school and hidden agendas

[pumpkinpie]

My daughter has a statment which states she needs fulltime support. Every year we fall into the same pattern the first half term is hard work and it is usually takes until after xmas for them to listen to me handle her differently and things to settle down.

This year within the first 5 wksI was asked to see head 3 times, a behaviour plan was done and school keen to get outside agencies involved(always been reluctant to do this in the past) I was told support didnt like my child. They seem surprised when I pointed out if they were negative with her then this would have an impact on her behavoiur and self estem. I had an hr long meeting with ed psych who was pleased school was bringing in an expert I recommended.

Spoke to senco to check when coming in and told head had cancelled them indefinetley. Spoke to head who says behaviour is not now main issue but the bigger picture ie life skills. What is going on????

[ksasnic]

funding - all to do with money..

Nicks last school wouldn't help kept ignoring his problems despite my getting proof etc plus statement - having us at the school mucked up their 100% ofsted scoring so they did everything to discourage us and in effect force us to leave the school.. we left and ofsted score left intact, and a problem they had managed to avert..

really peeves me off .

 

good luck with your school

 

and nil bastrdi corborendum or something like that !! lol

[phasmid]

Pumpkinpie, what age are we talking about here? Not got enough info to really say much at the moment.

[pumpkinpie]

Shes IN YEAR3.

[phasmid]

Ok. My first concern is the statement 'I was told support didn't like my child.'

 

There are times I have had to support children I don't like (for various reasons). Tough luck me! It's my job to support them. I have never, ever, to the best of my knowledge let the child know this. That would be highly unprofessional. It should make no difference to the support your child should get whether the TA/LSA/CSA like them or not! If the head is aware of this and has not addressed it I would want to know why?

 

My second is not working with specialist outside agencies. Why on earth would you not accept help if its on offer - beyond me.

 

I suggest you write to the head and ask for the reasons the external support meetings were cancelled. Once we have these we can move on to what we can do about it. When you write the letter set a time limit for the reply (a week or so into the new term would be best). From this point forward all questions to be put in writing, likewise all answers only accepted in the same format.

 

Sorry it isn't possible to offer a quicker solution to you but I will happily guide you through this.

[phasmid]

Oh, and welcome to the forum. We are a friendly bunch on here. Happy to help share good times and bad, pass on our experiences and knowledge all in equal measure. This is a good place.

[pumpkinpie]

I was thinking that I need to write. My childs been off school ill for weeks and just started coming intio school for visits. Its felt like they prefer this . In her sen review no mention was made off postponing visist indefinetley or putting off her annual review due in march until summer. I found this out last week.

To be told behaviour wasnt major concern and that it was bigger picture they want advice on is a complete turn around. I was told in review behaviour was blocking her learning and stopping progress. So what are they on about????

ED psych said school staff negative and were putting forward mixed placement which I dont agree with.

Are they setting her up to fail??

[Suze]

Pumpkin pie.This sounds awful, there appears to be alot more going on as regards the school and LEA.It seems the school are deliberately trying to make this place ment fail.They are definitely failing in the best interests of your daughter and her education.Has she been at this school, since sept, or has she spent all her school life there.If so have these problems only just started to occur, or were having problems before?I can,t believe they,ve put the annual review date back, makes no sense to do this ever, for a statemented child........crazy .What you mentioned about the ed physch saying the staff were negative is very worrying.Phasmid is brill and will help you through this, good luck, stay with us the forum is great .

[pumpkinpie]

Shes been at this school all her school life. Its getting worse. I think the head is blaming it all now on personalities of her old support assistants who were both leaving at xmas.She thought the sun shone out of their bottoms before ! She has 2 new supports starting and I thought brill get the training in early. I wanted it their second week so they could see her and then be getting advice. I feel to wait until feb half term at earliest for them to get to know her and see if problems reaccur is madness.

School has broken up now . Should I be talking to ed psych now or is that only going to make school more defensive.

[pumpkinpie]

Theyve not put her review back but are thinking of asking the lea, I think part of the reason is the deputy has just left and the class teacher/senco is now acting deputy. When they said about it I was a bit taken back and said I d no strong feelings but now the more I think about it the more concerned it is about schools convienience and not my childs.

[phasmid]

but now the more I think about it the more concerned it is about schools convienience and not my childs.

 

Exactly!

 

You have summed it up in a nutshell in that one line. This clearly has little to do with your daughters needs and everything to do with making things easier for the school. I would still suggest a letter goes in asking for the reason why the school want to put it back.

