Statements

[LKS]

Hi everyone, was just going through all of my paperwork ready for annual review for my son next week. I had already been through it before, this was just a final going-over. On previous threads I had mentioned how my LEA were a bit slow in sending out the ammended statements naming the secondary school in February. In fact I was told they were supposed to send a proposed ammended statement and then we had 15 days to appeal. We however just got an ammended statement and when I queried it the officer at the LEA said as long as I was happy with the school that had been named that was O.K. I thought I had checked it quite well because all that was supposed to change was part 4 the placement. While I was going through it today and picking out relevant bits to discuss at the review I spotted something that had been added! aaaaaahhhhh. It still says ***** will receive 15 hours of learning assistant support per week (this was section a in the educational provision, but added on in section h it says support to meet *****'s sen will be the equivalent of 2 and a half hours of teaching and 5 hours of learning support assistance per week. What the hell does this mean . Further on next page funding to meet the provision as outlined above will be through the devolved resources allocated to schools by the LEA for children with SEN, in addition to what the school is expected to provide at School Action Plus. I already new a bit about the funding issue but really they have added 2 things to this statement without my agreement. I feel such a fool for not checking everything, but as I said I thought the only thing changing was the name of the school. Have I completely messed this up Please all give me some advice

[call me jaded]

Can you tell me a bit about the new school? Is it mainstream?

 

There are two things you can do:

 

1. Make a a formal complaint to the LEA (ask for a copy of thier complaints policy and follow it to the letter). Follow that up with a complaint to the DFES (who will only get involved once you have exhausted the LEA policy). It could just possibly be that the LEA has devolved funding to the school and the provision is the same, but funded differently. Just a remote chance that this is so.

 

2. Put in a request for an early review of the statement. There are time restraints on this unless there is a substantial change of circumstances. The Code of Practice has guidance.

 

And the third thing (of two) is check with IPSEA or NAS.

[LKS]

thanks jaded up very early this morning couldn't sleep . The school my son will be going to is a mainstream secondary school. I feel so stupid for not checking this statement, just goes to show how you can get caught out. I have always checked the others so thoroughly I am going to make sure I'm waiting at 10 ready for IPSEA to open. I tried to see if the LEA had a copy of their complaints procedure to download but couldn't find it. The review is Monday! Should I try and get it postponed

[Infojunkie]

Hi LKS,

 

If you need to get the meeting postponed, check what date you received the 'advices' from the school. It should have been (according to the code of practice) at least 2 weeks before the date of the meeting. If it wasn't (and that is often the case) you could write the school a letter quoting the bit if the Code of Practice that says this and asking for a delay which should then be granted.

 

Hope this might help you get a delay.

[call me jaded]

Sorry, I was tired when I wrote and missed that the review hadn't happened.

 

All is not lost! If the review is on Monday, you can raise it then!

[LKS]

Spoke to IPSEA. She was great but did say as I had missed the 2 month appeal deadline, if I went to tribunal I probably wouldn't get very far as the LEA had sent out the standard letter stating if I didn't agree with the statement etc. etc. She thought the LEA had been very sneaky but wasn't surprised. She thinks the bit about 2 and a half hours of teaching is a bit ambiguous and I should try to get them to clarify this. Son has never had extra teaching in primary but if necessary works in smaller groups in classroom. She thought that I should ask for this to be tightened up for secondary. Also she thought it was necessary to ask the LEA to specify what they expect the secondary school to provide at school action plus. There were a couple of other little things that she thought would be good to add to the statement. If I can get the LEA to agree to this then they wiil send me a new proposed ammended statement and then I can make sure I check really carefully! But she did warn that the LEA do not have to change anything on this statement. If I don't have a satisfactory outcome of this review I am going to call her again and she is going to help me compose a letter to the director of education to express my concern at how this statement was issued. She believes the funding might now be going directly to the secondary school, but really this should have been discussed with me and explained.

[call me jaded]

Sounds like you're all ready! Good luck.

[Helen]

We however just got an ammended statement

LKS,

 

How recent is your amended Statement? If it was issued within the last two months then you can appeal and your LEA should have sent you the standard letter informing of your your right to appeal.

[LKS]

Helen the statement was issued on the 15 Feb. and I received the standard letter from the LEA, so technically they've done nothing wrong. BUT they assured me the only thing changing on this statement was the naming of the placement of his secondary schoo. I really really didn't realise that they might sneakily try to put something different in. I shall never trust them again ( not that I did anyway!)

