Has anyone else heard this?

[julieann]

Hi all,

I am LSA at girls secondary school where I support two statemented girls with ASD's. Have just had our back to school SEN meeting with LSA's and teaching staff.

 

I posted a while back about our school losing the SENCO and Educational Psychologist in the same week.

 

None of the teaching staff wanted the position of SENCO so the head in her wisdom offered the job to a cover supervisor who has been at the school for just over a year and has no knowledge of special needs or teaching experience.

 

Said Learning Support Co-ordinator has been on several two and three day courses and is know fully equipped with the knowledge of how to deal with pupils with ASD's and all the other learning difficulties she may encounter.

Treat the pupils the same as everyone else. Don't let them call out or leave their seats as they are only doing this because they are bored. Punish them the same as the other pupils because as the old saying goes " You have to be cruel to be kind".

 

The main reason I'm posting is that pupil A and pupil B are both statemented and when I asked why pupil B wasn't on the SEN awareness sheet the Learning Support Co-ordinator said that she had been told at a meeting that statements and IEP's are being phased out and as pupil B did so well academically last year she no longer needs to be on the list and thanked me for my help with her.

 

Yes pupil B did really well academically but as you all know her learning difficulties haven't just gone away because she got high marks in her exams.

[Kathryn]

 

I feel so sorry for your two pupils and yourself for having to deal with this level of "awareness". I thought all sencos had to be qualified teachers now and undergo training?

 

As for statements being phased out - ho hum, another rumour emanating from the usual camp. No doubt this is what our LEA would like the parents of these two girls to believe, then they won't be motivated to fight for their children's rights.

 

K x

[pumpkinpie]

The words illegal and disability discrimination act spring to mind. Does the sen governor have any idea about any of this because ofsted would have a field day with these breaches of the code of practice!

[pumpkinpie]

The words illegal and disability discrimination act spring to mind. Does the sen governor have any idea about any of this because ofsted would have a field day with these breaches of the code of practice!

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/dda-swimming-case.htm

[krystaltps]

The rumour could be based on what is happening in Scotland... we don't have Statements (I think that is similar to our Record of Need), but IEPs and Records of Need are being phased out here. It's to bring things into line with the Additional Support for Learning act (2003, Scotland). The Record of Need is to be replaced by the Coordinated Support Plan (CSP) although it is estimated that there will be fewer of these as the CSP is designed to ensure better collaboration between all agencies working with a child - therefore it's only those who have extensive regular input from several non-educational professionals (for example, health, SALT, OT, social services) who will receive a CSP. The IEP is being replaced by the Support Plan (SP) and all pupils with an Additional Support Need (ASN) will have a Pupil Profile.

I am an ASN teacher (new name up here for SEN teacher), and I am already working on SPs for children I teach.

But, if there are to be any changes down south, old systems will not be phased out without new systems being put in place first

Edited September 4, 2007 by krystaltps

[JsMum]

I think that IPSEA would be very interested in the local authority that is doing this to the two children you support,

 

I would be very concerned if my child went to your school with the techneques that they want you to use, the process of a statement is to get it to meet the needs of the child, and if you where to treat my son like other children in his class the teachers would be breaking disability discrimination laws and if anything even if with a statement if they choose to use the quotes you have said then it would have him severly mentally ill and off school in weeks.

 

I think that you really need further support and what the childrens rights are, ipsea are very knowledgable, and I do really recommed the ACE website as they have loads of information and a helpline too.

 

Statements are not at all been phased out, and neither are IEPs, they can rename all they like but a statement is a legal biding document and the school can be prosicuted.

 

If the child was felt she had achieved academcally then these would of been discussed with school/parents/ proffessionals before terminating her statement and there is much more to a statement than academic as there is emotional health, social and communication, interaction, immiturity, personallity,mental health to take into consideration, and if it is felt she has made progress acedemically with support by taking it away it will not be long before they may need to reinstate it if she begins to struggle again once the support has been removed.

 

The school are going to be heaps of trouble if something serious accurs because of lack of SEN and they find she has a statement but not registered and no have present IEPs.

