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AIBU?

To wonder why the chuffing hell my DD has an IEP

26 replies

icooksocks · 20/09/2011 21:02

Just opened my year 2 DD's bookbag to find an official looking letter in there, I open the letter and out falls an IEP and a letter saying if my child is on the special needs register then they may be assessed by someone from learning and behaviour support service.
Background-We moved to the area in June, and she started at this school 3 weeks before summer hols. She struggled to settle to start with but appears to be happy now. She is not on the special needs register, she has no known problems, and was always very much an average pupil at her last school.
So what the chuffing hell is going on, how does she go from an average child to one who requires an IEP in the space of 3 months (6 weeks of those not spent at school).
Can anyone tell me whether I should be worried-she is my eldest so have no knowledge of what to do now.

OP posts:

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firsttimer78 · 20/09/2011 21:05

Are you in Scotland or England? If in Scotland, moving school could be considered as a short term additional support need, and an IEP could be established to support that but ONLY with parental approval and consultation! (plus would be a bit of an over-zealous response) Not sure about the English system, but would imagine the expectation re parental input would be the same. Either way, I'd be having a chat with the head teacher tomorrow! Hope you get to the bottom of it.

CharlieBoo · 20/09/2011 21:05

You might want to repost this on the primaryschool/education board, will be loads of mners to help you there.

Alambil · 20/09/2011 21:06

I'd be asking about their processes; being on an IEP won't hurt her, but you not being in consultation with them will!

what are the targets on it? is it to help her settle in?

cheesesarnie · 20/09/2011 21:08

go in and speak to the teacher.having an iep isnt a bad thing!they should discuss why theyve done it but in my experience they dont give them out lightly!

troisgarcons · 20/09/2011 21:08

IEP wont hurt her at all
And SN isn't always derogatory.... it's not a marker of 'thickness'.

allbie · 20/09/2011 21:09

Just maybe your DD needs a little help and you weren't aware of it? It's not an insult to you at all that they have produced an IEP. Maybe you need to go in and discuss this with her teacher. Have they never approached you in anyway about your child's needs?

icooksocks · 20/09/2011 21:09

Its literacy and numeracy targets. Some of it stuff she can do, some of it stuff that she doesn't always do (fullstops, capital letters)

Will repost in education too.

OP posts:

icooksocks · 20/09/2011 21:11

No I have never been approached with regards to any problems she may be having. As I say her last school (her only other school) never expressed any problems at all.

OP posts:

TheFallenMadonna · 20/09/2011 21:13

I think asking her teacher is the only way you're going to find out what's going on.

Hassled · 20/09/2011 21:14

They don't hand out IEPs like sweets - if they think she needs one, chances are she needs one. All it means is that she'll be monitored a bit more closely and get some additional help - which can only be a good thing. And she's not on it forever - hopefully the intervention will do its job quickly and she'll come off the IEP. To me, it sounds like the school is on the ball.

Where they have cocked up is the manner in which you found out, which was piss poor. The teacher should have spoken to you about it, and you should have been involved in the target setting, etc. Good IEPs work where the parent and the child are all on board, working with the school. An envelope in the book bag was shit of them.

cheesesarnie · 20/09/2011 21:15

it doesnt matter about last school.if the new school have recognised that she may need a little bit of encouragement in an area they give an iep although they should discuss with you so you can support her at home.
go into school tomorrow and ask for an appointment to speak to teacher.

slavetofilofax · 20/09/2011 21:16

Maybe your dd appears to be behind the other children because she has learned differnt things at her other school, and this is what they are doing to ensure that she catches up with the rest of the group.

I would definately talk to the teacher about it, in a proper meeting, not just a quick chat at the end of the day. But bear in mind that they are doing it to help your child, not to label her or put her down in any way.

Springyknickersohnovicars · 20/09/2011 21:18

Moving schools can set a child back 6 months, so the IEP might just be to get her back to where she would have been before.

Don't panic go to the teacher and talk to them. However I would say the school is very wrong for not keeping you in the loop because if you and the school work together that is way more successful.

See the teacher or the school SENCO and find out what is going on.

As others have said this is a good thing for your daughter as they are monitoring her needs but you do need to be kept informed.

Salmotrutta · 20/09/2011 21:21

firsttimer is right - in Scotland an IEP just indicates additional support needs (ASN) which refer to any needs. We don't use SEN up here - ASN is much broader and all-encompassing.
So, for example, a child who is a carer may have an IEP to help them, or a child who has experienced bullying, domestic upheaval etc. as well as children who have learning difficulties.
It woud be very odd not to have been in consultation with you though!

Salmotrutta · 20/09/2011 21:24

Sorry - I was just wondering if you were in England or Scotland (or elsewhere?!) and highlighting the differences.
And saying that you should have been consulted too!

squidworth · 20/09/2011 21:25

I have heard of children moving a whole sub level either way when changing schools. Standards other than SATS can vary so much some schools have a play ethos for the first few years where other are academic from the word go.

PaperView · 20/09/2011 21:29

IEP is independent Education Plan which is given to children who need extra support for a multitude of reasons. It doesn't mean your child has SEN just that they are being given extra support at the moment.

Some children on the SEN register also have IEPs and are on SAP (school action plus) this is because they too need extra support. DS2 is one of them.

icooksocks · 20/09/2011 21:31

I'm England-sorry forgot to mention that part.
I shall be making an appointment tomorrow with the teacher, or would the head or the SENCO be better? I'm truly shocked at all this, I feel like I've been slapped in the face with a frying pan! (Not because its bad, just unexpected)

OP posts:

Springyknickersohnovicars · 20/09/2011 21:35

You should have been told. But keep calm it just means they think you chld needs additional support and are making that more official. That's a good thing. Some parents fight for IEPs.

The problem here is they are not telling you what it is all about. I would go for the teacher or the SENCO. I would not go to the head unless I wasn't happy with what th SENCO or teacher told me.

It sounds like a good school with your DD's interest at heart but crap and communicating with the parents.

Springyknickersohnovicars · 20/09/2011 21:36

whoops not "go for" as in "go for" but "go to" the teacher.

That sounded bad.

lockets · 20/09/2011 21:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

slavetofilofax · 20/09/2011 21:46

I would agree that it would be best to speak to the class teacher for now, she will be the person that knows the most about your dd, so will be able to give you the best explanation. If you are not happy with that, then you could go to the head.

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Nanny0gg · 20/09/2011 22:26

The class teacher should have called you in to discuss, not just sent one home in a book bag!

Make an appointment and see what they have to say. Really, I should think, they are just trying to help your DD, just going about it badly.

PaperView · 21/09/2011 19:11

Whoops that's what i meant individual nt independent.

bigpants103 · 21/09/2011 20:29

A child has to have been on school action before they can be moved on to school action plus. Only when a child is on school action plus can outside agencies be called in to observe children. School action just shows that the school has tried to offer additional support and it hasn't made much difference so other professionals are needed for advice.

They are wrong to not have spoken to you about it as the IEP should have been drawn up with you aware of targets and will need to be signed by you.

I would ask who the SENCO is and ask to see them. Could also speak to class teacher about their concerns about your dd is it must be the class teacher who has requested she be given a IEP.

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