SEN betweeners

All schools are striving to be the kind of businesses that people are now criticising. They are judged on their attendance statistics and their progress 8 scores. If these two stats are not good they are deemed to be failing. They put plenty of money into pastoral support and well being etc to try and keep kids in their schools but the fact is that the packed and high demand curriculum and drive for high expectations and standards, large classes etc feed into the problems that neurodiverse kids and others have in our schools. Schools cannot change in the current climate and be successful in terms of reputation and results.

Most secondary schools are criticised heavily by parents of children with send and mental health problems. Those whose children are high or middle attaining without additional needs are generally happier with the schools. Their criticisms are usually around the behaviour of students either being not strictly managed enough or being too strictly managed if their child falls foul of the rules. Schools are set up to work best for the majority. If we want schools to work equally well for those who have higher needs we need to accept that the education of the rest will be impacted in some ways. I am not saying that's wrong but it needs to be accepted as without huge amounts of money and / or a change in emphasis I am not sure schools can do more.

This is the most interesting post I have ever read on this subject! I never saw it this way before. I had no idea that the education system has changed so drastically

There is not really a choice. The nearest schools to us are not high performing academies but they are academies.

To be fair though, EHCPS were only introduced in 2014, and the first of those were given to post 16 students, as the previous Statements usually ended at 16, and EHCPs go up to 25.

Councils were I believe instructed to move those children to ehcps as soon as they turned 16, and so that number of 50,000 may have been largely 16-25 year olds (I'm speculating here). Before 2014 there were over 200k children in England with statements.

So, naturally, in the following years the children with statements would gradually be moved over to ehcps as per the legal guidelines, which contributed to the huge increase, as did the new requirement to provide that support up to age 25.

Also, the overall numbers of children considered to have special educational needs in England was about 1.5 million and now it is 1.8 million which is not a shocking increase considering how much more awareness there is of autism and other conditions.

Not trying to deny your point about funding and the types of needs but I wanted to clarify the thing about ehcps and some of the possible reasons for the huge increase).

Some of the things they could do are free/ very cheap. They won't do that.

There is such a lack of adequate education in most countries. I really would like to see research internationally to identify and implement the best education provision for all children.

In Ireland we have seen an increase of Supported class parallel to mainstream. This appears to work for some of the children who are closer to mainstream profile. But there is huge gaps at the very complex and moderate needs.

There has been some positive improvements locally at secondary level. They upgraded to a parallel class at each year and a separate class again for those unable for any integration. But it is taking a lot of resources and school community support.

One to one support in a mainstream setting is a third of the cost of a special needs school place. Also, there aren't enough special needs school places.

I think the drive to push up standards and achieve higher results also has had an impact. I have been in education a long time. Every minute now is spent on cramming as much content in as possible. The mantra is teach to the top with scaffolding for less able students. In reality this means kids who need a slower pace and more enrichment don't get what they need. They are then disengaged and not having their needs met. There is no money for ta support unless you have a v tight ehcp. I think people have what they asked for years ago - higher standards and expectations, more rigorous schools. They wanted Ofsted holding schools and teachers to these high standards. They sought places at these high performing academy schools for their children but they now don't like where it has taken them.

I had to laugh at the news this week about schools using therapy dogs and treats to entice struggling children into school. It's still failing to support the children in the classroom.
DD's school has offered a theme park visit if pupils attend a certain number of GCSE revision sessions. The last place DD would like to go. Schools still don't get it.

Also I read this on Facebook this morning, from Dr Naomi Fisher. I couldn't agree more.

I was talking to a grandmother last week about schooling. ‘I can see the difference’ she said. ‘When my children were young, primary school was relaxed. If the weather was good, they went outside and ran around. If they were sick, they stayed at home. Now with my grandchildren they are seated in desks for more of the day and if they are ill, they are worried that they’ll lose their 100% attendance for the term. The pressure is on to pass their phonics test when they are six and then to learn their times tables at speed by the time they are nine. They feel it and and their parents feel it too’.

