Is it possible to contact head teacher during half term?

[elliejjtiny]

The local authority have refused to assess DS5 for an ehcp. Head teacher is not impressed and agreed to come to mediation meeting despite it being half term which we are very grateful for. I let the lady from global mediation know that he was coming 2 weeks ago and gave the school office email address as there wasn't one on the website for the head teacher. I explained that the only email address I had was the school office one but they can pass on stuff to the head teacher. Last week she asked for the head teacher's email again. I explained I only had the office one again. Now today she has said that she has emailed the head teacher via the school office but nobody is responding (understandably) because it's half term.

Meeting is on Thursday this week. I haven't got any ideas of how to contact the head teacher without resorting to things like contacting him via facebook which I am reluctant to do as it feels like crossing the line and something that would be too intrusive of me. I'm really nervous about this meeting going wrong though and don't want to jeapodise it because I was too polite. I've seen children be unsupported during secondary school. One attempted suicide, One caused a power cut at school and several others became school refusers. I don't want this to happen to DS5. He is really struggling and so is his teacher who is trying really hard and has the patience of a saint.

Any ideas on how to contact the head teacher? He already has the link for the meeting (it's virtual) so I'm wondering if what the lady from mediation wants to talk to him about and if she doesn't, will it really matter?

Thank you. Big sighs of relief all round. The head teacher was brilliant and told the lady from the LA how unimpressed he was with the whole process. As he said, the school only apply for an ehcp when they have tried everything else and he was shocked that they didn't even agree to assess DS5.

the lady from the LA asked the head teacher of he could get his statement for panel by Tuesday so she could take it to panel next Friday as she is away the next week. The head teacher said it was his highest priority and it would get done. I said how great the school, especially the head and his current teacher have been with DS5 and the head teacher said some nice things about us as parents too which was nice. It was really nice to know that the school is so supportive.

I will ask the senco about asking to be seen by OT and ed psych on Monday as it's probably best to get the ball rolling if there is going to be a wait.

It's really disgraceful that that has to go back to panel. The LA are supposed to send people to mediation who have authority to make binding agreements there and then, or else who can immediately contact people who have that authority. With online mediation there is just no excuse for failing to comply.

@Scruffily she didn't seem to have any kind of authority at all. The head teacher was saying that the LA can't have read the initial application properly and the lady from the LA kept saying it was nothing to do with her, it was the panel's fault and she was in our side. Then she said that the panel needed new evidence and the head teacher said they should have read the old evidence properly. I keep swinging between how could we not win with the level of need ds5 has but then I think how can we win when the LA seem determined to ignore the evidence. The head teacher was clearly furious with the LA. The school only apply for an ehcp when it's almost guaranteed that they will get it, my son with moderate learning disabilities only got one in year 3, so I think he was very shocked to be turned down at the very first hurdle.

OP our la is rejecting everyone from speech and language at first hurdle. In the hope less come back. They had to close their books last year. Lots of las are really struggling and just saying 'no' off the bat.

@Sugargliderwombat do you mean the NHS SALT or are you talking SALT through schools?

So our borough weren't taking on anymore salt referrals from schools.

Just updating to say that we won! The LA have agreed to assess DS5 for an ehcp.

@elliejjtiny

That must be such a relief to you after such a stressful time.

Now you need to hope for a successful ehcp.

Brilliant! Sounds like the head played a blinder.

Now push them to get all the right reports. It can be hard work.