Home School diary

[KarenT]

We've never had a home school diary as school have consistently refused to provide one (although they've been particularly inconsistent in their reasons why).

 

So I was wondering, is there any legal requirement to provide some form of home school communication at any point? It's been suggested to me that any child with a dx who is on the SN register should have one as a matter of course.

 

How many of you NOT have a diary, and does anyone know if there are circumstances when there should, by law, be one?

 

Karen

x

[pim]

Hi,

 

I think it varies from school to school. But I don't know if it's required by law. I read an interesting thread about it on another site. Basically it was saying that the home/school book for the parents should correspond to the one school writes for it records. In this mum's case it didn't.

 

We've had a home/school book ever since DS started school. All I did was ask for it. Then without any consultation they told me they were stopping it. No reason given. After I complained it's been reinstated but it's not been the same since. Often the L.S.A.'s haven't written in it or more common it's not in DS school bag at the end of the day.

 

pim

[jools]

we don't have one.

i also work in school and as far as i know no other child has one.

i don't think it is a legal requirement to have a home/school diary but i would presume that regular home/school contact is a priority especially with children who have sen.

 

would your EP back the idea of a diary? maybe then the school would do it

[car2]

We've never had a home school diary as school have consistently refused to provide one (although they've been particularly inconsistent in their reasons why).

 

So I was wondering, is there any legal requirement to provide some form of home school communication at any point? It's been suggested to me that any child with a dx who is on the SN register should have one as a matter of course.

 

How many of you NOT have a diary, and does anyone know if there are circumstances when there should, by law, be one?

 

Karen

x

 

Hi Karen, ever since my son started nursery we had a diary going due to his behaviour being so different and almost strange compared to his peers. The school agreed it was a good idea inorder for them to see how he behaves at home and it's good evidence for paediatricians and educational psychologists. It's helped me alot especially with Dan's obsessions because you are able to read over it and see patterns forming that you may not usually notice, iv'e become so used to the way Daniel thinks and behaves that I forget that it's not normal to other people! My advice for your own and your childs benefit would be to start up a book and encourage teachers to look at it and enter any concerns in it.

Hope that helps a little?

Caroline

[phasmid]

No, there is no legal requirement to have a home/school book. That said best practice is to keep good lines of communication open and active between home and school and these are one of the most effective ways of doing so. They only take a few minutes to fill in and a few seconds to read. They can be used in a number of ways. School can keep you informed of daily success's and, of course, failures, you can keep school informed of things happening in the home that may have an impact at school. They also take up very little of the teachers time to read and can be filled in by a TA if needs be in school. When it comes to IEP or statement review time they provide an invaluable record of day-to-day occurences that would simply not otherwise be available. If a school refuse to use one then there really isn't much you can do to make them.

[Tilly]

My dd who attends a SEN school has a home/school diary along with every other pupil in her school. I must admit I do enjoy reading it so then I can speak about what she's been doing throughout the day. E.g. the school have tick boxes to inform us if they have had P.E., outdoor playground, music room, if she ate her lunch and how her behaviour has been etc. They also have an additional part where the teacher writes a little about dd day and topics they are learning. There is also a printed page where I can tick boxes on her sleep, behaviour, etc and comment on anything relevant.

 

When she attended mainstream there was no diary but I saw the staff daily and the teacher would tell me what had happened and vice versa. Although I did sometimes feel uncomfortable when other parents were around and quite often my stomach would be churning at the thought of how her behaviour had been and the look of exasperration on the teachers face.

 

As I have said I find the diary idea hugely beneficial in being able to discuss dd day rather than ask her what happened to be told, "nothing".

 

Tilly

[something vague]

Hi Karen,

 

I wonder whether the Autism liaison officer that you were seeing could suggest a home school book. She could argue that improved communication would have a positive impact on your son's behaviour. I'm just thinking it would be easier for you if you could go through that route rather than getting knocked back by the school if you're asking personally.

 

We use home school books at our school and often a message from a parent can explain so much about a particular pupil's behaviour. One parent even sends photographs of special occasions which are great for use in literacy and for improved communication with the child.

 

Take care,

 

SV

[caren]

Our speech and langage asked for one and every week i write in kurtis's as to what he's done and how he's been . Been doing it since september but nothing from school , i brought the book and asked for them to fill it in but nothing but i am going to ask for a review and bring it up then

 

good luck with getting one sorted

[KarenT]

Thanks for your replies.

 

I really don't think this is going to happen in his current school. The Autism Liaison was present in the meeting when I asked last time - I think she's just pleased with the small amounts of support we have been able to get and isn't pushing it for now, although I'm really getting sick of hearing second-hand accounts of events I should have been informed about.

 

I don't think it will be an issue for much longer - I'm 'looking for alternatives' as we speak. Wish us luck!

 

Karen

x

[oxgirl]

Thanks for your replies.