[Helen]

LKS, thanks for the clarification

[LKS]

Had a very interesting annual review on Monday. Son's last one in primary school. The LEA decided not to send a representative so no-one could clarify for me the extra bit that had been added to the statement. To be honest the primary school didn't really care as son is leaving in July and the Senco from the secondary school said it doesn't matter really what hours are stated as they all have to come out of their devolved budget. Should I take that as meaning don't push for extra hours support as you are unlikely to get it. I know I have mentioned on previous threads about high incidence statements and low incidence statements. On my LEA's website under their guidelines for stat. ass. it states only pupils with low incidence needs will be considered for stat. ass. these needs are usually classed as severe and profound. The high incidence needs includes behaviour,social and emotional difficulties, mild and moderate learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties including dyslexia and dyspraxia, communication disorders including autism and mild physical sensory impairments. I know as my son has a statement this shouldn't really boyher me but basically anyone that has a statement because of those high incidence needs will loose the funding that goes with their statement. I don't care what the LEA says about the benefits of money going straight to schools we all know this is just another cost cutting exercise from an LEA and one that will make it even harder for schools to cater for children with SEN :angry:Sorry I've gone off on one a bit. There were points that I wanted changed on the statement that I felt would be much more relevant for son's transfer to secondary but no-one seems to be interested.

[Zemanski]

all the funding issues are not your responsibility

 

anything in part 3 of the statement must be provided by law and the LEA is responsible for this even if they devolve funding to the school, how it is funded is not supposed to be our concern but LEAs often try to make us feel responsible.

The low-incidence/high-incidence thing is just an internal measure that they use to determine which budget the money comes from .

 

Unfortunately this can mean schools finding quite large sums from their own budgets so the school may well not want you to ask for more hours but if your son needs them then you are right to ask for them and if the school has a problem with the funding then that is between them and the LEA who are ultimately responsible for meeting the needs and providing the provision in the statement.

 

Com's school took issue with taking him over the numbers because of funding at tribunal and they were told that they had to sort it out with the LEA.

I supported them in asking (Com costs over 8000 over the extra funding the LEA allocated to the school and he was an extra child they hadn't budgeted for) but only because I was already raising issues with the ombudsman.

 

good luck

 

Zemanski

[LKS]

Have just received a copy of the annual review report. Can anyone tell me are you supposed to get copies of the minutes as well? The annual review report didn't cover anywhere near the things we discussed in the review. I'm still waiting for the LEA to clarify the hours in the statement as well. What worries me about this statement is it does not mention many things that are a problem to my son e.g. his literal interpretation , his lack of understanding of humour(sarcasm,irony) his dislike of being touched , his lack of organisation, his poor presentation and writing skills his tendancy to answer questions in an inappropriate manner e.g. ***** would you like to tell the class............ son answers no! All of these things have been understood by his primary teacher and LSA, but how will everyone at secondary get to know(I have been trying to compose a letter as suggested by Phasmid) ,but should these points and others be in his statement as they were mentioned as real concerns by primary school.

[Helen]

Have just received a copy of the annual review report. Can anyone tell me are you supposed to get copies of the minutes as well?

LKS,

 

Yes you should have received a copy of the minutes. The minutes should have mentioned everything that has been discussed in the review.

The annual review report didn't cover anywhere near the things we discussed in the review.

Perhaps the annual review report is the equivalent to the minutes? I've previously received in my son's annual review a record of my son's attaintment levels and afterwards the minutes... I'm not sure what you have received.

Anyway, if certain pieces of information have not been included in the report/in the minutes you need to write to the school and mention what the school has failed to include - copy this letter to the LEA. You must literally set the record straight.

What worries me about this statement is it does not mention many things that are a problem to my son e.g. his literal interpretation , his lack of understanding of humour(sarcasm,irony) his dislike of being touched , his lack of organisation, his poor presentation and writing skills his tendancy to answer questions in an inappropriate manner

My son's weaknesses and strengths are noted in the EP's 'psychological advice', this information is also noted in Part 2 of his Statement.

[LKS]

What I received was a report on the annual review of a statement of special educational needs. This is a form devised by the LEA to record to record attendance, progress, current provision, outside agency support and planning for the coming year. What is filled in on this form is not representative of everything that was discussed in the meeting.

[LKS]

have just received letter from LEA regarding my query about funding of hours. In statement part that says educational peovision to meet needs ans objectives it said a) ***** will receive 15 hours of learning support assistant per week in addition to what the school are expected to provide at scholl action plus. they then added h) support to meet *****'s special educational needs will be the equivalent of 2 and a half hours of teaching and 5 hours of learning support assistant per week to be used flexibly by the school in addition to what the school is expected to provide at sa+

 

Anyway letter says when pupils reach secondary transfer stage we are obliged to put the level of funding and stipulated hours. Some of the old statements do not have this. *****'s level of funding stipulates 2 and a half hours teaching and 5 hours LSA. This is a set amount for communication difficulties and can be used flexibly by the school. All new statements and ammended statements must now show this funding paragraph. Primary school have used this funding to provide 15 hours of LSA support and this has been put in the statement. When ***** starts at secondary school this may change and they will review the support needed and therefore the statement may be ammended.. I also questioned what schools should provide at SA+ LEA says it will depend on how the professionals from outside agencies involved suggest support is used for child the level of support will also depend on the availability of resources from their own budgets. I'm sorry to seem dim but I'm confused