Allocation of Educational Psychologist time

[Sally44]

I've got my son's annual review soon.

I've just been looking on my LEAs website about EP time according to SEN.

I am apalled to have found a document that apparently decides how much EP time a school should receive according to the number of children that receive free school meals. What has that got to do with SEN???

[wasuup]

I think it is based on the idea that free school meals = deprived area/deprived area =more SEN?

[Sally44]

Its printing out now as I type. It lists every school within the LEA and details how much EP time is allocated to them according to free school meals. This means that even special schools are receiving less EP input that a secondary school in a poor area. Why is it assumed that those receiving free school meals will have an SEN?? How can a non SEN school be receiving 18+ hours when a special school is only receiving 6. I am shocked and appalled.

[lisac]

Well i never knew that .

[JsMum]

I never knew that either, we did use to get free school meals but J hated schools dinners, he hates Jamie Oliver because of the changes, though I understand its for the better, trying telling him that when they changed his favourate chicken nuggests to the more healthy ones, that he now wont go any where near them.

 

I think thats actually out of order to go by free school meals.

 

JsMumxxx

 

[Karen A]

Its printing out now as I type. It lists every school within the LEA and details how much EP time is allocated to them according to free school meals. This means that even special schools are receiving less EP input that a secondary school in a poor area. Why is it assumed that those receiving free school meals will have an SEN?? How can a non SEN school be receiving 18+ hours when a special school is only receiving 6. I am shocked and appalled.

 

Although it may not be very accurate the use of free school meals is frequently used as an indicator of levels of deprivation.Although it obviously does not apply to ASD there is a recognised link between deprivation and other forms of SEN.

I live in the second most deprived borough in the country according to all recognised indicators.

My boys do not go to our local secondary because I would not believe they would be safe there.The police have to patrol outside and a TA was murdered at home on a local estate in the last few months.The situation for many of the pupils is pretty desperate.So it is logical in my opinion that they should recieve more EP time than some other schools.The levels of BESD are probably extremely high and general levels of literacy and numeracy are far lower than in comparable schools in less deprived areas.It is common for pupils to have parents who speak little English.

All of the pupils at the local specialist provision already have Statements so one would expect things to be fairly settled in most cases.The teachers are also extremely well trained in ASD.So although provision for EP input may not be as high as for other schools there is far more input from other speciailsts and staff need less support.Ben's secondary school is better than many others in the borough.However they still cater for all types of SEN.They are not ASD spesialists so they are far more likely to need support from outside agencies such as EPs.In addition a large proportion of pupils are supported at SA and SA plus so they are far more likely to require EP input.In my opinion if a Statutary Assessment has been completed and a Statement issued then the EP should not be providing much in the way of input unless there is an unexpected change.In our area EPs attend ARs however they do not provide any ongoing intervention.

 

[call me jaded]

What do you suggest they use instead?

 

There is quite a bit of research that children with SEN or disability are much more likely to come from low income single parent families. If you wait until every child has a diagnosis before you count them in that removes any hope of early support and infants schools would be up in arms. Nursery classes in some parts of my LA have huge numbers of children with severe communication difficulties that have not been flagged up because there aren't any health visitors doing 18 month checks any more. I'd rather they used a simple calculation than spent a lot of money trying to work out what the exact figure is - that's a continually moving target and you'd only ever get a 'snapshot' anyway.

 

With special schools there are a lot fewer pupils than mainstream, they will have had a cmprehensive assessment to access the school placement and it's only if there is a change of circumstances that the child needs to see an ed psych again. There is different access to clinical psychs at CAMHS for children with LD and challenging behaviour where I live and I think that's supposed to be the case nationally (but perhaps not happening everywhere).

 

I think it's OK.

[Karen A]

What do you suggest they use instead?

 

There is quite a bit of research that children with SEN or disability are much more likely to come from low income single parent families. If you wait until every child has a diagnosis before you count them in that removes any hope of early support and infants schools would be up in arms. Nursery classes in some parts of my LA have huge numbers of children with severe communication difficulties that have not been flagged up because there aren't any health visitors doing 18 month checks any more. I'd rather they used a simple calculation than spent a lot of money trying to work out what the exact figure is - that's a continually moving target and you'd only ever get a 'snapshot' anyway.

 

With special schools there are a lot fewer pupils than mainstream, they will have had a cmprehensive assessment to access the school placement and it's only if there is a change of circumstances that the child needs to see an ed psych again. There is different access to clinical psychs at CAMHS for children with LD and challenging behaviour where I live and I think that's supposed to be the case nationally (but perhaps not happening everywhere).

 

I think it's OK.

 

I agree.

It is also worth bearing in mind that the figure refers to EPs who are funded by LAs.

Clinical psychology,psychotherapy,family therapy and other professionals providing talking therapy are usually employed and funded through CAMHS so these would not be included.

 

[Kazzen161]

Our LA used to allocate SEN funding according to actual SEN in the school, but schools had to fill in forms and justify what level each child was at, which took lots of time. They now do it by a figure which includes the index of deprivation and number of free school meals.

 

This is why it is important that parents register as eligible for free school meals, even if they don't actually want to have them.

[lil_me]

It's not exact but after seeing the figures in black and white, it's about the closest match. Schools (mainstream) are also usually funded based on free school meals. If your child is entitled but takes a packed lunch make sure you still complete the paperwork in school because it does matter.

[chris54]

There are some pilot areas were all children are getting free school meals.

If this is taken up across the whole country, what would they do then.

[Sally44]

Although free school meals might be an indicator of additional need; ASD (and dyslexia and other SPLD, and physical or genetic disability are found across social backgrounds) is a diagnosis of around 1:86 children and is right across the social board. Shouldn't there be some weighting towards those kinds of conditions.