Help with wording letter to Headmaster

[FirstFallopians]

Hoping anyone who loves drafting a good, strongly worded but reasonable letter could help me with expressing my annoyance to DD’s headmaster.

DD5 has suspected ASD and a statement for 15 hours per week with a 121. School is a small private school, and headmaster has so far been amazing- he’s really done his utmost to get DD the support she needs and he managed to recruit a lovely, really experienced SNA who DD has quickly built a brilliant relationship with. He’s been really supportive, and has done a lot to encourage a really inclusive environment where dd has flourished.

I managed to catch up the SNA today and she told me that she wasn’t with DD today as there was staff sickness in the preschool department and she was expected to stay there all day. We’ve been suspicious in the past that she has also been asked to give support to some of the other kids in the class, but we’ve so far said nothing.

I want to nip this in the bud now, and make it clear that staffing issues are not my DD’s problem, and that her getting her funded hours are the priority. But I don’t want to go in all guns blazing and piss off or alienate Lovely Headmaster…

I'd check the exact wording in the statement before I went guns blazing or similar. Schools have a lot of autonomy over how they can allocate resource.

Does it have to 15 hours in certain lessons/times of day? If not, it might just be she'll get her hours later in the week.

First wording I would not use is headmaster. It's headteacher.

I agree, the nursery setting will have specific ratios that are statutory requirements, he may have deployed the TA and be covering your DD’s hours later in the week.

Preschool and reception ratios are the law, check your echp for the wording as yours might be per week which means they trump you.

As others have said address as headteacher not headmaster.

I would ask informally first before writing or you'll look a bit foolish if he acted legally?

sorry, another point about helping others in class. This is generally considered fine as long as they’re meeting your dd’s needs. In fact, in order not to make them totally dependent and feel a measure of success 1:1 supper often steps away then comes back when needed. It doesn’t always benefit a child to have someone glued to them every minute (but I equally appreciate that some do need this). Equally sometimes a change of face (eg teacher or someone different) can be refreshing for your child.

I'd be very careful how you go in here, considering you've said they have been very supportive.

Firstly you need to find out if this was instead of doing 1-2-1 or as well, and your dc's hours have just been moved to a day when they aren't understaffed in the preschool.
Secondly are you paying for the TA? I'm not sure if ECHPs are enforceable in private schools-they may be more advisory. Maybe someone else with more knowledge can enlighten me. On the ECHP does it say "15 hours a week" or does it say "15 hours a week at these specific time"?
And lastly on the helping other children in the class are you meaning they're leaving your ds (and not just helping in the class generally outside the 15 hours) or are they working in a group situation which includes your ds, in a way that's beneficial to him.

Agree to checking the wording. Does it actually say 15 hours one-to-one? In my experience, EHCP'S rarely make this statement which is why I ask.

It often is Headmaster in private schools not Headteacher.
As above, check the EHCP, it may be it has to be a certain number of hours across a week which gives more flexibility to cover staff sickness.

If it's a private school, who is paying for the SNA? Are the education authority employing her or the school?

Is the wording for the 1:1 detailed, specified and quantified for specific times? If not and it is vague and woolly 1:1 doesn’t have to be provided and you can’t enforce it. In this case you should look to tighten the wording up so it is enforceable.

If the wording is detailed, specified and quantified for specific times then it must be provided. If it persists once you have spoken to the HT contact the LA as it is them with ultimate responsibility. I am assuming you are in NI, if so SENAC are helpful.

sorry, another point about helping others in class. This is generally considered fine as long as they’re meeting your dd’s needs.

This depends entirely on the wording in the Statement of SEN/EHCP/IDP. If it is watertight and the 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified then it absolutely is not “generally considered fine” to not provide said 1:1 which must legally be provided.

I'm not sure if ECHPs are enforceable in private schools-they may be more advisory.

Statements of SEN (and EHCPs as the English equivalent) are enforceable in independent schools, just like with other schools it is the LA with ultimate responsibility for ensuring provision is provided. However, the rules for getting a wholly independent school named in the first place are different.

Are you in Wales? Statements and SNA aren’t terms commonly used in England now. Is your DD likely to get the 15 hours over the rest of the week?

