Intergrated back to school

[lars]

My ds is being intergrated back to school due to last term's exclusions. DS only goes to lunch time, but is doing well, now the strategies have been put in place and does get some one to one support.
There is no talk of him going back to school full time as yet. Alot of people said this can't be right and I really don't know the legal aspect of this. LEA just go along with what the school say. Any advice please or experiences ??

[amynnixmum]

Hi lars, I am in a similar situation myself but my DS is only 4 so the school can pretty much dictate how much he can do. How old is your DS and have the school given you a written reintergration plan?

[lars]

My ds is 6 will be 7 in December. There is an intergration plan but there is no date for return full time. I am very worried about the amount of time this is taking. He has lost so much school time. lars

[amynnixmum]

Have you got a meeting scheduled to discuss his progress? We are currently having meetings every 4 weeks or so and according to my senco the max should be 8 weeks. Have you had the chance to meet the ed psych? If you are really not happy there should be an organisation near you who can act as mediators or simply offer you some support. If you cannot find them in the phonebook call your local parent and pupil support number and ask them. I have got numbers for the bournemouth and poole areas if that is any help.

[lars]

No we do not have meeting every 4 wks in touch with behaviour support. I t's like they all stick together and I feel the school call the shots and I have enough of it. Would change schools but ds doesn't want to. 8WKS maxuim, find out more PLEASE!! thanks Lars

[amynnixmum]

lars,
I really recommend getting in contact with your local support group. The one in Poole is run by a really great lady who has offered me loads of advice and support in the last couple of months. Basically she's paid by the borough but acts as a totally independent party who is there to advise parents. The pamphlets suggest that the group are there for special needs issues but they consider behavioural issues as special needs too. She is even prepared to come into any meetings to make sure that there is someone there (apart from me and dh of course) whose one and only concern is the welfare of ds and not the schools records etc etc. Unfortunately so far my meetings have clashed with meetings that she has already prearranged so all she has been able to offer me is advice and support on the phone but it helps to know that she is there and will tell me exactly what my and ds's rights are and what the school should be doing etc. I will try and find out if the 8 weeks is actually a rule or just what the LEA advise. When you mention the LEA have you approached them directly - there should be at least one person who is responsible for dealing with exclusion/inclusion issues. If you can let me know what area you are in I will see if one of my two local support offices has a number for an equivelent in your area.

[amynnixmum]

Asked my senco about the 8 week thing and she said that different boroughs have different rules so she doesn't know what your situation is. She recommends you go on the DfES website and ask for advice on there. Good luck and cat me if you want to chat.I really feel for you - it must be unbearable feeling like you have no say in your ds educational welfare. God knows I feel like I'm going through hell with all of my DS stuff right now and our school is being supportive and involving me in all the decisions. This afternoon when i spoke to the senco she told me that ds's hours are going to be returned to the one hour a day out of the classroom again and that this will stay the same until the new year when the situation will be reviewed. Understand their reasons but feeling disheartened

[amynnixmum]

Any new Lars?

[amynnixmum]

Sorry, meant any news Lars?

[bulimbabean]

Hi Lars, I was a reintegration officer with an LEA dealing with exclusions/integration. If a child is on a Pastoral Support Plan/PSP which indicates part time return to school, they (the school) have covered themselves with attendance. A psp usually runs for 16 weeks. Reviewed internally every week and formally with parents and LEA reps at 8 weeks, and this can be extended. Where you part of the planning in your sons's return to school?

Please contact your LEA there should be support available to you - parent partnership or exclusions officer, to help you in your meetings at school. The LEA should not just go along with the school. Have the Behaviour support teams and/or Educational psychologist been involved in the reintegration. Both of these LEA teams should be able to help you, your son and the school.

The plan should indicate a clear path, of how to build on time, just so you are aware lunch times are usually the last time added, so you maybe facing a time of mornings then home for lunch then return to school for afternoon lessons. Mornings are easiest to plan for with support as they are structured lesson time (literacy/numeracy).

