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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the school need to support my child

340 replies

mychildisnotnaughty · 10/10/2013 19:02

DS turned 4 at the end of July so started in reception as one of the youngest. Hes been struggling and today I was called in because he ran out of the hall in a PE lesson then when the TA tried to get him back in, he had a tantrum. He then had to wear his PE kit the rest of the day as he refused to get changed and he had no top on as he refused to wear his t shirt.

They said he won't line up either and runs off, also had a tantrum when going to lunch. Also keeps trying to run off at the end of the day.

At the moment I feel he is not being supported, they just keep trying to put him in time out but this doesn't work, I said he needs ignoring but they said that isn't possible. To me it's all down to him being a summer born.

They also complained he's been annoying the school rabbit, this really upset me as at home he loves animals.

AIBU to think they need to do more to help than ring me, as he behaves fine at home so I can't do anything.

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:06

Because at least 40% of the school are EAL and therefore, under the criteria you specified, they have additional needs.

lougle · 11/10/2013 21:08

If the OP was phrased in a way that asked how she could support her child, it might get different replies Fanjo. That's all that people are saying.

NotYoMomma · 11/10/2013 21:09

i've got a very bad habit of looking a cunt on the internet and not explaining myself properly Wink

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 11/10/2013 21:11

Notyo..but you have a soft centre :)

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:11

Depends on your LA's policy though Fairenuff. How much do you know of the fine detail of where exactly your school's funding is spent?

Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:19

bramble you said that the school had £6,000 already in it's budget to spend on additional needs, regardless of any other funding they might already be getting.

I am telling you that, if that is the case, about 40% of children at my school would qualify for 'additional needs' under the criteria you specified. Not SN or SEN or any other allocated or non-allocated funding.

Just going on what you have told me, OP's ds could qualify for about £700 a year. If he was later diagnosed or otherwise considered eligible for extra support, funding would be sought through the usual channels.

I am only going on what you have been saying throughout this thread, about the £6,000 available.

Do you think he would qualify for extra funding, based on what you know from the OP? I certainly don't, not at this early stage.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:28

Fairenuff I never actually said that. I was ver carefully to point out that a school is expected to demonstrate an individual spend of 6k before High Needs Funding is applied for.

You would have to look at individual LA policy to find out what initial funding individual schools received on top of the AWPU.

Just to be extra sure I linked to the legislation. My point is there is a portion of money that has been delegated to schools from the LAs for additional needs. This portion of money needs to be prioritised as such.

Your LA may not even deem EAL as an additional need, they may already award their schools a portion of money for these students.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:30

Fairenuff What have your school / LA advised with regards to funding additional needs?

NotYoMomma · 11/10/2013 21:31

ahhhhhh stop talking about money in fine detail. is it even appropriate to throw money at this yet at this stage? my head hurts.

Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:33

Haha Grin

I think it's clear bramble that the £6,000 is for the whole school and clearly not for one child or even just a few children.

And I agree that it's not appropriate yet.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:36

Soz NotYo it is important though. This is the resource that can define the power to act, the schools have, at their disposal.

Why don't you like talking about it?

lougle · 11/10/2013 21:37

The £6000 is a ceiling figure before which a school must manage from within its own funding. That's all. It's nothing more.

This isn't helping the OP.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:38

Fairenuff the funding reform state quite clearly a demonstration of 6k spent individually on additional needs on top of AWPU.

What advise have you had, officially?

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:41

It is relevant if schools do not prioritise appropriately.

Why don't people want to discuss funding details?

Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:43

When you say individually on additional needs bramble do you mean per child?

Because I've already asked you this and you said no, per school.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:46

If I said this, it was wrong. 6k, individually per child, on a as needed basis, for additional needs.

Have you read the link I posted up thread, which details the legislation Fairenuff?

Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:48

So the Head Teacher already has £6,000 individually, per child, in their budget, ready to use?

lougle · 11/10/2013 21:49

No. They. Do. Not.

morethanpotatoprints · 11/10/2013 21:49

Not sure if this has been suggested but legally your ds doesn't need to be in school yet, you could always defer and try again later.
There is also the option of H.ed, schools aren't always the best source of education for a child.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:49

That is schools have to demonstrate an additional spend of 6k, for additional needs, individually for a child, before High Needs funding is applied for.

This must be clear now...

The document I linked to is quite straightforward, it even has examples.

NotYoMomma · 11/10/2013 21:50

because it has been only 6 weeks and there hasnt even been a meeting of minds with OP and school to discuss issues and perhaps change strategies and put a plan in place?

I don't not want to talk about it iyswim I am just querying if other avenues should be explored and ruled out first before chucking money at it.

we are all getting distracted by ceilings and fugures and allocation of funds by appropriate bodies and it is extremely distracting

6weeks!
reception!

Fairenuff · 11/10/2013 21:53

Ah, ok, so the school has to spend £6,000 on one child in order to be able to apply for further funding.

So, the head teacher has to choose which one child to spend it on.

Not likely to be a four year old who has only been in school for four weeks then is it.

brambleandapple · 11/10/2013 21:53

This is what the school have to spend from their budget.

There budget is determined by the LA. There is variance from LA to LA.

However money was delegated to schools specifically for additional needs and should be prioritised as such. The 6k gives an idea of what the government expects from schools and how their prioritisation should work.

lougle · 11/10/2013 21:53

NotYoMomma you are entirely right. This is all irrelevant twaddle in this case. The reason the £6k is set as a ceiling is simply to regularise Nationally what has been in place in many LAs for a long time. It should be irrelevant to parents of children with SEN, because regardless of how funding is arranged the child has a right to the provision that meets their needs.

This child is not established as having SEN. He is a 4 year old boy who has not yet complied with the school routine, 4 weeks into his first term there.

lougle · 11/10/2013 21:58

"However money was delegated to schools specifically for additional needs and should be prioritised as such. The 6k gives an idea of what the government expects from schools and how their prioritisation should work."

That is simply not true. Every school receives a notional SEN budget. That budget is not ring-fenced. It is simply an indication of an amount from within the school's overall budget which is targeted towards SEN.

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