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Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

SN children

Senco ignoring me

24 replies

2boysnamedR · 28/09/2015 13:30

Ds year three is on his fifth senco. She was new this term.

She ignores my emails - doesn't get back to me about hand delivered letters. Head says it's the sencos department to answer my questions.

Is this in anyway normal? I refused to sign a pathway plan and nothing to acknowledge that. She asked permission for ds to be assessed by slt - I asked why and she ignored that two. It's been three weeks.

Tribunal is four weeks away.

OP posts:

Report

Notgivingin789 · 28/09/2015 14:28

Can you book in to have a "meeting" with her?

Notgivingin789 · 28/09/2015 14:29

Is she coming to your Tribunal as a witness for the LA side? That would explain her ignoring you.

2boysnamedR · 28/09/2015 14:39

I hope she isn't being called as a witness as she has only worked for the school this term.

The la rep at the last hearing told me not to talk about the case but it was fine to talk about normal educational issues. IEP / pathway plans are normal stuff.

Isn't she going to look like a prat talking to me for the first time at this hearing? The school are submitting a statement tomorrow. I dread what they will say.

I can't arrange a meeting as she is blanking me on all fronts

OP posts:

InimitableJeeves · 28/09/2015 16:26

Can you go back to the head and ask how you can get your questions answered as SENCo isn't responding?

2boysnamedR · 28/09/2015 16:31

He's just as bad. He practically dives into a bush if he sees me. He would rather go under a bus than deal with me.

I wonder why?

I'm a passive aggressive bitch very calm reasonable person.

OP posts:

Notgivingin789 · 28/09/2015 20:33

They LA have a tendency to change witness names...even on the day of Tribunal. So I wouldn't be surprised if they call her as a witness.

2boysnamedR · 28/09/2015 21:18

I don't care who they call as a school witness. Any one of them is going to come across as a idiot. Unless it's the deputy head ( but the head seems to quosh any sensible suggestion she has).

The senco I never met or spoken to. But I can already tell she's not up to much.

The head gets very defensive but he's also quite clueless on SEN and it's definatly not on his radar. Getting back to ofsted outstanding is his only driving mission.

As long as they send someone. It got adjourned last time because the senco couldn't go.

I pre empt eyed that and emailed the deputy head in the summer. Radio silence ever since.

It's so blizzar. A parent with two sen kids who has children at the school for seven years is taking the LA to tribunal and not once ever has anyone ever asked what's going on.

I can't get my head round it. Christian school my arse.

OP posts:

QueenStarlight · 28/09/2015 21:39

'The la rep at the last hearing told me not to talk about the case but it was fine to talk about normal educational issues.'

Whaaaaaat? You can talk about what you like to whoever you want.

Notgivingin789 · 28/09/2015 21:42

I understand 2boys but maybe that's why she's avoiding you.

InimitableJeeves · 29/09/2015 00:01

You probably need to go down the formal complaint route. Firstly email the SENCO again saying something to the effect of "I'm really sorry to keep pestering but I do need a reply to this query and this is the ?th time I've asked. I don't want to get into conflict with you but if you don't reply I will be forced to enter a formal complaint." If that doesn't work, take the next step in accordance with the policy, which probably involves a complaint to the head. The policy should give a time scale for the head's response: if or when she doesn't reply or gives you a rubbishy reply, escalate it immediately to the next point in the complaint process, which is probably the chair of governors. Copy any complaint to the governor responsible for SEN.

2boysnamedR · 29/09/2015 01:00

Omg! Sen governer is the worse of the bunch! I complained to her before asking why it took 18 months to get ds a sit n move cushion. She said they had followed procedure. When I raised it with the head governor he said it wasn't his problem - outside of his remit!

I asked for the policy stating they need to ignore OT's that go into school to advise.

Yet again I come out of it looking like the bad guy.

I will wait until weds. They are giving "case changing statement" then. Undoubtedly that I beat my son and he lives in the coal shed.

He told me today he has no senco on a Monday. Came out with no reading book, no jumper, no tie which is common practice yet I get told he doesn't read every night. Because he has no book!