There’s lots of talk about SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) at the moment, and how increasing numbers of children are being identified as SEND. It’s less common to ask questions about what SEND really means, and whether the education system creates more children ‘with SEND’ as it becomes more pressured and rigid.

For what SEND really means is that a child cannot learn in the way which mainstream education expects. They cannot keep up with expectations, either for academic work or for behaviour. SEND is something which happens in the interaction between a child and the education system. In a system where no 6-year-old is expected to sit still and learn to write their name, then a 6-year-old who just wants to run around outside isn't a problem. In a system where everyone is meant to be able to read by age 6, then they are.

We know from research that if a child is young in their year, they are more likely to be identified as ‘having SEND’. We know that summer born boys are far more likely to be identified as ‘having SEND’ than autumn born girls. We know that the impact of this immaturity resonates through the years, with the youngest in the year doing less well at GCSE. We know that the number of children ‘with SEND’ is going up year on year.

It's not really plausible that more children each year have difficulties in learning, nor that being born in August makes you more likely to have learning problems than if you are born a few weeks later in September.

It’s far more likely that in the push to ‘drive up standards’ the education system is becomes less, not more, suited to how children develop and learn. It’s more likely that the system is penalising immaturity – and children are inherently immature. That isn’t a lack or a defect, it’s a defining part of childhood.

As the education system becomes more rigid and pressured, we’d expect more children not to be able to manage without adaptations. This is exactly what we see. Those children are holding up the flag for all the others, saying that this system is not child-friendly and doesn’t take account of developmental needs and differences.

What if, instead of having higher expectations of the children, we had higher expectations of the education system? What if those expectations were of flexibility, reducing pressure and prioritising lifelong learning and wellbeing instead of short-term testing?

What if we saw the increasing number of children ‘with SEND’ as a sign that the system isn’t working for the many ways in which children develop, rather than a sign that more and more children have learning difficulties? We’ll never sort the ‘SEND crisis’ until we start looking at SEND as an interaction between children and the education system. The more rigid the system is, the more children it will fail.

Secondary schools have to be bigger or teachers would have to move around between schools which would be a timetabling nightmare.

Surely some teachers could and would actually want to work part time? Private schools seem to manage with a smaller number of pupils and small class sizes. Or teachers could teach at two different neighbouring schools.

I think a middle school or junior high system going up and including Y8/Y9 would be best. 14/15+ more could cope with a larger setting, but say 500-800 would be preferable. I'd also say to scrap GCSEs but from Y10+ they go to further education college and can do say up to 5 vocational or academic subjects or a mixture, leading to a qualification at 18- sort of an IB type idea.

@SnackSnack IPSEA has a model letter you can use to request an EHCNA from the LA. If you don’t have to appeal, the statutory timescales is 20 weeks. LAs often think they can breach the timescales and take a lot longer, but you don’t have to accept that. You can force the LA to act via JR if necessary. However, many do have to appeal, sometimes more than once, and appeals are taking a long time, so you shouldn’t delay.

@Sheeparelooseagain anyone whose LA is removing DC from placements to give EOTAS/EOTIS packages where it isn’t inappropriate for the provision to be made in a school or college should look at JR. EOTAS/EOTIS under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is only for where it is inappropriate for the provision to be made in a school or post 16 institution.

Or parents could play the LA at their own game and appeal for a comprehensive EOTAS package which would be more expensive than the independent SS.

@NImumconfused assuming from your username you are in NI, have you spoken to SENAC? If you haven’t requested a Statutory Assessment, do that. If you have but the EA has refused, have you appealed and requested an expedited hearing based on the fact DD is not in school?

