What is really going on in our schools? Well, Laura....

[noblegiraffe]

Laura Kuenssberg appears to have just discovered that schools exist. New to the concept she has written an essay discussing what might be going on in them, from the perspective of someone who doesn't know what they are talking about. Basic errors include "standards haven't crashed because GCSE and A-level results in 2022 were up on 2019".

She mentions the lack of funding, but doesn't mention the lack of teachers. She mentions increased pupil absence but doesn't mention the implosion of support services for children like CAMHS, or the huge waiting lists for SEN diagnosis and the cutting of TAs in schools due to lack of money. She suggests covid might have had an impact, but not that the government have done basically nothing to address this and that their covid catch-up adviser resigned in disgust.

She says a minister says that 'teachers have had a bashing since covid'. Since covid! She doesn't mention this is led by the government and has been going on for years.

So, what's really going on in our schools? Anyone want to help Laura out?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-65360168

@Itstarts DLD is not SpLD. My daughter has both and a dyslexia school actually turned her down because of the DLD diagnosis. Specific learning difficulties do not come under the SCLN umbrella. I'm glad DLD kids are getting spaces in your area. It's so frustrating. That school is a private school btw and again not for SpLD. It also costs £70k a year min and is for kids with very severe DLD. The iCan schools are also very good for that type of child.
My complaint is that there really isn't any provision for dyslexic kids who won't manage/will struggle in mainstream but don't quite fit the severe range. There is no state provision for these kids. I've never even heard of a base for dyslexic kids. It's not just spelling. It can be so so severe and there's absolutely nothing in the state sector for them.

We’ve given children too much power & yet all the responsibility to parents.

Our local boys school has relaxed rules around haircuts in case they offend.

Rules increasingly seen as harsh & unnecessary & infringement of rights.

@Dodgeitornot

Ah, I know what I've done. I've read SpLD as Speech and Language Disorder.

If dyslexia was severe enough to need specialist then it is no longer a SpLd and would come under the LAN umbrella. SpLd should only really cover specific needs that can therefore be met in mainstream. That's my understanding anyway but I do get overwhelmed by all the acronyms in the world of SEND. Especially when they change!

@Itstarts What is LAN? My daughter has an EHCP with SpLD being her main need so that's incorrect. She's also in a state mainstream school currently. I think our expectation of what needs can be met in mainstream is really messed up. Dyslexia can be debilitating, especially the processing speed aspect. In a class of 30 it's already been mentioned how having to slow down for those with SpLDs is just not possible. The rest of the class gets bored. Those kids are just as bright, but they need so much more time and a much different way of learning.

SpLDs are the second most common reason for EHCPs after SCLNs. This acronym encompasses: Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, ADHD and Dysgraphia. You can have both SpLDs and SCLNs. For a some kids their dyslexia is so severe they get incorrectly diagnosed with DLD as it can effect speech. This is also the reason why all private schools for SpLDs have Speech and Language Therapists and OTs. It makes me really angry that these kids are completely forgotten about even though their diagnosis is as, if not more common than autism and they can struggle just as much. They have absolutely no provision within the state sector.

LAN is learning and additional need which would cover everything you've mentioned under SpLd. I think this is a case of different areas doing things differently.

@Itstarts SpLD is a medical term, it can't be replaced with LAN.

Of course it can, ASD/ASC for instance. Terminology is updated all the time.

Laura, go and spend a couple of months in a school before you write an essay or expound on the subject.

Until you work in education you simply cannot have any clear idea of what the hell is going on.

Talk to everyone, not just the teachers but the business manager, the catering team, the lunchtime supervisors and admins. Talk to the children, all of them.

Try and be a TA on 14k dealing with children that simply should not be in mainstream education.

Appreciate that for these children the state has condemned them and their parents to a scandal of neglect on an epic scale.

Stand in the office and listen to the abuse from parents because the school, AKA babysitter, isn't able to do what they want. Count the fuck you's. If we had a fiver for every one, we wouldn't have a funding crisis.

It's budget time. Come and see the genius of maths at play in making the square root of fuck all fund everything that every child needs to access the curriculum in a safe environment and succeed. Then see us perform the miracle of paying everyone a fraction of their worth.

Until you've done that, your opinion and programme aren't worth a grain of salt.

@Itstarts ASC/ASD is the same thing in a different font. LAN is a completely different thing. It sounds like an admin term. SpLD is a medical diagnosis in the DSM-5.

SpLDs are the second most common reason for EHCPs after SCLNs.

