Statement Hours

[thebuzzer]

HI

 

I put this subject up last week, but maybe it was a bit waffly or unclear as no one replied?

 

All I want to know is, is my son's school legally obligated to provide have him at school for the hours named in his statement?

 

He has 22.5 hours plus the school must top up with an extra 5 taking him up to 27.5 hours. He is only doing 22 hours at present.

 

They applied for the statement saying that the only way he can be in school is if he has full time one to one. They have the one to one in place and now funded but are still not letting DS attend more hours.

 

 

[Kathryn]

Hi Buzzer,

 

The legal obligation to provide what is set out in the statement is the LA's. If the school is incapable of meeting the provision, it's the wrong school and the LA need to find one that can. The school can't just ignore what's in the statement.

 

If the school will not discuss with you a reasonable timetable for increasing your son's hours, I would complain to the LA.

 

K x

Edited June 10, 2009 by Kathryn

[Kazzen161]

We don't really have enough information about how this part-time schooling came about. Sometimes it is done officially, in the best interests of the child, and as part of a plan to gradually increase the hours. Sometimes it is done unofficially, in the interests of the school! (I would guess that the school is not giving back any of the money they are not using + they are saving themselves 5 hours a week).

 

I would be expecting them to stick to a plan to increase the hours of attendance within a reasonable amount of time, otherwise they need to admit they cannot meet your child's needs even with all that 1:1, and a better placement needs to be found. Your son is entitled to a full-time education. By missing parts of the week, he is not getting his "broad and balanced curriculum".

 

What reason are they giving for him not attending full-time?

[thebuzzer]

We don't really have enough information about how this part-time schooling came about. Sometimes it is done officially, in the best interests of the child, and as part of a plan to gradually increase the hours. Sometimes it is done unofficially, in the interests of the school! (I would guess that the school is not giving back any of the money they are not using + they are saving themselves 5 hours a week).

 

I would be expecting them to stick to a plan to increase the hours of attendance within a reasonable amount of time, otherwise they need to admit they cannot meet your child's needs even with all that 1:1, and a better placement needs to be found. Your son is entitled to a full-time education. By missing parts of the week, he is not getting his "broad and balanced curriculum".

 

What reason are they giving for him not attending full-time?

 

Thanks for your reply, The reasons range from DS will get over tired and then his behaviour will escalate. At the moment he is being difficult in that he is disruptive and rude to his teacher who he really dislikes (nearly all her class feel the same as do the parents and there have been complaints to the Head), but that does not excuse Ds's rudeness. He says exactly what he thinks and because he doesn't like her he is not concerned with her feelings. He does have an amount of empathy for other's feelings IF he likes you.

 

I can understand that at the moment increasing his hours with 5 weeks to go to end of term would not be beneficial to him, but when he starts in the Juniors I am hoping he will start the new year doing the 27.5 hours with one to one and the school will have to show how they manage him. If they can't then I need to look at another school.

 

The school seem to be waiting for him to be completely well behaved and coping before he can increase at all. The LA have said that now they have the final statement and the funding he should be in school for those hours and the school have to have strategies and cope if they can't we would have to have an emergency review and possibly look at another school.

 

I do social skills work with him, last night we talked about his rudeness (banging his drink on the table when the teacher was addressing the class, making loud noises, screams, roaring, the list goes on) and as he is mad about Star Wars we wrote 2 headings on 'The light side' and 'The dark side' under which we put polite and acceptable behaviours and examples of good manners and under the dark side the rude and unacceptable behaviours. He got it and agreed he wanted to be on the 'light side' like Luke Skywalker. But without prompts of 'be like Luke Skywalker' or 'Would Luke do that?' he will just carry on his way!

 

 

[Kazzen161]

I think you are right - the school are delaying it.

 

If the LA are saying he should be in full-time and you are saying it, I don't understand how the school are getting away with it.

 

You could perhaps write a letter to the school, with a copy to the LA, saying that as from September your child will be in school full-time. If the school has any issues with this, then they need to take it up with the LA and get advice from the EPs , etc.

 

If he is in school, with the right supprt, his behaviour will improve over time. LSAs are not there just to contain melt-downs, they are there to prevent them and to teach better ways of responding.

 

You say your son forgets to behave politely without prompting - that is how it willl be to start. You may need to say "remember to say on the light side" to start with, but eventually you will be able to say "light?" or just give a certain look/gesture, and he will remember. One day it will become a habit, and he will not need prompting.

[julie1]

I agree with kazzen, the school need to do better and support your son more, he should be in full time education. The school should not be aloud to pick and choose when your son is in school, he is missing the oppertunities that other children are having, isnt that discrimination ? I would write to thr LA and explain that it is not good enough and your son is entitiled to a full time education. good luck and may the force be with you.

[Locwood]

We don't really have enough information about how this part-time schooling came about. Sometimes it is done officially, in the best interests of the child, and as part of a plan to gradually increase the hours. Sometimes it is done unofficially, in the interests of the school! (I would guess that the school is not giving back any of the money they are not using + they are saving themselves 5 hours a week).

 

I would be expecting them to stick to a plan to increase the hours of attendance within a reasonable amount of time, otherwise they need to admit they cannot meet your child's needs even with all that 1:1, and a better placement needs to be found. Your son is entitled to a full-time education. By missing parts of the week, he is not getting his "broad and balanced curriculum".

 

What reason are they giving for him not attending full-time?

 

Hi, I am new to this forum! I am mum to a 5yr old boy with asd (for want of a short word) Schools can be a law to themselves. Once a child has reached 5 they are entitled to a full time place at school, irrespective of what needs a child may have. I have been through so much at school in this first year and boy does it feel like banging your head against a brick wall!!! Have you explored the options of a transition period to increase his hours so that by the end of this term he has experienced a full day at least once? He has every right to be there, every right to have the same access to the schools curriculum and not being there isn't helping. (Schools are quick enough to moan if you take children out for a holiday!!)

 

Have behavioural support been into school to help put strategies in place so that your son can cope. You have said the school are "waiting for him to cope". Do they understand what coping is for him? Are you having support from an outreach autism/aspergers behavioural speacialist? I really don't like the word cope, children should be able to enjoy and thrive at school. With the right strategies in place there is no reason why your son should not be at school. Is he allowed shut down time at school? Is he given frequent opportunities to run off his steam in between learning activities? Does he have the usual visual timetables, routines at school. Basic things to give him the opportunity to be succesful in "coping". A reward scheme in school for not banging his cup (for example) might be useful. When he has filled a jar to the top he has a reward (something pre discussed with you and school). I could go on with ideas. Ideas that are achievable without a 1:1

 

Good luck.