It’s definitely Headmaster rather than Headteacher.

We’re in NI so although it’s a private school the EHCP was arranged through the Education Authority and is publicly funded, for 15 hours per week.

I wouldn’t mind so much if DD got the hours “back” later on in the week, but she won’t. It was the SNA herself who advised writing a letter to the head on the basis that that won’t happen.

I appreciate that it could be appropriate for the SNA to help other kids in a group setting including DD, but from things I’ve heard from the SNA I don’t think this is the case. Although the aim is to get DD to where she isn’t reliant on having a 121 stuck to her like glue for the entire 15 hours a week, we’re just not there yet- she really needs the one on one time.

I'd write something along the lines of 'wanting to confirm that DD gets the 15 hours 1:1 funding as detailed in her statement' and ask them to reassure you that staffing issues elsewhere in the school aren't impacting on how DD's funding is being used.

I would write a reasonably informal email asking simply why she didn't seem to get the 121 hours on this particular occasion and asking when she will be getting them.

This is normal, even 1 2 1 ta help others in the class, normally the money the school get doesn’t cover the wages of the ta and the school have to add some from their budget.

They cannot redeploy the member of staff and leave your daughter unsupported.

Anyone can tell you how to write a strongly worded letter but as you say the relationship is good and he has been very helpful, I would be careful about being too angry. There may be times in the future when you will need some goodwill.

We’re fortunate in that the classroom assistant does full time hours- 15 with dd and the remainder with another child in a different year group. So her entire working week is split between 2 specific students, rather than some time as a 121 and the rest helping the wider class.

Just having a ta in a room covers their obligation. Even if it's supposed to be 1-1.

Staff will be deployed elsewhere at times. That's normal, sickness , exams etc they only have limited resources so be careful with your wording

Yes, this is my primary concern!

I’m trying to draft something now and keep it very chill while touching on some of the points made by posters here.

Just having a ta in a room covers their obligation. Even if it's supposed to be 1-1.

Depending on the specific wording this may not be the case.

I am a senior leader in a school. We can’t get supply teachers for love nor money at the moment. In a school, safeguarding trumps everything else. We’ve used 1:1s as cover this week to make sure ratios are met, medical needs covered and children are safe. Our EHCP children won’t get the time back.

I’m not sure if things work differently in NI but, in England, it is expected that an ECHP TA would also support others in the class. There was a study several years ago (I think it was the MITA report but the EEF also did similar) about the damage that 1:1 support can cause- this included loss of independence, over reliance and social difficulties. It’s generally considered good practice to provide other support strategies (including scaffolding, pre teaching, training on independence) and securing whole class strategies (including peer support) to help pupils learn in different ways and become independent. The term ‘Velcro TAs’ was banded about for a while.

if your child’s needs are being met, they are learning and making progress and they are happy then I wouldn’t be totting up the time the 1:1 is or isn’t present.

in England, it is expected that an ECHP TA would also support others in the class.

If 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified in F it must be provided, so in these cases to not provide 1:1 is unlawful and leaves both the LA and school open to legal action. EHCPs are legal documents that must be adhered to.

This misrepresents the studies. Sharples et al., 2015, which the government guidance cites found a good 1:1, sufficiently trained and deployed correctly can have a positive impact on pupil engagement and attainment.

A good 1:1 does not result in dependence, but rather fosters independence.

Correct, but that ‘good TA’ would likely be modelling talk, encouraging independent working, supporting the teacher, providing resources and in doing so would be supporting other children (and the teacher) within the class. They wouldn’t be next to or with the named pupil.

they may also spend their time liaising with outside agency staff, completing training etc. and may not be present in the classroom.

there may be times (trips and visits, particular subjects, times of stress) where Child A may need more than their 50%/ 15 hrs a week of TA support.

A common sense approach is sensible.

Again, 1:1 that is detailed, specified and quantified in F must be provided. It isn’t optional. The 1:1 can’t be providing 1:1 if they aren’t in the classroom or are helping another pupil or the teacher.

Obviously in OP’s case she hasn’t said whether it is detailed, specified and quantified in part 3, but if it is it must be provided and she can enforce it if it isn’t.