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Who to contact at the LEA?

10 replies

northender · 12/10/2006 11:21

Am about to ring LEA again regarding ds' situation at primary school. From my long thread last week some people suggested a school advisor person specific to his school. Do these people have a title 'cos when I rang last week I'm sure I didn't get close to talking to the right person. Have searched the web but not had any luck.

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northender · 12/10/2006 11:32

Anyone?

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tiptoes · 12/10/2006 11:40

HI northender-I will have a look at my notes and see who I contacted at the time.
Will get back to you.

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northender · 12/10/2006 11:47

Thanks tiptoes it was your posts I was looking back at. When I phoned last week they weren't that helpful so I thought I might get on better if I was more specific in who I was asking for. This whole thing seems to have taken my life over at the moment should be such a happy time.

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tiptoes · 12/10/2006 12:01

Northender-now exactly what you mean about it talking over your life.

Have you checked your local county council website under education and there is a section ther for school admissions and complaints.Also there should be a whos who and a list within that of who deals with your area and school.
If you ring them they should tell you who the school advisory support person is for that paticular school.

As for the LEA I spoke to a S.I.O. schools inspection officer who should be able to help.But they should be able to guide you to the right person when you explain your problem.

Also have you a school website with the name of the LEA counciller ,if not the school should give you that information.

If I think of anything else I will let you know.

What council are you with?

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northender · 12/10/2006 12:14

Thanks tiptoes. We're in Lancashire County Council, tbh I can't find much at all on the website, will have another look now.

I just feel caught between a rock and a hard place really. I am prepared to kick up a real stink not only about the arrangement itself but how it has been handled and try to ensure the LEA is watching the school really closely. The three options are to pull him out of it which means someone elses' child goes through it,to switch schools which I think ds would find utterly devastating or to let it go ahead, give him all the support we can, make our feelings loudly known about it and make sure we and the LEA are watching them closely. This is what we've decided to do at the moment but that wasn't an easy decision or one that we feel 100% comfortable with. I also know other reception parents and so will make a big effort to keep good links with children in there.

Sorry for rambling tiptoes but it does help, MN has been an incredible support

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tiptoes · 12/10/2006 12:31

Northender-If you don't mind I will have a look at yout council website for you as they are a nuisance to find anything.

I have found a number for ACE Advisory centre for education 0808 800 5793 they might be able to help you.

It is so dificult to know what to do for the best.As you say taking him out of the school altogether would upset your ds and why should you have to.

I felt I was making a nuisance of myself and kept thinking am I over reacting but as a mother go by your instincts and if it feels wrong it probably is.My instincts were certainly proven to be right.
Will come back later after I have fed dd if i find anything else.

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northender · 12/10/2006 12:39

Have found a number for education information officer based at the library so will try them first , they might be able to help with cantacts. Thanks again tt. Will let you know later how I get on. Am going into school later to see how the mixed class works.(!)

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tiptoes · 12/10/2006 12:46

Northender-I just checked on
www.lancashire.gov.uk
clicked on A-Z at the top left hand corner.
Then search by letter,clicked on S
and then to school complaints.

There is a FAQ and contact section at the top and gives you the procedure to folow and some contact telephone numbers.

Hope I am not interfering to much but it took me a while to navigate our councils website and this was laid out much the same.

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tiptoes · 12/10/2006 12:48

Good luck northender,will check back later this evening to see how you got on.

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northender · 12/10/2006 19:24

Tiptoes, thanks for that. Rang the school advisory type person who just said they can't get involved until the matter has been through the Governors and is still unresolved. Have calmed down a bit now, ds was really happy that I went to see him in school . In my head I've got the makings of a letter to the Head copied in to the Chair of Governors and the Directorate address on the council website. Even an admission that it had all been handled badly would make us feel better but at the moment the Head reminds me of Tony Blair ie won't admit he's made any mistakes!

Had a chat to ds earlier in vague terms about how things are going at school and it really just confirmed what I already knew, that he is extremely settled in general at the school and that to move schools would be devastating for him so we won't consider that unless something major happens to change our minds. Will of course let you know what response we get from the letter(s) we send. May need it vetting by the MN editorial panel before sending anyway!