 

 

please ring an educational advacote to get your girls some one on their side as you sound like a really caring teacher and thank God they have you to know what the school are doing is illegal.

 

JsMum

[julieann]

 

I feel so sorry for your two pupils and yourself for having to deal with this level of "awareness". I thought all sencos had to be qualified teachers now and undergo training?

 

As for statements being phased out - ho hum, another rumour emanating from the usual camp. No doubt this is what our LEA would like the parents of these two girls to believe, then they won't be motivated to fight for their children's rights.

 

K x

Hi Kathryn,

These decisions were made without the parents knowledge at an inset day meeting. The pupils aren't back until tomorrow. Senco's are ideally meant to be heads or senior management. When this isn't possible they are meant to have a minimum of three years teaching experience in the classroom. Our Learning support Co-ordinator was ignored at a three day training course last term when she revealed she had no teaching or special needs experience.

[julieann]

The words illegal and disability discrimination act spring to mind. Does the sen governor have any idea about any of this because ofsted would have a field day with these breaches of the code of practice!

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/dda-swimming-case.htm

Thank-you pumpkinpie for your reply. I went into school today and got the name and phone number of the schools SEN governor representive . The problem is that I work and also live at the school and the last person that spoke to this lady got into so much trouble when the head found out. She is very vindictive and although she can't sack you for speaking the truth she makes life so difficult that you end up looking for other employment. I'm going to phone this lady this week and see if I can talk to her in confidence. I'll keep you posted with any further developments.

[Bagpuss]

We too were advised that Statements of 10 hours or less were being phased out. Reason given was that the school already funds these hours themselves, therefore a statement is not required............beggars belief

[JsMum]

We too were advised that Statements of 10 hours or less were being phased out. Reason given was that the school already funds these hours themselves, therefore a statement is not required............beggars belief

 

In our area anything under 20 hours is budgeted out the schoold budget, so I think parents could still appeal that a statement is required, I think also any statement assessment wants to suggest 10 hours should be appealed as there needs may still not be met as it may not be enough, a statement does outline all the difficulties if the LEA do it properly and not miss things out.

 

I think a statement is still very much a needed requirement if a child has a special needs.

 

JsMum

[Kathryn]

I think a statement is still very much a needed requirement if a child has a special needs.

 

Definitely - it's not just a matter of budgets but of the legal right to review and appeal which comes with the system. Lose the statement and parental power is very much reduced.

 

K x

[UltraMum]

IPSEA have issued a statement re this : http://www.ipsea.org.uk/PDFs/Briefing%20Ch...0Delegation.pdf

[julieann]

Hi all again.

 

Just to update you on latest installment.

 

Had a meeting today and it transpires that my pupils additional 10 hours support are not being taken away from her. She will still get 10 hours support but the school are going to use sixth formers for PE lessons and our two other LSA's so that she doesn't get used to just having one person supporting her!!!!

 

When I pointed out that the other two LSA's time will be shared amongst the whole class not just my pupil. The reply was well she will just have to get used to that as she isn't the only one who needs support. She needs to be more independent in year 9. Her lunchtime support has been taken away as of Monday. I have been sitting with her as she throws her lunch away if not supported in order to get more time on the lunchtime computers. she has been told today that if she throws her lunch away she will lose her computer time.

 

I asked why my pupil doesn't get the other 8 hours the primary school provided as my hours are meant to be additional and was told that the school couldn't afford that many hours on one child. I pointed out the statement was a legal and binding document only to be told that the school had sort advise and couldn't be made to adhere to the statement if they (the school )couldn't afford it!!!!!

[Kathryn]

I pointed out the statement was a legal and binding document only to be told that the school had sort advise and couldn't be made to adhere to the statement if they (the school )couldn't afford it!!!!!

 

Absolute hogwash - what the school says, that is (forum filter won't let me use any stronger language than that - alas ).

 

Parents must contact IPSEA ASAP - they will be very interested - and also try to get documentary evidence of what the school is trying on here as it's completely illegal, and complain to the LEA listing the all the areas where provision in the statement is not being met.

 

K x