Calling all Secondary School Teachers - AIBU to feel something should have been done?

[Aggrieved]

So say you had a child come into your school in Yr 7 with levels of 2s/3s in their Yr 6 SATS who was shortly afterwards diagnosed with a borderline learning disability equating to them having the mental age of a 6 year old at almost 12, and behavioural issues to match that, what would you expect from them and what would be put in place at your school?

If they didn't have an EHCP, work wasn't differentiated (as if they did that for them, everyone would want it), they got several detentions every week (screamed at by form tutor for getting the highest in the class), suffered constant name calling and mocking from classmates as they were obviously 'different', and the only support was basically a 'worry box' in the SENCO's office, what would you expect the outcome to be by the end of Yr10? Bearing in mind that their levels at the end of Yr10 were the same as their SATS levels at Yr 6?

What could have been put in place at a mainstream academy and AIBU to feel my child was massively failed?

No he wasn't permanently excluded.

I decided to take him out as he was self harming in school (never did that before as sensory issues and very sensitive to pain)and there was an incident where he refused to come back into the school building from the playground so he was locked outside by staff who said he threatened them with a spade, for 3 hours, when he kicked the door to get in as he was cold, they restrained him by getting him to the ground and carrying him away from the school then called me to collect him where I was met by him being circled by 8 staff members. He's 6ft 3 and well built and I was told staff found him intimidating. He got a FT exclusion of 5 days for that. Understandably I didn't think it was in anyone's best interests to send him back. This was behaviour he had never displayed in mainstream or at home.

That was in the SS he attended for 3 months to December. He's still on roll there but I had to be told by an advice line that they should have tried to get him interim education by tutor while we find him another school.

He was in mainstream until the end of Yr 10 but we took him out as he was hiding in loos to avoid lessons and getting sanctions. Reduced timetable did not help.

PRU was suggested in Yr8. He had no FT exclusions then (first in Yr10 for being challenged to a fight out of school grounds after school), but was on report for amount of detentions for not completing work, being disruptive in class, no homework and social interactions with other DC which amounted to verbal tit for tat. No violence or aggression.
I got him an EHCP in Yr10.

We refused the SEMH school at it is 22 miles in Tower Hamlets, East London. Very few DC have LDs. Demographic is kids from traumatic backgrounds with involvement in crime and multiple permanent exclusions from other schools.

Reading age in Yr6 of primary was 8 as we managed to find him a series of books he loved (Wimpy Kid) in Yr5 and he progressed really well with reading at home. Level at Sept last year were 2b.59. Which I guess is 7 years?

Problem is without SEN status there is no funding for extra support.

At my mainstream comp he would be given at KS3 weekly homework support only without SEN status.

At KS4 he would be on a vocational pathway alongside GCSEs in core subjects. Then, in Y10 and 11 teacher intervention after intervention to ensure target grades are met in core. I.e. By Y10 there would be hw support daily.

If he was my son, I would be looking at getting him in somewhere else and following an alternative curriculum towards btecs or apprenticeship maybe?

Re his behaviour, of course there are minimum standards required, depends on the impact of his behaviour on other students learning. Does he take any responsibility for his behaviour issues?

Forgot to add, additionally to his LDs, he was diagnosed with attention deficit, speech and language delay, and working memory problems. He was initially suspected to have ASD.

If his reading age was 8 in year 6 he was actually achieving higher at that point than any of my current year 11s. They are on track to get 3/4 in the GCSEs, although some of them may end up with lower than that. This is not the nurture group.

Are the levels you are quoting from September GCSE grades (they should be in year 11)? If so then a Grade 2 is not age 7, it's entirely appropriate progress for somebody who arrived with level 2/3 from year 6. They are not the same levels. If they are the same levels the school are doing something very strange.

OK.. so at the end of YR10, (probably June/July 2017 im guessing) you removed him from his mainstream Academy because he was not following schools rules?

A current grade 2 in GCSE terms is like a GCSE grade E/F under old terms. They just changed the letters to numbers recently but the numbers are a completely different system to primary school sats level numbers (which actually don't exist anymore anyway)

Honestly it sounds like you are blaming everyone else for your sons issues apart from your son.

