Not enough support in daughters class.

[User473847284737]

This has been going for a year or two.

shes in year 3. No formal diagnoses as such but she has an EHCP which she's had in place since pre school. She does not need 1:1 but needs some degree of extra support. Her issues include speech delay, her speech was quite far behind at the point of starting reception and unclear, she has made huge progress but still quite far behind for her age, she has motor skill delays, can't run or walk down steps very well, she struggles to get on & off the toilet, was told she has hypermobility and low muscle tone but it's believed she also has dyspraxia which could also be the reason she struggled with clarity of her speech.

she is really quite far behind at school, working at beginning of year 1 level. She can't really read much. Her speech therapist said it can be tied to how significant her speech delay is. She really wants to learn though.

also, we believe she's showing signs of asd. It's extremely likely as her older brother is on the spectrum (diagnosed aged 4). I'm also just about to contact the gp over an assessment for myself as it's been obvious for a long time I'm on the spectrum. I score 190 on raads r, over 65 suggests autism.

I believe Dd masks a lot and copied with her friends are doing.

Despite this she is quite social, has lots of friends (but I feel like the gap is widening between her and her peers as they get older though).

anyway, back to my op. She's in a class of what I believe is 25. There is at least 5 of them needing extra support. Dd is the only one with an EHCP as far as I know. the senco told me there is only 3 in the school with an EHCP, 2 are mine so only 1 other. There's lots of children needing them but aren't getting them. I've been quite lucky that my oldest has been supported, Dd is not. She's not making much progress at school. I can only do so much at home to help her academically, I'm no teacher.

I'm not saying for one minute she needs more support because of this, children should be supported EHCP or not. But my issue is with the school. There is often only one teacher and ta in the class which I don't believe is good enough for the amount of children needing support. some of the kids in the class are generally just disruptive too but don't have sen. It's a really challenging class from what I can gather. I can sympathise with the teacher

but is 1 ta enough. Surely there should be more?? I know it all comes down to money but it's not good.

It's not good. But it's all schools can afford. They have been given a 1.4% increase in funding this year. So 10+% behind inflation. They have to find money in that budget for salaries and pay rises (when they get resolved). So they have less money, and more needs to meet. Write to your MP!

You are right, there should be more support. The issue is of course money, as you also rightly acknowledge. Schools are underfunded and budgets will be even tighter this year as there is the fuel price increase and also a pay rise due to teachers. Schools will have to fund both of these increases from existing budgets. It is not going to get any better.
All you can do is advocate persistently, at local authority level if the school is not an academy, for your daughter. If the school is part of a MAT then try their governance body. Squeaky wheels are hear most.

I'm sure that the teachers would absolutely love to have more TAs but there's just no money available.

Everyone needs to stop voting Conservative.

Trust me if there was extra support it would be in there. Due to the needs of my class I’m meant to have 3 TA’s one is off on long term sick so we’re already down to 2 and I’m sure at least one of them will be borrowed to cover in another class at some point

Very unusual to have an ehcp without a diagnosis
what support does the ehcp say that she should be getting?

Yes, there should be more support in schools, but they cannot afford it for all the reasons given above. Remember this when you vote.

Many classes like you're describing wouldn't even have 1 TA. And even if your DD was entitled to 1:1 support for 25 hours, the money given for it is not enough so you would probably end up in a situation where the 1:1 TA is also used to support other children, or they get pulled to cover classes when the teacher is sick, things like that.

Schools are chronically underfunded and our children are suffering terribly. But the government want schools to be part of academy trusts, where there are big salaries for lots of high-up leaders, many of whom do absolutely no teaching, and interventions to help those who really need them are scrapped because "there's no money".

No advice, I'm afraid, OP. It's a common situation.

It's really unusual to have an EHCP without a diagnosis. What does her EHCP say regarding support and is it quantified and specified?

Tbh with what you wrote your daughter really could do with a 1-1 in school if she's struggling that much also it would insure that your dd is fully supported id speak to the senco team.

