I work in a special school. AMA

[Jammiedogers]

Hi,

I've just read a couple of school/teacher based threads. One person mentioned mental health of students.

So here we go. I work in an SEMH (social, emotional, mental health) specialist provision.

Obviously being careful of confidentiality, AMA.

Just to add. My son will be going to special school at some point soon and it's terrifying to pick a school etc. So if I can help one parent it'll be worth it

No question but for you. Ds went all the way through at a special school and some of his teachers were so instrumental in his development and achievements.

Is there different teacher training? How well do you rate the school that you are in?

My teacher training wasn't different. Some of our teachers have come from mainstream. But it does take a different kind of teacher.

Honestly and truly I think my school is incredible. We have won awards and are hoping to do some consultancy work with main stream schools to help them make changes for neurodiverse individuals, how to implement trauma informed practice, etc

Do you really call it a ‘special school’ ? That seems really dated and wrong. Anyway…

How do you implement trauma informed practice for your students?

My nephew with severe autism and GDD attends a special school and it is honestly amazing. He is 8 and waits by the door each morning grinning from ear to ear waiting to be picked up by the bus. He is non verbal but his smile at going to school says it all.

How do you find the older children (12-16) cope at your school?

What does a typical day look like?

Also do you wish more parents would consider schools like yours from the start, rather than sending their children to mainstream school? *

• I don't mean to offend anyone with this question and I appreciate it's not always possible to get a place from reception. However, I've met a lot of parents who wanted to try mainstream first, and see alternatives such as special schools as a last resort.

This is still the term used by local authorities.

@Beatrixslobber my very disabled child attends a special school and I feel happy with this use of language. He is special.

What does a day in your classroom look like? What age group do you teach?

My son attends the most incredible special school and it has been life changing for us all thanks to people like you OP ❤️

Is it v ery difficult to recruit?

My DC went to a special school (and yes, that is the correct term, it is a very special place). Not SEMH, so not yours, but it was transformative for our family.

Is yours independent or state? Do most families have a huge fight with the local authorities to have it named on an EHCP and as a result their DC spend far too long in mainstream?

We are an independent secondary.
Among many things, we follow an approach called PACE - playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, empathy. First and foremost we focus on relationships between staff and learners.

We have three breaks during the day plus lunch. Tutor time is also a sizeable chunk in the morning. We also have daily reading time. We have mostly mornings as academic and the afternoons are wellbeing.

What are your 5 key points when looking for a sen school??

Stuck between two schools.
One further away but ofsted is outstanding
& another a bit closer to home but rated good.

Also nervous about transport. @Ellemeg82 so pleased to read your son likes the transport, does he have an assistant?

Five key points? Difficult question. I'd say make sure you look around. Closely consider your child's temperament compared to the school.
What are your child's needs? Does the school cater?

Thanks so much for posting OP. My daughter has just got an EHCP with SEMH need and special school need. There is only one SEMH school near us for her to attend. We have visited and it seems amazing. Its private and has good reviews.

My DD is 11 and i worry that she will be one of a few girls with loads of older boys. I worry she will be safe and happy and have a peer group. Me and my DH are also gutted as we have tried so hard to get her integrated into mainstream school. We adopted her at 4 and we are so gutted that it has come to this and blame ourselves for her continued violence and behaviours with other children. We feel we have tried everything and this feels like a failure. We are worried about her now having the stigma of attending a special school. We have thought about home school and she has interim EOTAS but the subjects are limited with one tutor at the kitchen table essentially and she is not safe to attend groups with other kids. I also struggle with her behaviour, defiance and managing her behaviour around her younger sister. Last year it got so bad before we removed her from school. I feel we came close to adoption breakdown.

Me and DH both had/have professional careers and are i suppose high achievers. I went to a private school. She has been through 4 different primary schools. She isn't safe around other kids, she is about 2 years behind. She has thrown things at teachers and stolen from staff and pupils. Classrooms evacuated, children hurt, suspensions, restraint by teachers. We thought with adjustments time and therapy these behaviours would ease to the extent she could be educated in mainstream with adjustments and an EHCP but after 7 years we still seem to be at square one which we are both gutted about.

We are worn out and if i put me and my other daughter first to be honest it would be nice to have some daily respite from my older daughter as she needs so much care and supervision. She is medicated and has a very low demand life at home but can still be so rude and difficult and rejecting. Her self esteem is on the floor.

I also feel like a failure because she has been in a safe stable home for years and has been adopted. lots of the kids in the school are in foster care with more complicated lives. I think she will be unusual as a young girl who despite so much help for years is still so violent she need a special school. This frustrates me so much. Why cant she get better?

I suppose i am asking if in your experience as a professional, you think special school can manage her and help her?

Might be worth having a look at therapeutic parenting if you haven't already. Low demand sounds a great way to go.
Have you been around the school? What is behaviour like generally? Do they practice "team teach" ?

We are looking at specialist provision for secondary school. We have quite a few in our area which is good.

This is all new to us so what should we be looking for /questions to ask.

Thanks

You need to have an understanding of what pathway your child is on. Is it GCSEs, is it other qualifications? Maybe something vocational? Make sure that the school provides what you feel your child needs..GCSEs aren't the be all and end all.

Mostly you just need to be happy with the ethos of the school

What do you think about the school holidays? DNephew is at a special needs school and has struggled with the transition from nursery in terms of the holidays because he doesn’t understand why school suddenly stops. The summer holidays in particular feel very long and he regresses. Obviously I think teachers deserve a holiday too but do you think a different term pattern would work?

Thanks for posting. My child has adhd is in year 8 but when initially transferring to secondary started in mainstream but just couldn't cope in the environment (very large school, very strict) and was displaying behavioural issues as a result of this. Before the end of term last year we managed to move them to a SEMH, mainly for their understanding around adhd, smaller classes, different structure and approach etc but recently it has come to light they are struggling with the environment (very noisy, witnessing other behavioural issues due to the nature of the school) This week they have also been diagnosed with autism. I know every child and school are different but in your experience do you think a child such as mine can do welll in an semh school or would a school that specialises in autism be a better choice? Sorry I know this is quite specific, but any experience or thoughts you have would be appreciated!

Personally I think the school holidays are absolutely invaluable - at least in my school. By the end of term the kids are burn out and exhausted. We see more deregulated behaviours and that has an impact on everyone. I would agree though, the holidays are long sometimes and it does cause anxiety with returning to school. We always call our kids before the long holidays end to touch base and check they have had an ok holiday, see if there are any concerns, etc.

Not all SEMH schools cater for the same needs. For example, we have a lot of anxious, mute kids. We don't restrain but also don't take kids who will need restraint. Our kids will self harm rather than "kick off."
Another local semh school takes the more reactive youngsters. Our local autism school has a fair amount of restraint needed too. I guess you just need to understand your child's needs. Some schools will be smaller. We don't have many. I was also looking at a school of 150 for my boy but have decided against that as it's too big

Currently going through the EHCP process for my autistic DS. His main struggle is social anxiety. He is currently homeschooled and wants to remain at home.

Do you think home is the best option or would he benefit from attending a school like yours?

My personal opinion is that a school like mine would be amazing for your son. We put so much support in place. But I also know that not all places are like ours. Where are you based?