Have you noticed many schools are trying to assign labels to pupils who may not necessarily need them - why is there a huge increase in SEN statements and the sheer number of pupils being diagnosed ?

Another school bashing thread. Now we are to blame for SEN, we will add it to the list!

Do tell?!

Ask the school for their evidence, DC has SEN? Tell them you want to see the assessments they have done on him, reports of incidents of behaviour problems, and intervention, they have put in place so far.

If they refuse, put in a subject access request on DC going back 6 years, or the date he started there - whichever is sooner?

How? Please quote a reputable source for your assertion! Who in a mainstream school is qualified to diagnose SEN?

because they recognise the signs

No it does not benefit the school - they used to be paid for extra help needed for things like dyslexia which they now don't so it effectively costs the school to have diagnosis.

I think it will be found that microplastics in all of our food and water cause it. Probably a higher % in those that have ready made baby food and formula. Also is already known the smaller babies who need NICU are more likely to have SEN, so is likely a knock on effect of more surviving pre-term birth.

I get that you are frustrated with the situation you describe but I must say your school is a real outlier if it is managing to access vast amounts of money for SEN.

do you know schools can secure a vast amount of money by labelling children?

why is it goady? because it is seeking information and asking questions? your experience may be with a child with special needs other peoples experience may be different to yours - that is a possibility too - have you thought of that

Problem is we are at a high acheiving grammar school where they are in dire need of funding and they are unfairly labelling kids to secure funding from the council. all the kids have no needs and all the paents I have spoken to just gave in because the school is notorious at silencing parents... my son is in year 7 and has no issues at all but the school is barking loud telling us he has issues. all his reports have never stated any problems and no problems with behavior and is an academic pupil with lots of friends... school is threatening us with neglect and saying we are obstructing the help they wish to provide for a pupil with sen, our son also is distressed and keeps saying they are on his back, gp agrees with us - what shall we do?

We just paid nearly £3k for an assessment, because by the time we get to the top of the CAMHS wait list it will be too late.

She’s AuDHD. Not surprised in the slightest. Now hearing up to try for an EHCP - which the school don’t want to do.

One of the reasons it appears there is more about is that we are getting better at spotting it - girls in particular didn't get AuD diagnoses that often in the past because they tend to be better at masking and all the research was on what it looked like in boys. ADHD was often put down to "naughtiness" and dyspraxia was just clumsiness - it was know as "clumsy child syndrome" and no one had a clue it affected how your brain worked.

100% agree that schools DO NOT want you to get an EHCP.

At every single stage we were dissuaded from applying for one - hinting that I might guaranteed an instant offer of a meeting to discuss and very firm advice not to. Primary and Secondary and over 10 years.

It was difficult enough going through the process with my child, who has Down Syndrome. I can't imagine how hard it is when your child isn't obviously disabled.
Where the hell have you picked up this information?

Schools are NOT keen to label pupils, nor are they generally keen for pupils to have ehcps.

the difference between a quirk and the need for a diagnosis is impairment. You can be as quirky as you like but unless you’re impaired you get no diagnosis

ive seen some ridiculous goady posts on this platform but this one is right up there 🙄

Even students with obvious needs aren't prioritised.

DD's Primary had over 70% FSM and almost 80% EAL - we were middle-class parents, yet school organised and paid for a very in-depth Ed Psych report when they suspected dyslexia.

What we did find was that resources when it came to actual support and intervention went almost exclusively on behaviour issues and dealing with disruptive children leaving no time, no TAs and no support for those with SpLd.

In secondary it has felt the same, although add to behaviour the impact of children with anxiety and mental health problems... and dramatically more so since Covid. Not that these aren't just as important, but I think a lot of the more 'educational' SEN is less of a priority, probably because there are no quick fixes, it's not creating issues for anyone beyond the individual student and it's probably expensive over the long term as there are no quick fixes.

If teachers are a) teaching and b) running crowd control, they can have all the lists in the world saying that little Johnny has dyslexia and little Jemima is dyspraxic but where does the extra time or resource come from to give them any additional help?

Teachers are generally too busy these days to be able to help or stay aware of the students with ‘smaller issues that can be overcome’. So they very often don’t get the small amount of support they need until it is too late - students with more obvious needs are prioritised. Then, after a period of showing much more resilience than they are usually given credit for and to schools’ apparent great surprise, they often fall apart and can’t access school.

I don't expect you to respond to each of my points... I was venting, and apologise for my rudeness, which was unnecessary.
It was borne out of frustration at reading attitudes like those in the OP and in your post, after years of fighting for support for my child's needs, and years of fighting for the right support for children with whom I work.

Rubbish!
and the OP can’t even bother to return.
and if you wonder then talk to some parents of children with SN and see how many have to wait years for a diagnosis.

@welshpolarbear Yep. Everyone needs help. That’s the issue. That’s even there’s not enough money.

What a goady post. The fact the op hasn’t come back says it all.

anyone who thinks schools are over diagnosising has never had a child that needs help.
a) schools don’t diagnose
b) you have to fight for year to get your child the support they need.

Agreed. Many adults privately identify with the now commonly diagnosed conditions and think yes, that's me, and yes, it has always been a struggle, and yes, it might have helped to have a name for it, and support groups, info online etc, but I've coped and made a decent life without anyone having had to make accommodations for me. But if you're diagnosed as a child and led to believe that you're different and special enough to have the world bend around you, and increasing numbers of other children are also expecting their own accommodations, then only time will tell where that might lead at population level. Perhaps in 30 years time all children will be educated online with their own personally tailored approach.

I do think there’s a big difference in severe obvious issues and smaller issues that can be overcome. All those years ago the Warnock report believed many needs were not present throughout school. It’s obviously in a schools interest to get more money but this is a long process and most dc do go through school on school financed help. This is not ring fenced though so we have too many dc needing adjustments and money. It’s up to schools to manage it.

There’s now a massive industry in diagnosing dc and years ago no one was doing this in the same quantity. It was something the better off did: especially dyslexia. This wasn’t heard of in deprived schools. So parents are seeking to get help for dc and not accepting dc are not that special. Schools don’t have the money and it’s not easy for anyone. There’s no answer to be honest.

Exactly. Its a long, drawn out, expensive experience.
In our case, we have a diagnosis done by a private psychiatrist because CAMHS are a waste of time. We approached school for support, extra exam time etc to help and they said no, because there's no 'historical context' ie it's not something they consider an ongoing issue.

So no, OP, I don't think schools are doing this.

As I said up front, our motivation for diagnosis for our daughter was because she wass highly anxious and depressed. From the age of TEN. She had regular meltdowns (always at home never at school) and she is, as far as they are concerned, a model pupil, on track for sevens and eights at GCSE across the board. We see the struggles that school dont and we wanted to help her understand what was going on and why she finds things that other people find easy so difficult. It’s to stop her feeling like she’s “wrong” or even worse a “bad person” when it’s all down to neurological wiring that the world isn’t set up to support. It’s so she can advocate properly for herself into her adult years.

she doesn’t need extra funding. She might need a little time out occasionally when she gets overwhelmed though. And permission to do so with understanding from schools staff and hopefully future employers. Maybe it’s not always about money.