Shocking education provision in Hertfordshire for SEN. Huge parental survey!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

harc-online.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/A-survey-of-the-education-of-children-with-autism-in-Hertfordshire1.pdf

357 respondents.
The parent quotes are heartbreaking.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

bump

[StarlightMcKenzie]

no-one interested?

[OddBoots]

Those are really worrying results, especially before free schools become a big issue. I'm not far away (Luton) and anecdotally my ds and friends with children with ASDs have had a generally positive view of the education here (obviously anecdotes don't equal evidence though).

[MsGee]

I live in Herts and agree this is very worrying. Although DD is not autistic I think that the lack of support in schools, particularly around bullying is an issue for all parents. I would be horrified if this was happening to any child in her school. And yet with her experiences of bullying in the playground I can imagine that it does.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

How old is your ds livvy?

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I think I commented on the other thread.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Yes it is. I lived in this LA and was lucky? enough to have witnessed enough to take my autistic ds and my family and run far far away. But it cost us a LOT of money and our home and they sent their solicitor to my new home LA to cause further trouble for us because we had dared to say some of the things similar to those quotes. Thankfully he was sent packing quickly.

[mellicauli]

Based in Herts. No direct experience of autism/spectrum but it seems to me that a specialist school would just take a world of pain away.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Has he got a statement Livvy?

[gaba]

I found this bit interesting...

“Hertfordshire needs to spend less money employing professionals to prove parents
wrong, where the money could be better spent focussing on improved provision.
They also need to take a good hard look at themselves and try to understand what
they are employed to achieve in supporting the community that pays their salaries.”


The council seems to have a very large staff in the education department, I don't know what they do but they don't educate. Swan about all day in 'company' cars going to and from lunch meetings with other staff, is my guess.

[Worriedthistimearound]

Bumping this because we're relocating and herts is one of the areas we're looking at esp around StA. I have 3 boys and one has 'spectrumy' issues but no diagnosis although he is bright so no ld. My other dcs are very nt and very bright. I was hoping to find a school who would support all 3 so thus is worrying and putting me off slightly.

I worry because although DS doesn't currently have a dx, he is still young and we've been told that may change when he goes to juniors. Sounds like Herts are pretty useless.
Is it does asd they have a problem with or all sn?