Reintegrations take time. You son needs to feel happy, secure and successfull in school after being rejected, sorry if that sounds glib.. it does not help you with childcare/real life etc

I hope that helps, i will answer any questions you have... Take care

[bulimbabean]

Hi an extra post. If i remember rightly you won your appeal. I can imagine the school is very defensive, and wanting to call the shots, it is so emotionally disheartening for you.

Please, speak to the LEA< I dont know which area you are in, but there should be a worker to support you, not just the behaviour specialist/ep, if not contact ACE advisory centre of education.

You are not alone in this, reintegration.

[bulimbabean]

Hi Lars I apologise I was mixing you up with another person. I see you have been involved with lots of health professionals as well as educational bodies, and you are getting no consistent support/information. Do the ed. bodies know the health information, their input may help the school plan a more supportive integration!

Are the school still going for a statement?
Just so you are aware, a school can fix term excluded for upto 45 school days. 15 days or more they are legally required to provide full time education. They should be sending work home in addition to your sons reitegration so he does not miss school work, this does not help you as the responsibility is on you!..

I am sorry you are in this complex situation Please feel free to ask any questions.

Sorry for the 3 long posts
Take care

[amynnixmum]

Lars I hope you dont mind if i ask bulimbabean a personal question on your thread. My ds is on a psp and reintergration plan was done with ed psych but now school have decided to reduce ds hours to just one hour a day out of the classroom until after xmas. I feel that the school are unable to meet his needs and that their lack of skills and knowledge is the real reason for acceleration of his problems. I am unsure what to do. Am I allowed to insist that someting is done now to ensure his reintergration into the school? Senco told me on tuesday that the problem was that they still do not have anything new in place than they did when he was first excluded which I find very difficult to understand. Apparently his behavior has been a real issue since he started school and yet they have still no strategies for dealing with it other than to exclude him completely or allow him in for this one hour a day out of the classroom (which is not much better than exclusion anyway imo and is definately more unsettling and stressful for both ds and me).

[amynnixmum]

Sorry bulimbabean, reread post and realised I was a bit vague on details. Ds was 4 in july and started school in sept doing mornings only. The rest of the morning only children will be going f/t after xmas. The week before 1/2 term he was exluded follwing an aggressive outburst. When he was reintergrated the school ahd no plan at all for how they were going to acheive this - in the end it was my suggestions that were put into practice (my mum is senco so had asked advice). Unfortunately apart from the reduced hours (1 1/2) nothing else had been done and there was another outburst not long after he returned to school. This resulted in a second exclusion whilst the school were supposed to be implementing changes. This is his second week back and now I find that there is still nothing new in place and ds welfare is suffering as a result.

[bulimbabean]

Hi amynnixmum, i have just read your other thread, I am sorry you are in this situation.
Firstly, about education otherwise, you are entitled to take this option, a child does have to be education after they turn 5. However, if you decide to return to school system. There is class size preduce ie: max 30 so may prove difficult to get 'back' into school and ALSO he would have to return to his cronological year group. ie: pull him out in recpt, out for 1 year he would have to go into a year 1 class.
You mentioned referrals, is he going to receive outreach support, anger management etc Has he seen an ep. if so i would recommend you submit and application for statutory assessment, in my experience if a child has psp. iep, outreach has seen an ep, and other health professionals you have a good chance of getting through panel. Your LEA should have a parent partnership that will help you fill in the forms and support you.

If his hour is 1:1, bring a child to him for 5-10 minutes for an exercise literacy/numeracy that is structured. He can then have his own little group outside, this will help with social interaction and will build up his confidence. R they using rewards- stickers, free time, success charts, they should be doing some emotional literacy with him and some anger management, have they tried circle time, and circle of friends with the class. Unitl the referrals kick in. When the small group work is is successful, build on it extend time, then try to bring him to the group in the classroom. They should not have him in isolation for the full hour! I realise xmas is unstructured, but itis important that he gets the chance to experience can the teacher involve him somehow, making class decorations, painting/colouring etc.

What is his LSA like?

