Boring,boring,boring.

[Karen A]

Ben returned to school on Wednesday.

A school rebuild is planned for the upper school.

Year 7-9 were supposed to be at the lower school after the summer with portacabins being installed to make space for year 9.

The portacabins were not finished in time.

So year 7-9,12-13 are now at the upper school and years 10-11 are at the lower school.

We found out a week before the lads went back.

Hence new building on different site with no preparation for Ben.

He appears to have had no TA support since return to school on Wednesday.

Following an incident in a lesson on Friday when Ben was bullied by two pupils,one of whom created ongoing difficulties last year we discovered that school staff have not been told which pupils in their classes have SEN yet.

 

This morning after a lovely summer and a great end to last year Ben was so worked up he was throwing things around the house and yelling.

 

I know that the LA have issued fewer funded Statements for transition pupils this year so that the school are probably using every TA they have there.

The teachers have all had to cope with changed site and a timetable organised in a few days.

Year 7 are on a different site to the one where they had induction.

There is a new SENCO in post.

 

But it is just all very tedious what more can I say.

I had dared to think about what I could do with my time and I don't want to have to send more Emails.

Karen.

[Sally44]

I have always found you to be very reasonable in your requests and expectations of how your son's needs should be met in school. Be very careful that you do not make excuses for school. Although all the difficulties they are having are very real that does not mean your son does not need all the support and provision he has detailed in his Statement. As you know things can deteriorate very quickly especially where teenagers are involved. The school and ultimately the LEA are responsible for the funding of the Statement.

 

In my experience I did allow school time to put things in place, and when I finally pushed for the provision in the Statement at the Annual Review, the LEA whammed me with a total re-assessment and have thrown out everything from the original Statement in section 3. You do have judicial review on your side if you need it.

 

I would email the SENCO and list the changes and lack of support etc and ask for a meeting with the SENCO and the teacher/TA asap so that things do not deteriorate and undo all the good work so far. I think that is perfectly reasonable, and for you to be given written assurances and timescales of when things will be in place.

[Karen A]

I have always found you to be very reasonable in your requests and expectations of how your son's needs should be met in school. Be very careful that you do not make excuses for school. Although all the difficulties they are having are very real that does not mean your son does not need all the support and provision he has detailed in his Statement. As you know things can deteriorate very quickly especially where teenagers are involved. The school and ultimately the LEA are responsible for the funding of the Statement.

 

In my experience I did allow school time to put things in place, and when I finally pushed for the provision in the Statement at the Annual Review, the LEA whammed me with a total re-assessment and have thrown out everything from the original Statement in section 3. You do have judicial review on your side if you need it.

 

I would email the SENCO and list the changes and lack of support etc and ask for a meeting with the SENCO and the teacher/TA asap so that things do not deteriorate and undo all the good work so far. I think that is perfectly reasonable, and for you to be given written assurances and timescales of when things will be in place.

 

I am needing to think very carefully about what to do next.

My problem is that Ben has been doing well.

I know that my LA has changed the criteria for funding provision and it is now much more difficult to obtain a Statement than a few years ago.

So if I raise issues with the LA they may call an emergency review.

The SENCO is new,Ben did extremely well academically last year and school does tend put a positive spin on things for the LA so I worry that if the LA review the Statement they could reduce the provision which we fought so hard to obtain.Which would make things worse rather than better.

 

I will see how Ben gets on today,talk with OH tonight and probably Email the SENCO to fire a warning shot across the boughs.

Karen.

[BusyLizzie100]

But it is just all very tedious what more can I say.

I had dared to think about what I could do with my time and I don't want to have to send more Emails.

Karen.

 

I so know what you mean!!! Feel like that myself. We also have a new Senco, and a new head, but how much 'settling in time' should we allow them? My son's mental health issues won't go on pause while they get used to their new offices!!

 

I sent my first warning shot across the bows on the first day back - mainly because DS1 had been up until 4am stressing about not knowing who his form teacher would be in Year 8, where to go, who the TA would be...

 

It really does get tedious, doesn't it?!

 

Lizzie xx

[justine1]

I am needing to think very carefully about what to do next.

My problem is that Ben has been doing well.

I know that my LA has changed the criteria for funding provision and it is now much more difficult to obtain a Statement than a few years ago.