This is three of my dcs. One now out of school completely (but have now worked on a v reduced time table to see if it works. My eldest is making their way through sixth form on about 80% attendance but missed a year of her GCSEs.

i also work in various schools. It’s not just money, it is honestly a huge change in attitude/knowledge that is required. I frequently hear comments from teachers -‘they shouldn’t fidget, they should make eye contact - they are rude. Lots is low level sanctions that end up becoming quite major issues/barriers to education. Schools know they should make reasonable adjustments, but they just don’t. I would love to see decent ARPs that would allow some active learning for teens with adhd that could let them have proper movement breaks (not three minutes!) and not have to sit still, make eye contact etc etc. all ARPs are not created equal unfortunately.

Successive education ministers think reform is the answer. It is not. A lot of improvements cost nothing, but the currently legislative framework, which is amazing, just need to be adequately funded. I think acadamisation also has a lot to answer for.

@EndlessLight Thanks. Do I email SENCO for this and how long will it take. I only have 12 months before applying to high school.

My DS was overwhelmed by mainstream but has done well in an ARP (additionally resourced provision). Initially he spent half the day supported in the mainstream class, which he could just about manage for this time, then half the day in a smaller SEN class of 6-8, with more flexibility aproch. Now he's older he's increased to more like 80% in mainstream class, but if he hadn't have been ready for that could have stayed 50/50.

Is there anything like that in your area?

Yep, this is us and DD, who has ASD and co-morbid mental health problems, mainstream secondary was a disaster, small independent didn't work out either, now trying home ed reluctantly because we're being offered absolutely nothing by the education authority (or the health service but that's a different thread).

"In my county they have just started removing funding for children who are at independent special secondary schools"

My county have a new 'policy' of pulling day pupils from 16 -19 provision in independent special schools to either go to mainstream colleges or have "bespoke packages" of EOTAS.

Adding my DD can't cope in a mainstream school but isn't severe enough for a specialist school. And EHCP would likely be rejected first time round and on average is taking 2-3 years.
We are currently home ed'ing in the hope she can go to a nearby independent school which has a lot of neurodiverse children which is smaller, less rigid and with better pastoral care. If she can't cope there or I lose my job we are screwed.
There are tons of children like her who are being home educated or whose parents are trying to afford private school.

I’ve always said there needs to be an in between option. So many in this position and parents are having to home school or their poor child suffers and struggles in mainstream.

She cries at school most days

@SnackSnack ignore anyone who has told you DD has no chance of getting an EHCP. Request an EHCNA and appeal if the LA refuse to assess or refuse to issue.

Units/bases/provisions/cabins (whatever ARPs are called in that area) aren’t suitable for all. They don’t meet the needs of many DC who find a secondary environment overwhelming.

An increasing number of DC have EOTAS/EOTIS because it is inappropriate for provision to be made in school (mainstream, specialist, state, independent, NMSS, ARP…)

I have said YABU but only because schools do exist for children like this. Most commonly as mainstream 'units' they are completely separate from the main school but have very small class sizes and can borrow teachers/facilities etc from the main school. They are typically suitable for average and high achievers with ASD etc. They also exist as specialist independent standalone SEND schools.

However I totally understand how bloody hard it is and that there aren't enough of these types of spaces. Our battle wasn't getting an EHCP - our son very obviously wasn't coping at all in mainstream - it was finding a send school with space, that the council was willing to pay for. It took years and the emotional and financial cost lingers.

I have an SEN betweener. I am dreading the move to secondary. I can't afford private so I'm living hand to mouth to afford tutoring for grammar. They're smashing the maths past papers at 100% with 12 months to go and working well on target for 95% on the rest.

Its not fair to put everyone under such strain. The money would be so much better spent on having fun but the local high schools, I know for a fact will not cater to her needs if her small primary can't. She can cope in a pure academic setting but has zero skills in managing people or emotions. She cries at school most days due to noise. Again, no chance of school funding and EHCP. All I want is for her to go to school and not feel like crying for most of it.

Where I live this kind of provision is called an enhanced resource base, the principle is the same though. There are schools throughout the city with specialist provision for a particular need (the ones I know of off the top of my head are for autism, hearing impairment, visual impairment and physical disability), at both primary and secondary level.