Anyone reading this would know who I am. If you do - take a good at the mirror. Ask yourself honestly if this is good enough. Would you except it if you was a parent, if the answer is yes then you should be ashamed.

OP posts:

InimitableJeeves · 29/09/2015 07:41

Good grief, the entire place sounds dire. It's not an answer in the short term, but is there any chance of moving to another school?

Obs2015 · 29/09/2015 07:50

Good God. How can any good come from this?

QueenStarlight · 29/09/2015 09:34

What do you suggest Obs?

2boysnamedR · 29/09/2015 10:31

He's been there for three years and his brother was at the school for seven. I went to view our village school with the idea of moving him for year three. The senco / deputy head told me he would fall behind by two years there. She didn't see his statement. She didn't meet him. She told me that children in the village can't get into the school it's so over subscribed. But I found out that's not true as children from the NEXT village along get in - from over three miles away.

It put me off looking further out. There's another school named on his statement in another village near me.

Thing is he's happy there. He doesn't feel his struggling and school say he's bang on NT levels ( how I have no idea)

OP posts:

Obs2015 · 29/09/2015 16:51

I don't really have any advice. Was just acknowledging that it must be s complete nightmare.
Even after the tribunal, these specific problems aren't going to get any better, are they?
So, what are you hoping for OP?what is your plan? What is your list if wants?

2boysnamedR · 29/09/2015 17:30

No nothing will improve after tribunal. Unless I get the weekly salt and 1:1 as that's better than nothing.

It won't improve the school or staff attitude there. I realise whatever happens he's lost out.

It's all a fruitless exercise that at best will prove ms failed him so he goes into a specialist secondary. I didn't know it pan out this way when I started my appeal over two years ago.

What next? No idea - but I will tomorrow as the school will realise a statement for the hearing tomorrow. I have to meet the nhs salt there in the morning.

I suspect I will write to the sympathetic deputy head and ask her where I go next.

Been told the head last term "it's clearly not good enough" then doing that again quite frankly is like me sticking with a adulterous husband who can't stop dropping his pants and can only up a sorry before he does it again

( dh by the way is fab by the way!)

OP posts:

ChowNowBrownCow · 30/09/2015 10:21

2boys I could have written your post! My sympathies as I know how utterly frustrating it can be to be ignored! My ds senco is always too busy to meet me, even when I've sent emails saying how depressed ds is at school. She twists things by asking ds without me being there questions and says things like " you don't like leaving your friends (he doesn't have any) in class and going off for one to one do you?" ! This is due to me applying for ehcp which she says she won't support our application. This last comment about the one to one is because that's exactly what ds needs, but she's recorded it as part of her evidence ! I am hoping and praying we get ds a ehcp and that I can name another school for him where he will be understood and I get listened to. Good luck with your statement.

2boysnamedR · 30/09/2015 10:45

I would love to remove him. But he is emotionally fragile so leaving his friends to go to another ms isn't worth the upset. He's seven but mentally / emotionally I guess he's four / five.

I'm about to head down there.

OP posts:

kojackscat · 30/09/2015 13:21

I hope it's going OK, 2boys.

2boysnamedR · 30/09/2015 13:33

Well he's bang smack in the middle of his class and he's boringly average the senco was there and replied to my email last night so everything is fine. Dispite me waiting almost four weeks. No harm done

OP posts:

kojackscat · 30/09/2015 14:14

As long as they can tick a box, everything is fine. (???)

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2boysnamedR · 30/09/2015 14:23

Yes indeed - but how do they think this is going to pan out in tribunal? I'm sitting there thing " that's very nice but you can't override my slt report" she says he needs a specialist language school, they say he's a adverage high performing child with good mannors and a great vocabulary. Two indi slts and two doctors say he has a laguage disorder. Who would you belive.

I have a pet unicorn. It lives in my shed. I've have said it so it's true right?!

OP posts:

kojackscat · 30/09/2015 14:44

If you say it enough times, it might become true.

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