Please ring your LEA, speak to the EP involved, has he been referred to your lea behaviour support team, or pupil referal unit. Ask the school to activate these referrals, Stress how important it is to activate support, with two exclusions it is very easy for a school to go for a permanent, I dont mean to scare you but I have seen it happen so easily. Then you really are up against legalities and complex educational issues.

They should be suplimenting the work done at school with a work pack to take home.

They need to be clear how they are going to build on the time, adding 5-10 per time initially over a week. Please be aware that lunch and breaks are usually last to be added.

Sorry for such a long post I hope it helps. Please ask me anyother questions i am happy to help you.

[amynnixmum]

Thanks for all that bulimbabean. In answer to some of your questions. They are supposed to be doing emotional literacy with him but I dont know if they actually are. They are using a reward scheme - pebbles in a jar (we are doing the same at home). If an ep is an ed psych then yes he has been seen but as far as I know it was only when she came to our home to chat to me - as he is in school for such a small time and is out of the classroom there isnt much chance for her to do an assessment at school. I have referred him myself to the local child guidence team and he has an appointment in a couple of weeks. He also has an appointment to see a doctor who I believe is a paediatrican (school nurse referred him there). Sorry to sound daft but what is an LSA? I will mention your idea of bringing in a child to sit with him - he's sad about not being able to see his friends. I also seem to remember the ed psych mentioning it so I wonder why the school are not not including it as an alternative to class time. He attended a circle time session last week and did really well - sat quietly, waited his turn etc. When you say I have a good chance of getting through panal if he has been referred all over do you mean that funding would be made available to allow him more help? Sorry, I know this is a bit of a jumbled post but I really appreciate your help.
Lars, if you are out there, please let us know how you are getting on.

[bulimbabean]

Hi amynnixmum, sorry taken so long to reply, i am in australia now, time difference thing. Also, sorry about using slang.
LSA= learning support assistant, i was asking if they are good, maybe they can be starting some emotional literacy.
Panel is for statutory assessment - statementing. If a child is on school action plus, the school should be allocating funds/time but it is better to get a statement that will give time/money over and above the schools funds.

You can make an application for statementing, BUT it is important that the Educational psychologist has done an assessment. She can observe him in his hour, and maybe the school can 'allow' HIM in the classroom for register so they can observe peer/classroom behaviour. I have found, even if you have health info, and school info (psp/iep/exclusions) they are looking for ep input. They will be able to give the teacher/school strategies.

I see you have a newly qualified teacher, which is great because they will be innovative and willing to be inclusive however, they may need some guidance -the LEA should have behaviour support teachers who will come and model teaching/advise etc.

Has your school made an application for ear marked pupil funding. They can do this, it falls under different categories, and it allocates funds for an extra 3-4 hours.

The school needs to do a circle of friends, so that he will have alloted friends to 'look' after him.

I feel for your son, he is being 'rejected' emotionally and physically, he needs to feel wanted again. I would be concerned with 1 hour/day till after christmas, they need to moving towards increasing this time before then. As he is only 4 it is difficult to say if he is unable to cope with the expectations/boundaries of school life or whether it is an uncontrollable behaviour itis good you are going to the doctors.

Can I suggest that you ask the school to hold a professionals meeting on your son, to explore the ways forward, contact your support person and arrange for them to attend with you. It will help if you are all thinking the same.

sorry for the long post. please feel free to ask anymore questions

Lars how is your situation going?

[amynnixmum]

Thanks for all your help bulimbabean - its much appreciated. We have a meeting on thursday so I will bring up some of the stuff that you have highlighted. I spoke to a guy today who works for a local emotional/behavioural special school. They run an outreach program that is designed to train teachers and help schools with the design of their classrooms and how to avoid confrontations etc etc. He went in last week and did an assessment and it was he who recommended the reduction in hours to the new year, I am still not comfortable with the whole thing but he seemed very knowledgable and very confident that he (together with everone else) would be able to help ds to stay in mainstream education.

Lars - any news with your DS. I am thinking of you both. Please let us know how you are doing.