Am I or is school BU?

We had issues for a foster child. Would not meet the criteria for EHCP but many schools have an 'awareness' document that a child may struggle.

Our school call it an ILP , individual learning plan. It is purely for that child. It highlights possible issues, how that may present in class, and how staff can help prior to the issue, and once the issue has occurred.
Our child had it and EVERY time we got the call about things that were on it, I would simply say and did you follow staff guidance on his ILP? Many obviously hadn't read it, but those that did were suddenly more aware of how they could help him in class, recognise that issues were bubbling away etc.

Secondary schools are often derogatory about primary support. One told us that another fc primary school had 'simply contained' him, which was complete BS because they really inderstood his issues and supported him brilliantly, with good learning occurring

I support the school where I can but if they treat our kids differently or without following the AGREED support structures then they have me to deal with. My kids aren't doing detentions, being on report if school haven't followed their own documents!!

I hope you can get your DD get the support needed x

SchoolProblemHelp

I am going to say it again, as you appear to ignoring the problem.
The SEND department is the issue.
Teachers are required to read the IEPs of the students in their class.
I suspect that the response form the SEND department is because they are spamming all of the teachers with all of the pupils IEPs etc.
If they are all indeed virtual then they are not putting the correct markers on the registers, if they are putting them there at all.
Yes some teachers will miss the information but for all of them to, there is a major issue with how it is being distributed to staff.

Authorised absences are still classed as absences. With 70% attendance, DD is not attending full-time and alternative provision should be made as well as part-time school (or instead of school if attending school isn’t suitable).

It is the LA who has a duty to ensure DC unable to attend school full-time still receive a suitable full-time education, not the school. ISPEA has a model letter you can use to request alternative provision. This should begin once it becomes clear 15 days will be missed. The days don’t need to have already been missed or consecutive. And provision should start by the sixth day of absence.

EHCP support thread no. 4 - www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/5197351-ehcp-support-thread-no-4

Please request an ECHNA yourself from your LA. As soon as you can manage.

If school is hostile, maybe a subject access request to gather evidence.

The primary really let you down with transition.

https://sossen.org.uk/ might have useful information for you.

i believe that reasonable adjustments under the equality act are an anticipatory duty, ie the school should be proactive. There are templates online for asking for adjustments.

Good luck.

You really need to educate yourself.

Also, if DD is unable to attend school full time, is alternative provision in place for when DD is unable to attend school?

Xmasday2024
" .Also I think your child is milking the situation a bit, I mean 'I threw a pencil because my hand slipped.' "

Such ignorance displayed here.

Arm yourself with this https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf

She does have an IEP in place but this is quite basic and also I have been advised by the SEN team “we can’t make the teachers read it”.

There is an obligation on teachers -see 6.17 in the document.

And also in the Teaching Standards (5)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61b73d6c8fa8f50384489c9a/Teachers__Standards_Dec_2021.pdf

Sparks maths is the devil. My daughter has a visual processing disorder and short term memory issues. I help with her maths, not doing it for her and kept feeding back about 100% requirements. Our school have recently changed it to 1 hour instead of 100%, but DD has been given 30 minutes. I am in regular contact with her maths teacher, DD doesn’t know I have told the teacher more than once that she cries over her maths. After the last email, we were told their mental health is more important, DD said this is all because of me?

Apply for an EHCNA needs assessment. Be prepared for them to say no and then for you to appeal and win. That is standard LA practice.... Once you get the needs assessment agreed, ed psych have to do an assessment which will help.

Start emailing every time her plan is not followed. Email the subject teacher and cc in the Sendco. I often hear parents say " but I don't want to be that parent" - but if you don't advocate for your child, no-one else will. If things don't improve, put in a formal complaint that they are not following her learning plan. The emails are part of building the evidence that the current plan is not being followed or not working.

Be clear in your emails that getting detention for being disabled is not acceptable and in breach of their legal responsibilities.

Is the communication difficulty to the point where it may be considered to be selective mutism? If so, bring this up with the consultant and ask for more support.

The school are not doing what they should - this may be individual teachers, or the Sen department, or it may be a top down attitude from senior leaders. Understanding where this comes from can help but ultimately if the relationship breaks down to the point that school is doing more harm than good, look around for a better option....

Ignore the school. DD does meet the legal threshold for an EHCNA. Sadly, it isn’t uncommon for schools and LAs to incorrect tell parents their DC don’t need or won’t get an EHCP.

Just because DD coped fine in primary, with a lot of support that wouldn’t be typical in a state MS school, doesn’t mean she now doesn’t need an EHCP. It isn’t uncommon for DC, especially autistic girls, to appear to cope in primary and have the wheels fall off in secondary when the support in primary can’t be continued in secondary. Primary schools fail these pupils by not legally formalising the support. Secondary is a completely different environment. There are far more demands - social and academic. DD would still benefit from an EHCP even if all the support she received in secondary could be provided without an EHCP.

Schools have limited EP time. EP assessments outwith the EHCNA process aren’t very common these days, especially when the pupil is not displaying VCB.

No SALT involved but she has no speech issues, other than her reluctance

The scope of what SALT can support is more than the physical ability to speak. The difficulties you describe are within SALT’s remit. They can help with ASD related difficulties, social communication and interaction, selective mutism, emotional regulation…

Look at OT too. Not all ICBs commission sensory OT, but if your area does, it is worth a referral. In some areas, you can self refer.

If you request an EHCNA and the LA agrees to assess/are forced to assess by SENDIST, SALT and OT assessments can be included in the EHCNA even if DD doesn’t mean the criteria for a referral to the normal NHS services. An EHCNA can also include an assessment by a psychiatrist &/or clinical psychologist without the need to sit on the normal waiting lists. And an EHCP can include ongoing therapies.

If there’s any chance you have in writing the ‘we can’t make them read it’ comment send that to governors.

in any case there should be a governor who is responsible for send and this is definitely an issue; that attitude (as a teacher) is shocking. They can make them read it and teachers should read them as part of their everyday responsibilities

This is why you need to request an EHCNA yourself. As well as formally complain and remind the school they have a duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to make their best endeavours to meet DD’s SEN and they must also make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. To not do so is discrimination.

Is DD under CAMHS &/or paeds? Has she had SALT and OT assessments?

DD needs other support rather than a reliance on one other child in and out of lessons. What if that pupil is off unwell, on a trip, doing something else in school, at a club, is with another pupil DD doesn’t want to mix with, they fall out… What happens when they are set/choose options and the child is in another class? I am not diminishing DD’s needs but a reliance on one child isn’t a useful or reasonable solution long term.

I couldn’t read the plan because the photograph is blurry.

If the snack shack wouldn’t work at all, and it wouldn’t if it was only reliant on another pupil and the fact DD would still be eating in front of others she doesn’t know unless it is a series of smaller rooms within the snack shack, can you ask about somewhere else DD could eat? DD won’t be the only child who finds the canteen overwhelming, if these other pupils aren’t eating in the snack shack, find out where they are eating.

People not reading the stuff that others have worked hard to create and upload/share is the bane of my life.

I'd be attaching it to every email to every teacher for the foreseeable future. And screenshotting any particularly relevant paragraphs in relation to particular points I needed to make and taking a printed copy for every teacher I was booked to see on Parents' Evening if that hasn't happened yet.

If the school has allowed DD to use the snack shack every day, they have probably also made the same reasonable adjustment for other DC. You could ask them to introduce DD to other pupils who they allow to attend every day.

Ah right I'm with you. In which case yes definitely complain, that plan should be being followed. Definitely list what's not being done that is supposed to be happening in your complaint.