 

I really don't think this is going to happen in his current school. The Autism Liaison was present in the meeting when I asked last time - I think she's just pleased with the small amounts of support we have been able to get and isn't pushing it for now, although I'm really getting sick of hearing second-hand accounts of events I should have been informed about.

 

I don't think it will be an issue for much longer - I'm 'looking for alternatives' as we speak. Wish us luck!

 

Karen

x

 

 

Karen, I'm in the same boat as you. J is in a 'supposed' ASD specific unit, but his TA is useless. All she says, is, 'oh, he's been fine', whatever that means! Then, on the half hour journey home I get a rundown of his day and I get to hear about all sorts of things that have happened during the day that I'd never know about if he didn't tell me! It's so frustrating. I've lost all trust and faith in these people and I hate leaving him there every day, they don't understand him at all and don't even seem to care about how unhappy he is.

 

So sorry to rant in your thread, we've had an awful day on the first day back. I wish we had alternatives, but we don't. Good luck with finding an alternative yourself. <'>

 

~ Mel ~

[krystaltps]

Life without a diary is very frustrating. C had one last year, although "diary" wasn't quite the correct word - more like "list of today's compaints, and C's incidents"!

This year we have nothing, as his teacher (who, of course, after teaching C for a whole 6 months knows him better than I do ) doesn't think it's a good idea to send a list of his misdemeanours home. Unfortunately, C does not communicate any details of his day - a whole 6 hours of mystery. So, when he kicks off and subjects us to hours of ranting, stimming, unco-operative behaviour, we have no idea why.

The ANST-co is trying to get the school to send home a daily email, but she's only been trying for 2 months, so we might start getting them when he's drawing his pension!

[dooday24]

a friend of mine her daughter has a diary which i think is a good idea, have been meaning to ask about at reeces school(she goes to a different school

[LKS]

It took me quite a few years to get a home/school link book for my dd. The HT got involved, said staff didn't have the time, it would be a list of negative comments, they prefer face to face communication with parents blah blah blah. I even wrote to the COG who brought it up in a governors meeting and HT stuck to his guns. I wasn't asking for a detailed in depth story of everything that had happened during the day, but I was interested in what she had actually been doing, cos as a parent we are quite interested in that aren't we and my dd was not capable of telling me what had happened When a new senco started she saw no problem in this sort of diary. Either of the LSAs fill in little bits of what she has been doing and useful vocab. I can fill in incidents that have happened at home. Surely something that is useful to the school. This has worked well now for about 2 years until I found out that the LSAa operate their own version which is shall we say a little more negative than the one I see.

[lisa]

My daughter's home/school diary is also used as an 'off load' time. At the end of the day the teacher spends 5 or 10 minutes going through her day with her and dd says whether it's been a good or bad day and if anyone has upset her. She has a sheet stuck in the back of the diary with simple facial expressions with the words underneath which she looks at and decides which one describes how she feels on that particular day eg. sad, happy, frustrated, angry. The aim is to help with the transition between home and school as she tends to hold her emotions in and then explode by the time we get to the car. It has helped and we quite often get all the way home now before she starts which is easier to deal with than in the street or the car.

 

At the same time the teacher also writes messages about homework or forewarns me of any changes coming up so we can prepare her. I also write each day how she's been at home.

 

After my dd was refused a statement first time around we had a multi agency meeting with ASD Outreach, school, SALT, LEA and Ed Psych and the book was suggested at this meeting. This is the third year she's had this book and I've had to be quite determined at times to make sure it doesn't fall by the wayside. If her book hasn't been filled in I march her back into school and ask them to do it with her and politely say I'll wait outside until it's completed. If her teacher has disappeared and we've had occasions where it hasn't been filled in for a couple of days I'll write a nice page long entry about the importance of her diary. I've had to go in on numerous occasions at the beginning of each year to make sure the teacher is very clear what the book is for. Her teacher at the beginning of last year kept doing the book before everyone came out so she didn't have to spend an extra 5 minutes in the class, probably in too much of a hurry to get home. By staying after everyone else has gone to do the book, it helps her avoid the crush of the cloakroom which is another important factor.

 

By doing this and determinedly making the school stick to it, I've earned my place as a fully fledged member of the awkward brigade with school. But to be honest I don't really care anymore, I'm not interested in lip service and making it all look good on paper. If I didn't keep pushing and reiterating at every possible opportunity her difficulties she wouldn't have any help at all and I was able to use the home/school book as evidence for statutory assessment. My advice is to get everything in writing and always photocopy the home/school diary if you can. It's amazing how these sorts of things can conveniently go missing or attainment levels can mysteriously be distorted to show progress that hasn't actually been made (particularly if you're going to tribunal). I always keep the book when it's full for my records and every half term I ask the teacher to write her attainment in her book which I immediately photocopy. I know it sounds cynical and suspicious but unfortunately that's the way the LEA and school have made me over the years.

 

Good luck with trying to get a contact book. Just keep pushing for one and put your request in writing to the teacher copying it to the head and senco to see if that would help.

 

Lisa