It's All Over

[Annea]

Well, we had our hearing today and I feel it went very well for our daughter.

 

We have to wait 7-10 days now for a decision but I am hoping it might be a bit quicker with Christmas pending.

 

I feel a big relief that it's over, and win or lose I feel like I know that I have fought her corner!

 

I would advise anyone who feels intimidated by this procedure to get good advice <IPSEA were wonderful> and take the bull by the horns.

 

If anyone in the future wants any inking of a mums view on the procedings, I am happy to oblige.

 

I am now having a break before Chistmas and then back onto fight the LEA for a suitable statement.

 

Good luck to anyone who's cases are pending...

 

Anne

[Flora]

well done Annea.

 

Hope you don't have to wait too long for the outcome, and really really the result is in your dd's favour.

 

How did the school conduct themselves? Did you get your view in on the school's evidence (I remember they had misquoted you out of context etc).

 

Was it scary? Were the panel easy to talk to?

 

Flora xx

[Nic m]

Enjoy your break, and i hope you get a good result.

[Annea]

well done Annea.

 

Hope you don't have to wait too long for the outcome, and really really the result is in your dd's favour.

 

How did the school conduct themselves? Did you get your view in on the school's evidence (I remember they had misquoted you out of context etc).

 

Was it scary? Were the panel easy to talk to?

 

Flora xx

 

 

How Flora, thankyou!

 

The school tried at times to 'slag me off' but the chair of the panel wasn't having any of it and stopped it in it's tracks.

 

She also corrected the school several times when they mis quoted me etc,

 

One of the teachers lost her temper and actually left the tribunal after a break as apparently she had been taken ill.

 

I have to be quite careful with what I say as I don't want to do anything that might identify the school, but i am hopeful the panel will find in our favour.

 

It wasn't scary at all, the panel were incredibly professional and not at all intimidating. I must say that I think this was because I was being completely honest, I think I would have been very nervous if I was hiding something or lying as they saw straight through it.

 

I took a photo of my daughter and introduced them to her, I felt it really important that they knew that this was very real and not just a pile of documentray evidence....

 

As for the schools conduct, it was disgusting really, they blatently lied and openly said discriminatory comments such as peopel like me are unreasonable for expecting schools to treat our children like normal. To expect a teacher to look after children like these is unacceptable!!

 

I just now look forward to moving on. and steeling myself for the next fight!

 

Anne

[Annea]

Thanks Nic

[Nic m]

Anne, i have just read your reply to flora, my goodness, their arrogance will hopefully be their downfall.

Well done for managing to stay calm.

Nic

[pearl]

Well done. Keeping everything crossed for you.

[Clare63]

Anne,

 

All sounds so positive and I am very encouraged by your post. I hand delivered my parental request for an assessment yesterday ready for the panel on the 19th December, I guess so close to Christmas it go one of two ways !!

 

Good luck with your outcome I have my fingers and toes crossed for you.

 

Clare x x x

[madme]

Glad to hear that it went well. Hope the school are slated by the tribunal. Some people's ignorance knows no bounds. Do let us know the outcome- will you be going to the press if its in your favour?

[oxgirl]

Well done, Anne. Also, good luck to anyone else going through this. I take my hat off to you all, I really don't know where you find the strength to go through it, I know I wouldn't have the mental energy required. to you all.

 

~ Mel ~

[Annea]

Anne,

 

All sounds so positive and I am very encouraged by your post. I hand delivered my parental request for an assessment yesterday ready for the panel on the 19th December, I guess so close to Christmas it go one of two ways !!

 

Good luck with your outcome I have my fingers and toes crossed for you.

 

Clare x x x

 

Hi Clare what sort of assessment have you requested?

 

Glad to hear that it went well. Hope the school are slated by the tribunal. Some people's ignorance knows no bounds. Do let us know the outcome- will you be going to the press if its in your favour?

 

No Madme,

I won't be going to the press as I explained to the governors, despite all the horrid things they have said about me, I am actually not out to ruin the school. I have more than one child there and feel it's important to just get the issues sorted. I know there are other cases being brought though against the same school so I don't know if that dad will feel the same. I hope they are slated too, I am just preying it won't go against us s I feel I would have to withdraw my children from the school.

 

Well done, Anne. Also, good luck to anyone else going through this. I take my hat off to you all, I really don't know where you find the strength to go through it, I know I wouldn't have the mental energy required. to you all.

 

~ Mel ~

 

Thanks Mel,

It is really hard to keep fighting, I still have a statement to sort out and also have another child who is awaiting assessment. I too wish good luck to everyone going through this but urge ALL parents to keep chipping away at it. The tribunals really are not that bad, as long as you have someone on your side and you have the truth on your side.

Throughout the whole thing I kept looking at my dd photo and it did give me strength.

[MichelleW]

I decided not to go down the Disability Discrimination route, as I was advised that if I lost, then I could have to pay costs. And as my son is only 3 and his only diagnosed condition is severe speech and language disorder, and probable dispraxia and attention disorder, and I would have been fighting LEA ( who have recently won a case) and not the pre-school (who are great). So I'm just appealing the LEA's decision not to do a statutory assessment.

 

The idea of taking a photo in to show panel is a great one - I had considered taking him in person, but I wouldn't be able to get anyone to come with me to watch him. My "babysitter" will be having to look after my other one at home!

[Annea]

I decided not to go down the Disability Discrimination route, as I was advised that if I lost, then I could have to pay costs. And as my son is only 3 and his only diagnosed condition is severe speech and language disorder, and probable dispraxia and attention disorder, and I would have been fighting LEA ( who have recently won a case) and not the pre-school (who are great). So I'm just appealing the LEA's decision not to do a statutory assessment.

 

The idea of taking a photo in to show panel is a great one - I had considered taking him in person, but I wouldn't be able to get anyone to come with me to watch him. My "babysitter" will be having to look after my other one at home!

 

 

Hi Michelle, who advised you of this? I think you have been given the incorrect information. We were told costs are only payable if one or other of the parties has acted unreasonably, wastd time etc. You can see this here. I have taken this quote from http://www.sendist.gov.uk/tribunal_process/the_decision.htm

Will I have to pay any costs if I lose the appeal?

You and the other side will not normally have to pay the other's costs. In very rare circumstances, if the tribunal thinks that either party has acted unreasonably, or deliberately wasted the tribunal's time, the other side may have to pay your costs, or you may have pay theirs.

 

You do have to pay for legal representation as even legal aid does nt cover this, but to be honest our IPSEA rep knew the regs inside out and we were very confident in his ability.

 

Some solicitors, especially those in Wales can get professional witnesses paid for by legal aid, not all legal aid solicitors will fund this as their is usually a short fall.

 

We were given snacks, lunch and tea and coffee and expenses to get to and from the hotel that the hearing was held at. We will pay nothing even if we lose.

 

As for fighting the LEA, I think that if your advice is solid and your evidence solid, it is no different fighting the LEA vs a governing body, many schools will use a barrister to fight their battles or at least out together their cases (ours did apparently) and so it can be as difficult or easy to win or lose no matter if it's an LEA or gverning body. I was very worried about our tribunal but can not emphasise enough just how professional they were, they were interested in fact and evidence and all of that had to be relavent to my daughter. Maybe I will change my mind if we lose but until then I would encourage others to go down this route.

 

By the way Michelle I am of course not knocking you for choosing what was right for you, just trying to make sure people don't become worried as we were and especially about costs.

 

Anne