To think the school should be doing more?

[Anymom]

My ds is 12 and attends a mainstream school. He has moderate learning difficulties and is about 6 years behind academically. He has an EHCP. For the past few months he's been so anxious and not wanting to go to school. He's so anxious he barely eats, cries himself to sleep and has been self harming. He says he can't do the work at school and has been getting detentions. This is very unlike him as his behaviour is normally really good. I've had meetings with the SENCo and they have suggested he stays in the sen room. This worked for a few weeks but now ds is refusing to even go to school and says he's lonely and wants to be with his friends. Yet he can't do the work in the lessons. He hasn't been to school for the last week as he's so anxious and upset. I've informed the school of his anxiety and asked them for some TA support to help him but have heard nothing back from them. I've chased them yesterday and still nothing. I'm really worried that ds isn't receiving any education at all and no one seems to care. I don't know where to turn for help and am beginning to have panic attacks myself now about the whole situation.

If your ds is in Year 7 or 8 but academically on a year 1 or 2 level it will be very hard for him. He must feel completely out of his depth and realise that he is different.

I can understand the desire for people to want their children in mainstream schools, but realistically is your child getting the best possible education and support there? Have you looked at alternative provision?

Yes we wanted him to go to a special school for when he started in year 7 but were told by professionals to try mainstream first, as socially he is OK. He is now in year 8 and just can't cope. I've asked again for him to be placed in a special school to be told it is very unlikely he will get a place as the current mainstream still need to do more to support him. It feels like we are stuck in a visious circle.

Follow the school’s complaint policy (should be on their website) and demand adequate support.
It’s a constant battle, but you know that already.

Good luck

Maybe have a read of the last Ofsted report - how was SEN provision described and rated? It will not look good for the school if provision is not improving...

When’s his annual review-can you ask for it to be brought forward as an emergency as his placement is now unsuitable and ring the LEA and ask to speak to a case worker.

Well the current situation is showing very clearly that his mainstream school cannot meet his needs. Document this, get the school on side and push for a special school place. Your poor son.

You need to speak to the LA as soon as possible. If he has an ECHP, call an emergency review and ask for LA representation. There you need to name the special school that is appropriate for your child. It is up to the school to prove they are meeting his needs. Ask to see his provision map - if he is staying in an SEN room they will be claiming to spend a lot on him. Say that they are isolating him and not allowing him to develop and flourish.

Agree with Barbarian mum. Document everything. Be fairly pushy but polite. Mainstream is not right for him and they are doing more damage than good currently. Good luck.

6 years behind is really a lot.
Could the school help with recommending him for alternative provision, in another specialised school more suited to his needs?

Your poor son. That sounds terribly difficult for you both.

Problem is that TA support is being cut left, right and centre. Even for children with an ECHP. It's appalling. Was it the LEA that said the mainstream school need to support him more? Could be the school knows this too but simply don't have the appropriate resources for his needs.

Sounds like the 'SEN room' is because it's cheaper to staff one room than support the children in separate classrooms.

None of which helps your son. The above advice from others is good.

Hope you get a more positive outcome soon.

Does he get to see his friends at break and lunch time. Can you increase the time he spends with his friends outside of school?

Would the school be able to provide support and outline that they are unable to meet his needs? Would this help get him into a SN school?

Get on to SENDIASS or your local equivalent and get them to advocate for you. They got my eldest into special school and it's made a huge difference.

It sounds like the school are not delivering the content of the EHCP. They have a legal obligation to do so.

On what evidence is he 6 years behind who has stated that? I ask because that's not MLD that's potentially SLD and cognitive assessments usually give centile scores not years of delay.

If he has MLD then his needs should be able to be met in a mainstream school.

Do you have sendiass support?

I would definitely call the LA and ask for a review

Email your LEA caseworker (or whatever they call themselves) and tell them you need an emergency review of the EHCP, tell them why and what the school have done, including the detentions (which are totally unfair if he can't do the work) copy in the school Senco. Emailing rather than phoning creates a paper trail.

Take a look on the ipsea or sos!sen websites, both have good information on what the school and the LEA must do in circumstances like this, You can also try and book a callback from an ipsea advisor.

Your LA local offer website should also have details of your local independent advice and support service (iass) it could be worth getting in touch with them, they can offer advice and attend any meetings/reviews with you.

