mel Report post Posted October 16, 2007 hi all. just wondered if any of you experts can help me. my darling son is in the middle of his diagnosis but ive been told it could take another 18 months. His behaviour in school is getting so bad now that i have to bring him home for lunch and i am going in school to calm him down or bring him home early on an almost every other day basis. His main problem is that he cannot stand the noise in the classroom and his teacher is fed up of trying to persuade him out from under the table. He screeches at the top of his voice while under there and will only come out for me. He is 7 with an educational age of about 4 or 5. Anyway. thats the background. I recently informed his teacher that i was going to apply for a statement. she told me that i couldnt do that.. only the school could. upon checking with IPSEA i found out that this was not true so i tried to make an appointment to see the head teacher. The receptionist asked me what i wanted to see her for so i told her about said statement and she passed this info on to the head. I still havent seen the head but when i called in today the receptionist also said that only the school can apply for the statement. i told them what Ipsea said and they backpedalled and told me that i was right but the school like to apply for statements. should i let the school do it or do it myself?? if the school do it, will the statement (if we get one) still be valid or will i have to reapply if he changes school?? please help soon cos i am supposed to be seeing the head on thursday and need to have made up my mind by then. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted October 16, 2007 (edited) If it were me, I would apply for the Statement, as the school has already lied twice to you over this I have heard of schools that have 'forgotten' to get their application in, etc, so this way you will be in control of the process, too. There is a lot of good advice on the IPSEA website about how to apply. ACE is also a good source for a step-by-step guide to applying for a Statement. Good luck <'> Bid Edited October 16, 2007 by bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted October 16, 2007 Hi mel I agree with Bid - start the process yourself by requesting a Statutory Assessment. You don't need the school's permission to apply, although if you can persuade them to support your application in writing, so much the better. A statement is maintained by the LEA not the school. So if your child changes schools, the statement would still be valid and would be amended to change the name of the school. You wouldn't have to reapply. Good luck with the meeting on Thursday. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pumpkinpie Report post Posted October 16, 2007 Definetley you. School seems to be telling you porkeys about the procedure, I was you I would do the request and post it tomorrow - you can give the hed a copy at your meeting to keep him informed - be nice but dont be bullied. The school are already being creative by getting you to take your lad home at lunch - they arent supposed to do this! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clintess Report post Posted October 16, 2007 Hi i myself done a parental referal nearly six weeks ago im just waiting for an answer to see if they will do the assement,if they do then its a further six mths til they decide if they will issue an statement after all the tests are carried out.It may be that your school hasnt been collecting evidence to support a referal to collect evidence they must show that have put stragies in place,how long for and why they did not work etc. My school has done outreach,izzy wizzy club,one to one every morning amongst other things.Along with his iep and his school action plus.The LEA has also provided an communcation teacher to be sent in whilst they are looking at all the evidence from the school,the peaditrition,speech and language and what also i have supplied in paperwork.You have to have all these on board to get any hope of an statement. My son is on p scales educational level.If the LEA agree to an assesmnet they will then have ds seen by an ed psy. To do an parental referal letter you send it to LEA assesmnet officer for additional educational needs and resources.They have to give an anwer within six weeks of receiving the referal.Which is the bit im waiting for second time around ad school 12 weeks ago didnt submit evidence.If you fail this time then you can rerefer after six months. Hope that all helps and makes sense to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rach04 Report post Posted October 16, 2007 apply for it yourself ive had the school doing it and not doing it for 2 years and they are now "supposed" to be doing it so i have applied myself as well Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mel Report post Posted October 17, 2007 bloomin' 'eck that head teacher is crafty. collared me this morning when i least expected it. After reading your advice (thanks guys) i decided to do it meself so i told the head that i had already applied. That went down like a lead balloon. Told me that i have not a chance in hell of getting a statement, that the LEA will just refuse my application and i should have let her deal with it. trouble is, she wouldnt have applied for statement either. she seems to think that the school can deal with me son without one. (they arent doing so well so far, had to bring him home early for lunch today) and is more worried about how my parental request will look.... apparently it will look like there is no communication with the school and me etc and the LEA will wonder why the school didnt apply etc. My argument is that if the school can deal with him why do i have to keep going to calm him down or collect him. I just found out that on school action plus he already recieves 4 hours a week one to one or small group. but if he misbehaves, that comes out of his one to one time so on average my son must only get about an hour's one to one. would it be easier to wait for his dx and then apply??? lordy, i dunno, some days i feel i would have more luck plaiting gravy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
annie Report post Posted October 17, 2007 Hi Mel , I think that you've done the right thing by getting the ball rolling yourself, even before dx. We were told that we would be turned down too - we didn't! Keep a record of when/why you get called into school and when you bring him home at lunchtimes etc. This will help show evidence that your son needs more support and the school's idea of sending him home is not the answer. Annie xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted October 17, 2007 apparently it will look like there is no communication with the school and me etc and the LEA will wonder why the school didnt apply etc. Well they'd be right then wouldn't they? Utterly typical... it's a bloomin' conspiracy it really is. Mel, good on you for applying for the assessment yourself. Annie is right, just because the HT doesn't think he'll get one doesn't mean he won't. If you think your ds needs a statement then you're right to stick to your guns. Flora xx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kathryn Report post Posted October 17, 2007 That went down like a lead balloon. Told me that i have not a chance in hell of getting a statement, that the LEA will just refuse my application and i should have let her deal with it. trouble is, she wouldnt have applied for statement either. she seems to think that the school can deal with me son without one. You're not doing anything underhand, unreasonable or confrontational here so don't let the head's attitude intimidate you. It's your legal right as a parent to apply for a statutory assessment. K x Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