Edited December 19, 2005 by phasmid

[pumpkinpie]

Just being able to talk to people who dont think I am over reacting is brilliant. That you guys. Should I contact ed psych?

[phasmid]

Just being able to talk to people who dont think I am over reacting is brilliant.

 

That's because we know what your going through. As I said, this is a good place, we listen first and then offer help or laughter or a shoulder to cry on - each as necessary. As for the EP, hmm...you could ask if the school have been in touch re Annual review meeting and see what response you get.

Edited December 19, 2005 by phasmid

[pumpkinpie]

Does anyone have any feelings re sen governor?

[phasmid]

SEN governor would/should hand this to CoG as it would not really come under their remit to become involved in this sort of difficulty.

[LKS]

pumpkinpie if anyone can help you get through this its Phasmid. I am not going to offer any suggestions as eventually he will work out the best course of action for you. Staff shortages or people leaving is a rubbish exscuse for postponing the annual review. At my daughters first one in the infants the senco had left, the head had left, we had an acting head who was drafted in from a school she was already head at! Yet we still managed to have the meeting. I hope the LEA come down like a ton of bricks on your school. Re sen governors ours once asked to sit in on my daughter's annual review so she could see the support that was provided by the school!!. She is very much influenced by the COG and I don't think she is particularly interested in this role she has been given. I'm sure a lot of sen governors are very good.

[pumpkinpie]

I am just guessing the reason. I was in school for the review in nov and nothing was mentioned about postponing the review until summer, and it should have been - I think. School have gone from being nice when my child was initally ill to very defensive when I have asked questions ie work to do at home, professinals in etc. It is this postponement that has really got to me especially as I feel I have found out about it by accident.

Like you I have had trouble getting the p results and was told that for numeracy I was an intelligent person and can work it out myself.

[pumpkinpie]

In a week shell be back at school and I need to have aplan of action. The kids at this school are great and she seesm happy. I know shes not easy but shes not as bad as shes being painted I really feel shes being set up to fail??

How do we start this year and show school we mean business.?? Help!

[phasmid]

Ok. This is the way to go, it is important to do this the right way. There is a protocol to follow before a 'complaint' can be made so what you do is alert them to the fact that you are fully aware of their responsibilities to your child under the SEN CoP. That will be the purpose of the letter you will send them. You are going to have to stand firm on this and not allow the school to fob you off, the CoP is there to safeguard the provison in place for your child and they are obliged to adhere to it. You need to write a letter to the head (CC to CoG if you feel that may help although that may be a bit premature at this stage). You need to ask them specific questions based around the following sections of the SEN Code of Practice:

 

1. Sect 9.1 of the SEN CoP where it is clearly stated that annual reviews MUST be carried out within 12 months of the previous review or issuing of a statement.

 

2. Sect 9.10 states the LEA will issue a list of pupils at the school who are due to be reviewd this term.

 

3. Sect 9.13 states (clearly) that parental evidence must be requested.

 

4. Sect 9.21 states that where there are difficulties in getting all interested parties together for the meeting this can be overcome by advanced notification being given to everyone so that they may submit written evidence.

 

At no point does the CoP allow for this review meeting to take place outside the 12 months limit - this is simply not allowed.

 

So your letter needs to ask the following:

 

In view of sect 9.1 of the SEN CoP why has it been felt acceptable for my childs review meetin to be arranged for some 'X' months after the last review/issuing of statement? (Also point out to them that the CoP DOES NOT allow for the annual review to be carried out later than 12 months).

 

The LEA will be expecting the review to be carried out this term, indeed my child will be named on the list issued by them to you, as outlined in sect 9.13 of the CoP. What reason is being given to them for the delay in the review being carried out? Have they sanctioned this, if so who has authorised this delay on their behalf.

 

I understand that not all interested parties may be able to attend the review meeting as explained in sect 9.21 of the CoP, however all parties should be notified of the date of the review far enough in advance for them to submit written evidence to the review meeting in lieu of their attendence. Why is this not the case for my childs review.

 

It is also important to give them a time limit in which to reply to you - say, 5-7 working days. DO NOT accept a verbal response, you need to build a paper trail of eveidence of their response for future use. I would then sit back and wait for their response. Once you get it, or if you don't, we will go from there.

 

Hope that helps.

[pumpkinpie]

Thanks for that phasmid

Is it possible to do this course of action and still be a governor/sen governor?

[phasmid]

Do you have a partner/husband who could write the letter?

[pumpkinpie]

no that would have been an idea though.

[phasmid]

Hmm, that does complicate the issue somewhat. One way around it could be to start the letter with something along the lines of:

 

I am writing to you as the parent of 'X'.

