Can one child’s 1-1 help other children In the class too?

[Isthisokforschool]

Or is this not allowed ?

If one child has an ehcp and a 1-1 and there’s a child in the class with SEN but only with IEP currently no EHCP and they sit those children together is it appropriate for the TA to then be helping both ?

It's unlikely the 1-1 is a true 1-1 if no EHCP. My DD has an EHCP but it just stayed the support required so the TA is actually employed to support 3 children as priority but will also help others if those 3 don't need help.

If the EHCP child has 1:1 written into the plan as full time, then they shouldn't support others in the class. If the EHCP says things like 1:1 for X reason, 30 mins a week type of thing, then the TA could support.

I think it depends on the needs levels of the child with the EHCP. I worked as a TA, in a secondary school, for several year. I was given named people to support in each lesson but would generally support the whole class. I would check my named students understood, we're on task and didn't need anything and then I'd work with anyone else that look confused.

Generally yes - EHCP funding usually doesn’t cover the real cost of a whole adult anyway

Most EHCPs I have seen are very woolly in their language. Most schools have ridiculously tight budgets. Despite what you might think, 1:1s are often utilised for general class work for those two reasons.

I don't know about the legalities, but I think common sense would dictate that they can help any child as long as their 1-2-1 child doesn't need them at that time.

I think it depends. I'm a teacher and I've had students where the 1:1 is needed at all times with the named student and situations where they could help others. For example, a student with a 1:1 due to medical need who needs somebody there to monitor/react, but when the student's needs/numbers were stable, they actually didn't need academic support so could help others around them who were more in need in the moment.

Thanks I just wasn’t sure - I was worrying that the help dd is receiving was taking away from a child with an ehcp but it seems like it is ok

Depending on the level of need, there should also be an expectation that they are supporting their target child to develop independence, so it wouldn’t necessarily be helpful for them to be glued to the child’s side the entire time. This might include eg turning to another child and checking in on them. But it would be inappropriate for the adult to be working 2:1 although, as others have mentioned, the language is often pretty vague and schools are stretched beyond belief financially.

DS's primary did definitely. They used her as a class teacher when the actual teacher was ill. And used her to cover other classes and made DS join her in whichever year she was teaching...
He's at secondary now and part of the description is to help with integration in the class. So for half of his hours, she works with him and a group of others. The rest of the time 1:1. So it depends how loosely it's written and what interpretations are possible.

Depends on what the supported child needs. Sometimes they just need help physically due to mobility issues and then can get on. Sometimes having another child sat with them is good as they can do group work and it doesn't 'other' the child so much. It also gives the supported child some breathing room without being under constant supervision al the time.

The true answer is probably 'it depends'.

The 1-1 should be with the child for whom they are intended, and only diverted if the named child really does not need them for that time, but still keeping an eye on named child's needs too.

As someone has already indicated, it's often not in the child's interest to have their 1 to 1 constantly next to them and intereacting with them. Let's face it, few of us would want someone on our shoulder every second at work, watching our every move and key stroke. Also it's really important for the vast majority of children to develop towards independence. So most TAs will be guided by the teacher to step away occasionally and give the child the satisfaction of doing something independently.

As a teacher in a special school, I found that children who'd had 1 to 1s in mainstream were often far more dependent on us than they needed to be, and more demanding of attention because they'd always had it. We used to have to spend time encouraging them to do things independently and not to lean on the adults all the time. Then their confidence grew.

My child has 1:1 in EHCP full time.

There are is an other children in the class who very likely has SEN but is as yet undiagnosed. When he kicks off, nobody gets any work done at all and my child can't concentrate as part of his SEN is that he is easily distracted. So I do not mind if his sensible TA spends some time sorting out the other child so that my child can concentrate. She will also help the little ones with putting on gloves and zipping up coats etc once mine is done, But she is sensible and doesn't let it go too far, she knows she is there for my DS primarily.

Yes and it's a good thing, within reason.
Part of the purpose would be to foster independence not dependence.

Exactly this. The worst thing possible is creating a situation where the child is stifled rather than supported to be independent.

It's very sweet of you to worry you are taking from another child, but that's not your job. You have to focus on is your child getting what they need.

The school has to look after it's whole cohort and worry about balancing acts and how things work and who needs what.

It depends on the wording in the EHCP. If 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified in F, the 1:1 must not be shared and the provision can be enforced. If, however, the wording is vague and woolly 1:1 does not have to be provided.

1:1 does not have to lead to dependence. This is what LAs and some schools like to perpetuate and misrepresent the research, including Sharples et al., 2015 that government guidance is based on. A well trained TA correctly deployed does not lead to dependency. Michael Charles, a well regarded SEN solicitor, wrote an excellent piece on this and how LAs like to misrepresent the research.

Learned dependence is a thing.

It's not good for a child with ehcp to have a ta attached to them like Velcro the education endowment foundation does a lot of research on this as a) it can reduce their time with the class teacher and b) can make them dependent and c) can be a social stigma

If the ta is also working with other children in class it literally benefits the ehcp child

Any school using a 1:1 instead of attention from the teacher is not deploying the 1:1 correctly. Teacher attention should be as well as the 1:1, not instead of. A sufficiently trained 1:1, deployed correctly does not have to lead to dependence.

And if the 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified if F, it is also irrelevant if the school staff think it is needed or not. It is not their place to decide not to provide legally required SEP. It leaves the LA and school open to legal action.

It depends on the wording. I went to appeal to get the word "dedicated" into her ehcp so legally she is only dds TA for 15 hours. Unless it's watertight wording it's hard to uphold which would be via judicial review to your LA.

So yes it's legally binding, if the wording in the ehcp is right.

My son had help from the TA that was there for another child. I think my son kept the other child company quite a lot, so it made sense for the three of them to hang out together a bit.

Yes it's very common but that doesn't make it ok. My son before he had his EHCP was given a part time timetable and was provided 1-1 by another child's 1-1. The two children did not get on and it was detrimental to them both. Now my son has funding for full time 1-1 in specialist provision i fought for this all the way to tribunal it took years and his 1-1 is used for multiple children and then my child struggles exhibits challenging behaviour and is punished for it often having to come home early. had he had the support funded through his EHCP he would not have struggled!!

Not RTFT.

My child has an EHCP, which clearly specifies 1:1 all day every day, including lunchtime and break time.

Does the TA help others? Yes, hugely.

Is she supported by more than one 1:1, despite the EHCP specifying one 1:1? Yes.

Have I raised this many times with school? Yes.

Do I feel churlish doing so? Also yes.

Doni have the solution? Sadly, no.