Yep-things are just awful within SEND at the moment-I hope nobody agreeing with you votes conservative.

What support and funding are specified in her EHC plan? Many are not worth the paper they are written on. Some new ones I’ve seen come with no funding at all.

You need a reassessment of her need and from what you have said I would be looking for a specialist pathway now as she won’t be able to access mainstream secondary.

She will need a detailed accurate ehcp in place by year 5 for you to start finding a special secondary as many won’t let you visit unless you match their designation

It’s not good but there is no money for it.

At our school TAs were made redundant at the end of last year. I know this because I was a parent helper on a school trip and one of the TAs told me she’d recently had to re-Interview for her job. It’s a very difficult time for schools. In as much as the school and the LA would love to support your daughter not sure where they’ll magic the money from.

I would maybe push for a 1:1? Even if she has someone just so she can catch up a little. Sounds to me like it would benefit her. Hope something is sorted soon xxx

My children's school used to have a TA for each class as well as a 1:1 TAs for those children who require them. Now there is only one general TA for the whole school, and the 1:1 TAs. There simply isn't the money for any more.

I've recently stopped being a Chair of Governors. It's money, I'm afraid and will be even more do in the next year with unfunded energy bills, an unfunded pay increase (govt agreed and then gave schools no £ for it).

Schools have a notional SEND budget which is meant to top up ehcp funding (the school has to find the first £6k and they are planning to make that higher next year in our area) and be to support any other children with need but no ehcp. In my school what we had to find exceeded this by £50k. In a small primary that's massive.

You can talk to school and I would to find out exactly how you child is being supported but do this in a co conciliatory way as they are under masses of pressure.

Btw the govt promised covid support but then put so many hoops in that no one was eligible so that put a dent in too...

School funding is a mess. It got worse over the summer when schools had to find the teachers pay increase and then the fuel costs went through the roof.

This is why there's no TA support. That, in addition to the fact hardly anyone wants the job, any more as it's so low paid for what's expected of the role.

So much misinformation on this thread!!!!

The EHCP is a legally binding contract between the Local Authority and the child, and the duty is on the LA to deliver what is specified and quantified in section F of the Plan. Each part of section F must meet a need specified in section B. Each need/barrier to education in section B must be referenced in the supporting reports in Section K. Section E is defined as the difference that the support in F makes.

So, go back to your Plan, check the reports in K are specific and quantified in their descriptions of needs and the provision they recommend, and then make sure that has been translated into section F.

Then ensure that F is specific and quantified, and that the school is delivering exactly what it says there.

If your plan and reports are vague and wishy washy, then you need to appeal it and get this changed. There’s a process to do this, and for help with this go to IPSEA or SOSSEN where one of their excellent advisors can help you.

This is flat out illegal. It’s not “how it’s done” it’s simply unlawful and if anyone is seeing this happening to their child they can rightly play merry hell about it and hold the LA to account.

Not saying it's legal, just saying it's unfortunately how things are in many schools. I offered no advice because while I work in SEN, my knowledge of EHCP funding is fairly limited. It's good more knowledgeable people are around to offer advice on what the OP can actually do.

Totally agree. Not that I want to get political on this post but you are right, Tories have ruined the country!

You can have an ehcp that does not specify any additional support or funding, it may specify additional resources or equipment

So everyone keeps telling me. But my oldest had an EHCP at pre school age before an autism diagnosis - diagnosis came a year later it was obvious in his case though. With Dd an educational psychologist at the time insisted with the council she needed it due to family history and how far behind she was with her speech, she didn't walk until 3 either. I think if they didn't have one by the time they started school it would have been a divergent story! Was very fortunate their pre school were on the ball!

Different not divergent *

I fear you aren't going to get very far. What does Senco say? I'd push for ASD diagnosis and then ask for an EP review, because she's falling further behind?

DD's EHCP does not state the specific level of support she needs on section f. I've heard that usually this is not stated on a parental copy. Is this the norm?? How can I find out. When she was younger it wasn't much of a problem but the gap is widening between her and her peers!