Extended hours - to include special schools?

[MannyMoeAndJack]

I'm sure many of you are aware of the plans to make every school an extended school by 2010 (i.e. open 8am-6pm). Whenever I read literature about this scheme, the words, 'all schools' are always used. However, I simply cannot imagine that all special schools will be able to offer such extended care. Do those of you with dc in the special school system know if your school is making any plans towards the above scheme in readiness for 2010??

[magso]

I am not aware of any plans at Ds MLD/ASD school (I asked HT last term). The new extended hours care at Ds old ms school would not have been suitable for many sn (Ds especially - very formal/accademic) and it was quite expensive. I imagine extended hours would be significantly more costly to sn parents.

[MannyMoeAndJack]

I'm not suggesting that parents of SN kids would necessarily want to have their kids at school for longer than a 6hr day - rather, I'm just curious as to whether or not SN kids can be accommodated by the extended hours scheme. I've read that if a school is unable to extend their own hours (e.g. if the school is rural with a wide catchment area/low pupil numbers/lack of facilities, etc), then such schools should instead signpost parents/bus kids to the nearest school that does offer extended hours (so that the kids don't miss out should they wish to take advantage of the scheme). So, will special schools signpost their pupils to the nearest m/s school instead of providing services themselves? But where will all the 1-1 carers come from?!!!

I await the clauses to the all schools wording with cynical interest...

[bonkerz]

DS is starting at the local priory school soon and they have an extended day (8-6) although at the moment LEA only fund 8.30 till 3.30 which i feel is long enough.

[CaptainPlump]

I haven't heard this and I'm eager to find out. DS has just started school and after lots angst and nail biting I've just managed to squeeze him into the After School Club (special school, fully inclusive ASC) for two days a week to enable me to not find myself unemployed. I'd be extremely happy if extended hours were offered as standard, I'd feel less guilty about asking for them.

As people have said, I'm not keen to have him in school for extended days either, I'd much rather be home with him, but parents of SN children have as valid a need to work for a living as other parents and mortgages don't pay themselves.

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

Our school have said that they can't do it (SLD/PMLD). UNfortunately. So they are signposting us to non-existent or unsuitable alternatives.

[2shoes]

I hope dd's school doesn't, her day is long enough as it is.

[r3dh3d]

Funnily enough, came up at GB meeting today. (I'm a parent governor.) It's the way we are going (SLD/PMLD school) We are planning to go extended lite or some such - 9 to 5:30.

The main issue is Transport. Most of the kids share routes. So most of them need to go home at the same time to make it work. The current proposal is to move all of transport to 5:30 over a certain age. Obviously not nursery and the younger juniors, but the older kids. Anyone who specifically wanted to keep to the earlier end time would have to take their kids home themselves, unless they happened to have a solo transport arrangement anyway for whatever reason.

The thinking is it allows us to include more playtime, outside time, therapy time (we have a new hydro pool for instance) and still get through the timetable, and get the "extended hours" funding to cover it.

I can see that for some individuals it won't be good. I'm not sure if DD1 would handle longer days for a while yet. But then again the hope is it will be a lifesaver for those who don't get respite or who can't return to work because they can't get childcare.

It's a toughie. Actually, would be interested to know how everyone else would see this proposal if your school came up with it?

[MannyMoeAndJack]

If this scheme ever lands at my ds's school, then I would have him stay for a longer day a couple of times each week initially to see how he fared, then take it from there. The extra time in the therapy rooms would be good for him. He has boundless energy so I wouldn't be worried about him not coping with a longer day!!

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

DS1 would like it too.

[Saker]

Ds2's special school is just starting an afterschool club until 6pm. I am not planning to use it as I don't need him to be there later, but it looks quite good, with some staff from the school being involved etc.

[NineYearsOfNappies]

dd's school already has an afterschool club. But dd is too disabled to attend it. Yes, the special school afterschool club discriminates against the more disabled pupils in the school. Marvellous.

[MannyMoeAndJack]

NYON - that sounds sadly familiar, my friend's ds was 'too disabled' to attend a couple of SN holiday schemes this summer because there were no staff trained in administering his various meds.