This isn’t the case. As you can see from these statistics in 21/22, the most recent statistics, ASD was the most common primary need for EHCPs, followed by SLCN, then SEMH. SpLD as primary need for EHCPs is well down the list.

@FloatingBean You are correct sorry I didn't specify I meant for my borough. In my borough it's SLCN, SpLD and ASD. They turned all the SLCN based into ASD ones and have build 2 special ASD schools but there's no provision for anyone else. I suspect ASD EHCP numbers are low in my borough as the provision is very good and you don't need an EHCP for it.

Your LA’s statistics must have changed significantly since 21/22 as you can see the breakdown by LAs via the link I posted and none of them have SpLD as the second most common primary need for EHCPs.

@FloatingBean Possibly, I'm only stating what we received from them in a newsletter for this year. They've had a 15% increase in applications and have used that as a reason to increase part of our council tax by 20%

It will be interesting to see the 22/23 statistics when they are released. I think your LA might be misrepresenting their statistics. It is highly unlikely SpLD is the second most common primary need for EHCPs.

BTW there are ARPs for those with SpLDs. For example, Hampshire have a few, in Leeds there is Roundhay school, Solihull have one for those with Dyslexia and co-morbidities.

Laura Kuenssberg is a government mouthpiece and will never be objective.

She should see this & ‘go’. Send it. Great post.

Quite possibly, looking at the link you sent has been interesting. SpLD is a very common co morbidity of ASD and SLCNs so I'm wondering whether this has been switched around for data. For eg my DD has SLCN and SpLD, but SpLD is put down as her primary need. I'm not sure how true that is as it's so intertwined. I'm wondering if that's even possible? How do they collect data of the 'main need' if there are multiple on the plan?
It's great to know there's more things popping up for kids with SpLDs. That makes me really happy. I did hear of a school outside Birmingham a week ago at our annual review, but I thought it was a Section 41 school, so still independent.

so I'm wondering whether this has been switched around for data.

@Dodgeitornot this wouldn’t surprise me if the LA thought it would benefit them somehow. Perhaps they thought residents would be less likely to complain if told the council tax increase is due to an increase in e.g. SpLD compared to if they were told it is due to an increase in e.g. SEMH.

Every child and young person with an EHCP will have a primary need. Some LAs include this on EHCPs, others don’t, but there will be one recorded somewhere in ‘the system’. Although it isn’t necessarily static, e.g. a pupil who at 8 has a primary need of SEMH may well go on to later have a primary need of ASD.

The ARPs are in state schools. The majority of SpLD specialist schools are independent, but s.41 independents aren’t wholly independent, so the rules around getting one named in an EHCP are the same as if it was a state school.

@FloatingBean That's interesting. I wonder if that's what they've done.
As to your last bit, I know ARPs are in state schools, they are very difficult to get into though and there's only a handful for SpLD. The ones you mentioned are the first I've heard of. I know how section 41 schools work, but you still need an EHCP to get funding for them, it's just if the school says no to admitting, they have to explain why the same way a state school would. Fully independent schools don't have to.

My point really is that the expectations placed on mainstream schools to cater for students with SpLD are extremely high. It is very common for staff in mainstream to be trained in helping students with ASD, I understand the quality of that may be questionable, but it's very very rare for the same to happen for students with SpLD even though so many millions of kids have it in the UK.

I know it is difficult to get a place in ARPs, whatever the need, I was pointing out they do exist (the ones I’ve mentioned aren’t the only ones - e.g. York, Walsall and West Berkshire also have at least 1 each.), and that they are state schools.

it's just if the school says no to admitting, they have to explain why the same way a state school would.

The duty is on the LA, not the school. The school can be named against their will. Unless the LA can prove one of the exceptions the LA can, and must, name parental preference even if the school object.

@FloatingBean Yes I know, you know what I mean, please stop with the semantics, your explanation literally doesn't add anything to the point that it's still an independent school and you still need an EHCP.
Handful of ARPs don't change the fact that provision for SpLD is dire and teachers are expected to perform miracles in the same room where half the class is aiming for grades 6-9 and others can barely read and write.

SEN provision is dreadful whatever the need.

It’s not semantics to point out the rules for naming schools in EHCPs. I responded because it seemed from your posts you were confused. If that’s not the case, fine, but that’s how your posts appeared. Knowing the law and that NMSS and s.41 schools can be named against their will actually does help. Many parents don’t realise and unfortunately parents who know the system get better support.

Not all independent SS (for SpLD or any other primary need) require an EHCP, some allow self funders. However, they are far too much for many parents.

@FloatingBean I've not come across an Independent SS for SpLD, section 41 or not, that doesn't allow self funders.

This!!