 

This 'removes', in effect, your governors hat and puts the parent one on. I'll have a word with Mrs P when she comes in and see what she thinks, she is more up to date than me on governor issues.

[pumpkinpie]

That would be great I think having me around makes them uncomfortable. A friend with an sen child resigned as governor last yr because of school practices, wasnt aware until I spoke to her recently.

[phasmid]

Do you have a copy of the schools SEN policy? (You ought to have one as SEN governor anyway) It would be interesting to see what they say in it about reviews/IEPs, BSPs etc.

[pumpkinpie]

Thanks for the advice I will check out the policies when the kids are back at school. Before we broke up I chased a reply to the concerns I raised at the sen review in nov. Would you refer to these as well? I have been trying to get them to improve communications for so long its a joke I keep asking same things. I am concerned about attitude to p levels being told to work it out myself. But is school going to use lack of progress as away of getting her out of school?

[phasmid]

Right, we have had a chat about this and the fact that you are the appointed SEN governor does cause a bit of a problem. There is no reason for you to step down as a governor per se, although being SEN governor is something we think it better for you to give up. It looks as if the school are not adhering to the CoP and, as you are questioning this, it is in conflict with the SEN governship role.

 

As for the issue of p-scales. Look up Hectors House thread about this on 'education'. I simply suggest you follow the same advice I gave there as I can see no reason why your case is any different to HH's. As long as you follow the correct procedure on complaints that evryone else should follow the school cannot make you give up your governors role.

 

It does sound likt they are in need of a reminder of their obligations to your daughter under the terms of the CoP. They might not like it, but they're going to have to live with it!

[pumpkinpie]

In our area the lea is reissuing amended stateemnts with their new funding formaula on them. I am querying ours and waiting a meeting with the lea. Does this affect things as it says final statement on it?

[pumpkinpie]

Phamsid what do you think about the amended statement , does it affect the review date?

[phasmid]

If they follow the laid down procedure in the CoP it should make no difference to your review date. The CoP states this MUST take place within 12 months. They CANNOT go outside this for any reason I can find in the CoP - ammendments taking place or not, the CoP says 'within 12 months'.

[pumpkinpie]

I am really not looking forward to taking her back to school on tuesday. Shes got 2 new support assistants starting that day as well, its going to be a shock for the system as shes been off school ill since october.

I really feel out of my depth sometimes wanting to trust school but every time I relax something goes wrong.

With my others it was so easy. Its the attitude that makes it hard I can cope(usually) its the professionals I meet that make life hard.

[LKS]

PP if your daughter has been off ill since October, are school expecting her to go straight back into full time school just like that 2 new assistants as well this seems to me like it could be a bit of a nightmare. There have been many postings on here where children have been off school for a while and how important it is to carefully manage their re-intergration. Perhaps the school are in some sort of perverse way trying to prove how much support she needs but really is anyone going to be very surprised if things go wrong on Tuesday. Fingers crossed they don't. Good luck

[pumpkinpie]

I am concerned too.But she was improving in dec and I felt school was very reluctant to have her back . I felt they were saying lets reintegrate her but on there terms ie afternnons when she was better in the morning etc. Part of me thinks if I let them off the hook I will never get her back into school.

[pumpkinpie]

lETTERS ARE WRITTEN pHASMID AS ADVICED. Not looking forward to tomorrow!

[phasmid]

Well done you. They cannot simply decide to do, or rather not do, the review to suit themselves. They may not like it but it is written in the CoP that this is the way it is to be done.

[pumpkinpie]

School went well and new supports seemed very nice. Head said hello this morning so cant have got the letter yet.

[phasmid]

Well it got off to a good start at least...

 

Maybe the letter was opened and they are now aware they are dealing with a parent who knows their rights etc. That often results in a change of attitude!

[LKS]

pumpkinpie glad to hear first day went well

[pumpkinpie]

Wishing you good luck for tomorrow too

[pumpkinpie]

I still have not heard anything from school about my letter BUT yesterday there was a brilliant note about what was being planned lesson wise over the next 2 weeks. I was really chuffed. It is not everything I asked for but at tleast it is a step in the right direction.

For a bit I felt guilty about the letter and then I thought no. I have been asking for basic info for years so there is still a need to keep chipping away. BUT as new staff saeem really nice I dont want to loose anyones good will? So I aM TRYING TO STAY STRONG BUT IT ISNT EASY WHEN ALL YOU WANT IS AN EASY LIFE AND A BIT OF PEACE TO KEEP YOUR SANITY.