Statutory Assesment findings

[connieruff]

Hi,

Would I be right in thinking that the delving into the childs learning ability and their problems and the way the school teach (good or bad) comes under great scrutiny during a SA?

I'm thinking that if we are lucky and the SA goes ahead it will highlight the schools many failings, in the way they handle special needs, and the bad teaching methods, - I have not mentioned the present teachers appalling teaching style and the way she has dealt with my son in my request, because I was warned not to when requesting an assesment, but would I be right in thinking that even if we dont get a statement - the school will have to pull their socks up as a result of any findings by the SA?

Thanks,

C

x

[Karen A]

Hi,

Would I be right in thinking that the delving into the childs learning ability and their problems and the way the school teach (good or bad) comes under great scrutiny during a SA?

I'm thinking that if we are lucky and the SA goes ahead it will highlight the schools many failings, in the way they handle special needs, and the bad teaching methods, - I have not mentioned the present teachers appalling teaching style and the way she has dealt with my son in my request, because I was warned not to when requesting an assesment, but would I be right in thinking that even if we dont get a statement - the school will have to pull their socks up as a result of any findings by the SA?

Thanks,

C

x

 

Hi.They might do but I think it depends as well on how supportive and thorough the LA are.It might also be worth hoping that the LA do not get too much of a negative impression.It is a difficult balance.If the LA think that school are not using delegated funding as well as they might be then they may not issue a Statement on the grounds that school could be doing more. Also if the LA don't issue a Statement the school may be advised to pull their socks up but there is no gaurentee that they will do so.

 

I am a bit of an old cynic I am afraid.Things have improved recently at Ben's school because there is a new SENCO in post.Before the new SENCO started even with a Statement I spent vast amounts of time attempting to monitor what was happening at school.There is plenty of scope for creative use of TA support even with a Statement.For the whole of last year Ben's TA was the only TA in class.Karen.

Edited May 8, 2009 by Karen A

[call me jaded]

The SA doesn't look at the teaching as such, it looks at the additional needs and then goes on to say how those needs should be met. Getting that statement is significant. It's hard to enforce anything without it.

 

One thing I've regularly suggested to parents is that they get a phrase about 'trained staff' into the provision. Which means that those increasingly rare old dinosaurs who wouldn't know an ASD if it bit them in the backside have to go on a course or two. Once you have the statement then you get have rights under disability equality duty and have a way of challenging unfair and discriminatory practices. I always say it is chipping away at the iceberg with a pickaxe.

 

OFSTED are going to have a greater responsibility for SEN soon. Parents will still have to police the provision no matter what the system though.

[Sally44]

It is a difficult line to 'paint an accurate picture' of the present school, whilst still having your child there (and possibily still there for a length of time), and whilst also trying to remain unconfrontational. Talk about walking on a knife edge, or egg shells!!

What I tried to do when I completed the form was to highlight and explain my sons difficulties (needs), and how they manifested themselves in school. For example: "If my son does not understand what he should be doing, or cannot access the whole class learning environment, he is likely to wander off. This has happened at his current school. On three occasions he managed to block the school toilets, and must have been in the toilets for some time on his own to achieve this. He has also walked out of the classroom at hometime without even knowing if I was there and on two occasions we had to search for him in the school grounds. Once, when I arrived late at school to collect him, I found him crying in the playground and all the school was locked up and all the teachers had gone home. No-one had noticed that he hadn't been collected and he had not approached any school staff to say that his mum was not there. Although it was my fault that I was late, this was potentially a dangerous situation as my son could have attempted to go home on his own." - etc, and things of that nature.

Another thing I did was before any of the professionals went into school to assess and observe him, I wrote them a letter of my concerns of his needs and how I felt they were not being met or understood. This gave them the chance to address those needs in their reports. If they didn't address those needs (and many of them they didn't), that was also written proof that I had raised these concerns and nothing had been done about them.

In my case I did finally have to resort to private reports and a solicitor. But there are many ways that you can get written information of your sons needs through outside agencies such as Dyslexia Action, or Bibic for example, and they are independent bodies that any Tribunal Panel are less likely to regard as being 'bought evidence'.

And I find it unbelieveable that Tribunal can even take that attitude (which they do sometimes). As all professionals have a code of practice and ethics and whether they are private or employed by the education or health system does not mean they will produce a report of lies. Infact I have more experience of LEA or NHS staff being unable to use certain words or specifiy hours of support or staffing provision because their LEA does not allow them to do so.

In my own case, the LEA went against two of their own professionals advice when they advised that my son needed to be in an autism unit. When I asked the EP how the LEA could do that, and how she felt as a professional to be over ruled like that - she just laughed! (in a nervous way).

I prefer to call a spade a spade. You can do that without offending everyone. But sometimes you do. But you are not in this to make friends and influence people. You are trying to be an advocate for your child. You just need to remain unemotional and detached and not vindictive/emotional/angry etc. If you have evidence that your childs needs are not being met then use it.

Use the parent partnership to come along to IEP meetings to ensure that they set the correct targets and record the outcome. My son's former school didn't like to put on his IEPs that he hadn't met the target because they said they liked to be positive about all their pupils. But that didn't help my son! So, with support from the PP we set a course of setting targets for literacy, numeracy, social skills that we knew he had difficulties with, and we recorded over the following 3 IEPs that not only did he not progress, but that he actually lost skills. Now that is more powerful than any amount of words.