His academic ability is well within the range of my current team year 11 group.

At this point, hes practically finished school anyway. There are only a few months until the GCSE exams, they start in May. The main thing is that he can at least take the exams and hopefully get some GCSEs, even if they are lower than they would otherwise have been as he has missed lots of school. Can you arrange a meeting with the school and try to arrange something so that he can at least take his exams? Or has he been completely withdrawn from their system? If he hasn't it is not too late.

Talk about a drip feed...

So is he actually diagnosed with ADHD?

I don’t know what 2b.59 means, but if he had a reading age of 8 in year 6 then that’s not bad.

Are you in a position to home school him or have him learn from home somehow?

Does the local college have any provision for year 11 students to take a vocational route?

Knowitall You seen to be being a bit combative. Is there a reason for that? You haven't actually contributed anything, just keep asking questions.

I removed him due to his anxiety about attending school. He was signed off by the GP from May 2017 and we made the decision to move him to the SS.

His reading level in September when he started at SS was P7.06 sorry. The 2b is dated Jan this year on his EHCP review which we had last week.

While you wait to get things sorted out can you get him learning online?

Whoa, has he been diagnosed or not?

Exams wise you need to see if he has been entered for them. If so he can take them at his current school.

Those levels are the ones the SS use. They don't follow a GCSE syllabus.

I’d start here, there are a variety of levels and topics.

www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/0/

'IQ of 70 isn’t a special case. It’s at the lower end of normal.'

IQ of 70 is 2nd percentile.

Has he got any support with mental health? Camhs referral?

Paed would not diagnose as ADHD just said he has 'attention deficit' which is on his diagnosis report which the school had immediately. He did not fit the criteria for ASD although CAMHS think he has obvious traits.

He does take responsibility for his behaviour yes, but that doesn't stop him repeating it!

I think it would be useful if you can get him seen by someone and get an actual diagnosis. At the moment it seems like he is slipping through the gaps.

I REALLY feel for you OP. Our son struggled through school-but not until secondary, did the shit really hit the fan. Permanent exclusion last year, after disruptive and deteriorating behaviour. . We applied for EHCP ourselves in OCtober last year and it was confirmed he had been awarded it last week. Over the moon that his struggles are finely being recognised, but heart broken that it took SO LONG to get here. (he has ADHD and on pathway to ASD-he is nearly 16) currently home tutored for 2 hours per day. he is engaged, motivated and starting to believe in himself again

I'm not sure I can help, but give you hope and know that I feel your pain.

My DD got level 3c at the end of primary, Fs in her mocks, but I tutored her myself and she did pass GCSE maths and English. We are still stunned as, like your child she has development delay. She didn't have a special plan. I think it's difficult when your child falls into that group of not disabled, but low ability.

I would also urge you to get a diagnosis for him, so that you can get some real support in place for him....and for you too.

What is it you wa.nt for him OP? He couldn't cope with mainstream school so you took him out. You turned down PRU and you also rejected SEMH.

I hope the EHCP helps your DS iluv . DS was awarded 22.5 hours support in his but his MS wouldn't give him 1:1 as it was against 'policy'. I couldn't see any evidence they'd carried anything out on it either, apart from the 'worry box', in the 9 months before he left. So I'd advise you to keep on wary eye on it.

I'm don't know what he needs Fairenuff. Just trying to figure out how we ended up here. Do you seriously think a PRU or an SEMH provision (22 miles away) was the right call for a child with DS's difficulties. He's never even been permanently excluded which is normally the criteria for those provisions. Do you think I'm being picky?

I have requested a second opinion on his diagnosis but the Paed who initially diagnosed him has to do the referral. She does not agree there is a good enough reason to, still awaiting panel decision and that will take months if it is agreed.

Hope this doesnt sound crass (I don't have a child in this age group) but - does your DC have to go to school and do exams? Can he not be taught how to fish or build walls or whatever instead?