a placement they are happy with.Thinking of you.Karen.