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nix

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Sorry about this but I am really worried.

 

X is probably going to be pulled back a year as is nowhere near level of current reception class due to his learning difficulties.

 

This in itself is not such a bad idea as it is a class of 32 with about 3 children with behavioural difficulties but not on sen register.

 

The next reception class will only have 17 pupils.

 

My worry is that they can count x 's 1:1 as a Ta and not have extra member of staff like they have done this year. Basically what I am trying to say is that if I took X out of the class there would still be 2 members of staff so really the person employed will not really be just for him and all the fighting for the extra money has been in vain and I bet it will be spent on those kids from his old class as they cause so much trouble it is unbeleivable.

 

Does anybody know the staff ratio per pupils ?

 

Any advice at all would be much appreciated.

 

By the way x is currently supported by 3 different support assistants on action plus from the school LEA but when the statement is finalised they are employing a new member of staff who will go up the school with him. I am having a nightmare trying to get LEA to specify and quantify the 1:1 provision of ten thousand one hundred pounds which I am assured is enough to pay for someone just for him full time I have just emailed them to hurry them along and tried to explain my concerns about the money being spent solely on him,it is also out of LEA so you would think that they would want to protect the funding also.

 

 

:crying::crying::crying:

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For the foundation stage and KS1 (this covers reception and yrs1 & 2) the class size limit of 30 pupils applies. This means 1 qualified teacher must be present for the class. More than 30 and there has to be 2 qualified teachers (there ARE exceptions to this under very particular circumstances). There is no requirement for a TA at all to assist in any classroom at any age (nursery is different). In your current situation the class is too big at 32, unless there are children covered by the exceptional circumstances in the class, it may be that 1 of the TAs is a qualified teacher -it does happen - but they would be recognised as a teacher NOT a TA!

 

If 'X' has a statement that specifies 1-1 support for a set number of hours ('full-time' is normally 25 as this covers all teaching time) then the 1-1 TA should be focused on X for this time. I can almost guarantee that this will not happen for 100% of the time (nor should it as such as the aim of a 1-1 TA should be to do themselves out of a job -eventually!!!), as by the very nature of school X will spend time with others and vice-versa so the TA will support the group at that time, but their focus is still supposed to be on X.

 

In my school the 1-1 TAs are just that and are in addition to any class TAs so it is quite normal to find 1 teacher and 2 TAs in a classroom, we do it a lot. That is what should happen. If your saying that it is likely that his 1-1 TA will become the only additional adult in the classroom they will still be focussed on X if that is what the statement provides - without a statement the school are not obliged to provide a TA, many don't simply because they cannot afford to. So if I am reading this correctly X is very lucky to have a 1-1 as he doesn't have a statement yet.

 

Looking forward the LEA are probably right with the money being enough (we get paid a pittance!) for a full-time 1-1. Though I doubt this will cover lunch and break times (periods when there are always problems for our kids. I believe, personally that this is where the first level of support should go into place!). ! person to support will be a vast improvement on 3. The support will then be consistent throughout the day and, perhaps most importantly of all, a rapport will be built up between them.

 

I hope that helps.

Edited by phasmid

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Thanks Phasmid, it always makes me feel better with your opinions.

 

The only thing I will say is that I am sure that if X did not go to that school there would still be an extra TA in the class as last year it was as such with 18 pupils.

 

My argument is that I have nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to even get the statutory assessment never mind the statement itself which was issued originally in November of last year with the request for assessment going in June of last year so my point is that I may not have bothered if there s not going to be a person employed just for him.

 

Where does the money go then ?

 

In my previous posts I mentioned the annual review from the govenors rubbing their hands together at the "much needed" extra sen funding they received in April (x' s action plus money of 9000) I cant beleive they also said " if we have any disabled pupils we have funds available immediately". It sickens me that if x was in a wheelchair they would alter corridoors, doors etc but we are all left to fight for this and even when we are successful the money is out of our hands.

 

I am sure that the school have best interests at heart but I feel that with x requiring this level of support they could spend the money on training or resourses etc but this is just not going to happen is it ?

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in a lot of schools if there is a 1-1 for a child in a class then the class is considered to have their allocation of support - I had a really hard year in my last school because of this, the TA was attached to a kid with ADHD and separation anxiety who really needed her but I also had a couple of kids with severe behavioural issues and another with ADHD and dyspraxia plus 3 with moderate learning difficulties. I had no choice but to use the TA for general support but the arrangement was that the moment her child needed her all else was dropped (most of the time unfortunately for me and the rest of the class) I asked repeatedly for general support and for support specifically for the other ADHD child who also had various other problems including physical mobility problems due to arthiritis and colour blindness but all I managed to get was 15 mins/week OT set up time with a TA for the lad - I had to manage his daily programme once she had shown him what to do.

 

you are right to be concerned - especially in reception where children need a lot of support anyway - but I think I would still prefer the smaller class - Com was so much happier with 16 than 30 when we changed his school in Y1

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A statement should state the amount of LSA hours eg 30 hours. See the IPSEA website as you can quote this ruling to your LEA.

 

The LSA is allocated to your child and moves with your child which ever class or group he is in. She is there to help the child access the curriculum and also to give your child independent.

 

An LSA is allowed to take your child along with other children out of the classroom to do group work. This is if the group work is benefical to your child.

 

We have diary that the LSA fills in and assess our child in every lesson. Not only does this identify what is happpening with your child but also helps you see how your child is being supported and what difficulties are arising.

