GCSE advice needed

[Sally44]

Do you have all these exclusions in writing?

 

Your son is entitled to a full time and full curriculum [if they are capable of that], in a placement that can meet his needs. If he is not coping, and as a result he is excluded, you need to highlight how this is due to his needs under his diagnoses not being met, and that it is not just him being 'naughty'.

 

So basically, because he is not in the right placement, he has missed an academic year. You need to include that in your argument for the Statement, and at the Appeal too.

 

I don't think a school can remove a child from option subjects as a punishment. Have you a letter in writing from the school detailing why they stopped him attending these lessons? Do they not think he is capable of them. The fact that his current school did this is very powerful evidence for you to be using for the placement you want. But you need it all in writing in correspondence that you can submit as your evidence.

[lilbec]

Is the school not required to keep a record of exclusions? I have not kept all of the notices that were sent home. Seemed pointless at the time. And the removing him from options as punishment was a comment made by the inclusion coordinator in a meeting which I think she realized was a mistake as soon as she said it. But I know that is why it was done and this was confirmed recently to me when the teacher for one of those options was the one who said she would let him come back to her class even if he wasn't coping with the others....If he was busy rolling himself up in the curtains while the others got on with their work she would just let him get on with it as long as he was not stopping the others from learning.

 

Again I don't have in writing why he was removed from those classes because this happened in a meeting but I would think it was obvious from the records because his disruptive behaviour is listed as the reason he was taken out of classes. I will contact this person and ask her if she will comment about it. I have now told her that we are trying to change his school and it was interesting to see the change in attitude from sullen to much more helpful. Especially since they have worked so hard to keep him there. She just does not want to deal with him any more.

 

On a more positive note I took him to see the possible new school today and for us both to meet the head of the AS unit. Amazing! It is exactly what I want!. Not so much my son because he is realizing he will be back to working hard and having homework :-) And we were there over break time so met quite a few of the boys and watched them interact. Very interesting to see a load of kids like mine! How in the world could we have been so blind?

 

[Sally44]

Then you need to type up all these things and send them in as 'clarification letters' eg. "Further to our conversation/meeting on xxxxx I want to clarify that I told you x, y and z, and you said a, b and c.

 

You need all this in letters because it is your evidence for the future if you are seeking a different placement or additonal support. It is NOT okay for a child to be left to roll themselves up in the curtain. They are at school to learn. If they cannot get his focus and attention he is in the wrong school, with the wrong environment, wrong peer group etc.

 

If you don't get it in writing no-one will admit to saying these things. People move jobs. And you could be left with no evidence at all.

 

Part of your argument for this unit is going to be how he behaves, and what the teacher said at his current mainstream placement.

[lilbec]

Have now contacted several people at the school to get all of this in writing as you suggest. In the process have come across various emails which I have saved over the past 4 years to and from the school about behaviour, bullying etc. Makes a very interesting read to see what my impression was then knowing what I know now....Hopefully enough people will either want to help him or will at least want to get rid of him that they will all respond.

 

Interestingly, after what Sally just said about people moving on, I was just phoned by the consultant who gave the diagnosis in Feb. Apparently we were supposed to have had an appointment 2 days ago but never got anything to tell us this so of course we missed it. Now she has been offered redundancy at short notice from changes in the department and today is her last day. I really liked her too and so did my son. She has written a report ready for when the LA requests it and I told her about the possible school and unit we wanted. Hopefully she will get that added in to the report as a suggestion. But, dang it, it is a bit of a blow to hear she is going right now. And no time to have the appointment with her. Sounds like it would have just clarified things for us as a family and she will send to information on to us but it is a real shame to lose her if we need anything added. She was so indignant for him at the wasted years and inappropriate management of his behaviour. Would have been a real ally.

[lilbec]

Yet another break when everything to do with the education system seems to shut down because the schools are on holiday. But did manage to contact my son's caseworker on one of her workdays. Got confirmation that he has been granted an assessment. So have now contacted the EP directly to let her know and give her a "heads up" to prepare. Will just keep hassling people until they want to get rid of me by giving me what I want. Shame that is the way it has to be.....

[Sally44]

Find out who the EP is, speak to them about your concerns. Ask them to carry out Standarised Assessments of his cognitive ability and emotional literacy.

 

After the conversation put it all in a letter and send it to them.

 

Sometimes NHS or LA professionals try to get out of doing standardised assessments because they give a baseline reading of strengths and weaknesses. This is very important because it ties into the Statement ie. what are their needs. And by law they must quantify and specify the provision to meet each of those needs.

 

Also, if progress is not being made [ie. you have the percentile or standard scores from the standardised assessments from which to measure if there is any progress], then that allows you have to evidence of that lack of progress so you can ask for more support/therapy or even a different placement.

 

Sometimes the very assessment itself makes it clear that the child needs a different placement.

 

Without standardised assessments it can make it hard to identify what the actual difficulties are, or what level of cognitive ability the child has. It can also identify if there is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, or problems with short term or working memory.

 

Do you know if a Speech and Language Therapist is going to assess him. If they say one is not, I would write to the LA asking them to get a Speech and Language Assessment because his diagnosis means that he will have lifelong difficulties with speech and language and social communication and by law ALL OF HIS NEEDS must be included in the Statement.

 

When you find out who the SALT will be do the same, ie. phone them, ask for standardised assessments OF HIS EXPRESSIVE AND RECEPTIVE ABILITY, if the EP says she does not assess for emotional literacy ask the SALT to assess, and then put it all in a letter and send it to them.

 

Once a parent has made a request for these types of assessments it is very hard for them to get out of doing them.

 

And although EP's hands are often tied by the LA, they also have a code of conduct etc, and if they are asked the right questions, they have to give the answer. But if you don't ask, they may not do it.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Sally44

[lilbec]

Thank you Sally that is really helpful. I contact the SALT team some time ago to request an assessment and was told by the school that they had been contacted. But this was during a meeting and slightly off topic so I did not follow it well enough to know exactly what they are planning. I agree that if you make very specific requests it is much more successful and it is hugely helpful for me to know what requests to make. Thank you.

 

I tend to do a lot of email contacts also. People can access it in their own time and follow it through. It also gives me a copy of the conversation and date as I keep copies of all of it! But if that is not successful then phone calls are much more prompt. I know the EP, very keen to help and was instrumental in finally getting the correct person to see and assess my son. She has given email and phone details and sent me a copy of school reports so I have already contacted her to let her know assessment is granted. I will now contact her with these specific requests as well. But they are on holiday also as she works term times only. Sigh.

[Sally44]

Yes you can print off emails. But remember that whatever is said via the phone cannot be proved if you don't have an email about what was discussed and agreed.

 

LAs nowadays do not keep much on file deliberately so that if you do a Freedom of Information Act search you may turn up very little. They hold meetings without agendas, without notes being taken, without knowing who attended the meetings and whether your child was even discussed, and if your child were discussed there are no notes of what was the outcome of that discussion was and any agreed action to be taken by anyone at that meeting.

 

So you need to have a copy of every thing on paper in a file. You may want to do a FOI act search, but I recommend you only do that if you end up with a date for an educational tribunal.

[lilbec]

Just received a letter asking if we would like to nominate an Independent Parental Supporter. How important is it to have this sort of person and who should it be?

[Sally44]

I've not heard that description. Have they suggested anyone? And what role would they take. I suggest you simply phone and ask more about it, and then post again.

 

In our local authority they have the Parent Partnership. Whose help is rather limited as they are not proactive. And they are employed by the LA, who are often the very people you are up against.