So if I raise issues with the LA they may call an emergency review.

The SENCO is new,Ben did extremely well academically last year and school does tend put a positive spin on things for the LA so I worry that if the LA review the Statement they could reduce the provision which we fought so hard to obtain.Which would make things worse rather than better.

 

I will see how Ben gets on today,talk with OH tonight and probably Email the SENCO to fire a warning shot across the boughs.

Karen.

Oh dear Karen,not very nice <'> I think it will be a good start to speak to the SENCO,asap really.Then at least you if you do take things furthur it shows you have gone through the proper channels.

 

I know Ben has done so well and thats great Maybe some of the help he was getting has contributed to this, so if the help is no longer there it is possible he may not cope as much even more so if the work is getting more difficult.So definatley a good idea to let them know all of your concerns.

[JsMum]

I would just email the senco and give her a briefe explanation of Bens recent decline in his behaviour/anxieties that a result of a number if issues, such as relocation, lack of TA support and Recent Bulling behaviour, and express you are concerned about your son and what you would like the school to have in place by a set date.

 

If you keep quiet and dont do nowt because you dont want to ruffle feathers due to complications over new staff and reloaction of building and mobile building that have not arrived then it could be harder to deal with further down the road, it sounds like the school due to the situation they are in isnt going to be solved quickly so making it unlikely you can leave this so things can settle a little bit, by then also your son may of deteriated even futher.

 

I would put it in writing the situation now so they are at least aware of Bens issues and your concerns now.

 

JsMumx

[call me jaded]

As ever it is the squeaky wheel that gets oiled, unfortunately. It's a nightmare start to the term for the entire school but you just need to get it on record that there has been a distinct deterioration in his ability to cope because of all the changes.

[Kazzen161]

I agree with JsMum - e-mail the SENCO and word it as "I don't know if you are aware that Ben has been very stressed since returning to school. Whilst I appreciate that some things are beyond your control, I would appreciate it if he gets the support he needs to settle back into school." Then list the issues.

 

If nothing changes over the next two weeks, get stroppy.

 

I have just gone back to work in a school and we also have building works. It has caused a lot of problems, and even the staff are finding it very stressful.

[Karen A]

Thanks for all the ideas you are great.

 

I was very fed up yesterday.

It is very stressful for the staff and all of the other pupils and after half-term they will all have to change sites again once the portacabins are complete.

However I am reluctant to let things drift too long.

 

We are very fortunate that because our elder son is in year 10 many staff now know us well.

The teacher who was in the lesson where bullying was an issue on Friday knows us fairly well as she has taught J for three years and did not need much of a tip off.

Apparently the individual in question was hardly in the classroom door yesterday,commented to Ben ''See you are back for more '' and was made aware in no uncertain terms that his game was up.

Edited September 14, 2010 by Karen A

[Karen A]

I thought I would up date on this thread and my other one which covers some of the same ground.

I decided to give school some room and see what happened as I was aware of the building work etc etc.

Ben had a cold over the weekend and was not well enough to go to school yesterday.

I decided he was well enough to go back today and only managed to get him there at 0930 having had a difficult two hours and listened to a list of worries from last week.

 

I phoned the SENCO who gave three different versions of the support he has been having .

Support was used for year seven in the first week to get them settled and they are introducing support for year 8 from today.

Support was used for year seven but some pupils with ASD including Ben did recieve some support because they are vulnerable.

Finally after I said that I thought provision in Statements applied to provision in Statements and although it was none of my business I did not think it was legal to not provide provision for children with Statements to use it for other pupils whether they had ASD or not.... another variation which I do not remeber but assured me the situation would be resolved.

 

I knew the SENCO very well because although she is a new SENCO she has previously been a subject teacher.

I am afraid she may have seen a more assertive side to me.

I am not certain what support was being provided but she now knows that I will be monitoring what is being provided very carefully in the next few days.

 

Several staff may have now learned what happens when Ben is not appropriately supported and people are not aware of his needs.He can become very challenging indeed.

Karen.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Karen A

[Karen A]

I want to do something else other than be a parent.

Having decided Ben was well enough to return to school and having been reluctant to allow him another day off I have just had an Email from the HOY who has just taught him and thinks he is loaded with cold.

I have phoned to offer to go back for him if they think he is not well enough.

Karen.