 

You have a right to go into school and ask how the money is being spent.

 

 

Regards

 

Jen

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Can I please state that for the purpose of this thread my 'Moderator' hat has been removed. This is entirely a personal point of view posting.

 

The only thing I will say is that I am sure that if X did not go to that school there would still be an extra TA in the class as last year it was as such with 18 pupils.

 

It took my head many years of jiggling to get to the position where each class has a dedicated TA - even then they are not all 'full-time' the only ones that are full-time are all 1-1s. With the introduction of PPA time the school would have all kinds of problems without this.

 

My argument is that I have nearly had a nervous breakdown trying to even get the statutory assessment never mind the statement itself which was issued originally in November of last year with the request for assessment going in June of last year so my point is that I may not have bothered if there s not going to be a person employed just for him.

 

Where does the money go then ?

 

From your post it appears they are already supporting X, allbeit with 3 TAs, don't forget that the school are not (normally) obliged to do this even for a child on SA+. The school/LEA, you said, are seeking to employ a dedicated 1-1. So the funding generated by the statement WILL be used for him.

 

In my previous posts I mentioned the annual review from the govenors rubbing their hands together at the "much needed" extra sen funding they received in April (x' s action plus money of 9000) I cant beleive they also said " if we have any disabled pupils we have funds available immediately". It sickens me that if x was in a wheelchair they would alter corridoors, doors etc but we are all left to fight for this and even when we are successful the money is out of our hands.

 

This will sound harsh, sorry if it does but I am stating my point of view on this point. Schools are no longer exempt from the Disability Discrimination Act (they used to be on the grounds that the 'public' were not allowed the automatic right of access to LEA property) and are therefore required to be disabled friendly in the same way that your local Post Office, shops and libraries are required to be. This is not just for the benefit of pupils. When I was a governor I had many arguments with the governing body on this point. The school concerned was on 2 storeys - no lift. We would have to discriminate against prospective staff if they were unable to use stairs (for whatever reason) - illegal. Disabled parents would not be able to access certain areas of the school (not illegal then would you believe) - now illegal. When the law changed regarding disability access a 'ring- fenced' fund was made available for adaptations to schools. That particular school now has a lift. What you have to look at is the fact that in most cases the adaptations required are one-offs, once a door is widened it stays that way. Two wrongs don't make a right. One group of disabled/less-abled should not loose out or gain at the expense of the other. In the case of the sort of adaptations you mention no-one did due to the funding being made available (the argument still rages that it wasn't enough and that it had to be topped up from funding for building maintainence and repairs which is again a seperate and 'ring-fenced' budget). So I have to disagree with you on this point - it is a different issue.

 

I am sure that the school have best interests at heart but I feel that with x requiring this level of support they could spend the money on training or resourses etc but this is just not going to happen is it ?

 

Training is from a different budget again. It will (or should) happen anyway. I hate to say it but I would imagine that there are many on the forum who will sit and read your posts in awe at the level of support you child is already getting. The school sound like they are getting it very right already and plan to get it even better in the future (when the statement is finalised). What more can they do?

Edited by phasmid

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Phasmid just hi-jacking this thread slightly sorry nix but I have a bit of a query regarding 1:1 support. In our local paper whenever these positions are advertised L.S.A. etc. they all state for example this position is to support a child in year 3 with a diagnosis of Aspergers and speech and language difficulties. It usually then goes on to say that you will be required to support other children with sen if necessary. However our school seem to follow a different format. When the LSA position was advertised to support my dd (funding from LEA) it just gave a really general idea about working in the sen dept. I very nosily sent off for the job description :devil: and again a full and extensive piece about the work of the sen dept and the duties. At the bottom there was one sentance (this position is primarily to support a child in year 3) Somebody I knew applied for this position and very little mention was made of my dd (although I accept they can't go into too many details)It was more a question of how you would be supporting sen children in the class. There is another LSA position being advertised at the school now. Exactly the same huge blurb about the sen dept. nothing in the actual advert about the child concerned. Again looking at the job description on the schools website, one sentance at the end about position primarily being to support one child. I just want to know how the school can get away with this when every other school in the borough that advertises gives a clear description of the post. I did once mention this to the COG and she said that it is up to the school how they advertise a position.

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Thankyou phasmid it is just that sometimes I need to have someone to tell me everything is going to be ok I hope I don't sound ungrateful at all :notworthy:

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LKS there are pro's and cons to both adverts. In all honesty I prefer the approach of your school for two reasons:

 

1) It gives a general idea of the schools overall SEN ethos and doesn't identify (directly) the child being supported - but does make it clear SEN knowledge will be expected.

 

2) It is also looking long-term in as much as as the child makes progress the LSA may find themselves free to support other pupils, and may have to do so anyway (social skills in small groups for example).

 

More details may come out in the interview. The CoG is quite right though, the wording of such adverts is entirely up to the school.

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Thanks Phas it's nice to get another perspective :thumbs: . I would completely agree that a more general approach would be better if the school was as honourable as yours sounds. However in the cases I'm quoting it is to support statemented pupils that will need 1:1. These adverts to me give the school too much leeway to use the LSA's for the benefit of the whole school not the individual pupils that have had funding allocated to them. If you have not managed to get 1:1 designated support in your statement, the school is really free to use the LSA where they see fit. I completely agree with what you have said that part of a TA's job is to do themselves out of a job, but as it seems to be the case that only the most severe and complex needs are getting statements and hence funding this might happen less and less, certainly in mainstream.

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