6 years behind is lots. My child is similar and will start y7 in September. I have requested a SS place. It is not just the social side of things - SS esp at secondary level have a very different focus to to mainstream secondaries. The ones I saw all had a very strong focus on independent living skills rather than academics. I would really push for a move to a specialist setting. It must be incredibly hard for your DS to cope with it all. No wonder he is struggling.

document it all and use it as evidence that is current setting cannot meet his needs.

Thanks for all of the great advice. I said 6 years behind as he was recently tested for his reading and spelling ages, which were 6 years and 1 month (spelling) and 7 years 2 months(reading). He is 13 next month. He hasn't made any progress with any subject (apart from PE) since starting secondary school. He was assessed by an Educational team before he started secondary and his percentile Scores were all very low - below the 10th centile. The main issue is that he can't read any of the material in the classroom eg writing on the board, worksheets or books etc. His writing is also very slow and he struggles to keep up. He doesn't have any TA support in class but does have other interventions out of class.
We do have an annual review scheduled for the end of February but the SENCo wants to delay it so that she can have him assessed again. She has just sent off the referral and there is a long waiting list. In the mean time he is just at home not receiving any education.
When I asked school about a special school they said he is making small amounts of progress (all of his grades suggest otherwise and aren't even marked using the national curriculum levels as he is too low), his grades all just say SA, which I'm not sure actually mean.
The LA have told us to wait for the annual review but now it will likely be delayed. I just don't know how to get him back to school in the mean time. Some of the absence has been marked unauthorised even though I have taken him to the doctors due to his mental health as he was threatening suicide at one point. The doctor suggested counselling but there is a long waiting list for that aswell.
Im worried he will miss so much education for no fault of his own. He's already behind and now will probably be much further behind.

Do not wait for the annual review, you cal call an emergency review and insist that it includes cognitive testing by the Ed Psych. His needs are not being met and he’s being damaged. It isn’t up to the LA what kind of school he goes to, and the thoughts wishes and feelings of the child and parent must, legally, be central to the process.

Start looking NOW at alternative provision, specific learning difficulty schools (does he have a diagnosed specific difficulty?) special schools and “section 41” independent schools. View them, and Lee him off if he can’t face going in. It’s not like he’s learning anything anyway!

He is being appallingly failed. And you know, even though some mainstream placements can work out, the support and ethos of the school HAS to be there. From what you’ve written they don’t know what to do with him, and the senco delaying his review is outrageous! There’s a legal obligation to do it! So plainly the senco is clueless too.

I know this is blunt but I don’t think it’ll come good at his current school so don’t flog a dead horse.

You can even have “educated other than at school” (EOTAS) in the placement section of his plan and the legal duty on the LA to deliver a full time education remains.

Please please get on a SEN law course if you can. IPSEA and SOSSEN run them and they are excellent. There’s also loads of material on the ipsea website.

Your poor boy. I really hope he doesn’t have to have a single more moment’s worry and that he can snuggle up at home with you until it’s sorted. And you can sort it. It’s doable.

Start here:

www.ipsea.org.uk/asking-for-an-early-review-of-an-ehc-plan

And here:

www.ipsea.org.uk/news/the-duty-to-secure-alternative-education

Reading age is different to cognitive ability.

What alternative methods of recording are the school offering? Does he have reader or reader pen? Does he use a scribe, dictation software, or iPad/keyboard?

If he is struggling in these areas then all his working memory and effort will be on that rather than the actual learning. If that is removed or lessened he is much more likely to be able to access the learning.

10th centile is low but it's not severe learning difficulties and not necessarily special school where they majority would be below the 1st centile depending on the type of specialists provision.

He clearly needs more support. Small group work, some individualised pre and post learning and a huge amount of differentiated support for literacy and of course reasonable adjustments to the behaviour policy as he should not be getting sanctioned that way.

The school can and should be doing all that and only when that is in place and he still is not making program then can then say they cannot meet his needs.

The idea of a reassessment by an ed psych is a good one but they don't have to wait for that to be doing the above.

*progress not program

Do not let the annual review be delayed. It needs doing now and it needs someone from the LA there too ideally.

Is his ehc in current form specific about what support be shokld be getting?

Sadly with these things it is often “she who shouts loudest who gets” you need to keep pushing it and know exactly what you want and not stop. Have a read of the sen code of practise so you know what they should be doing

Contact your local SEND IASS for advice and support. You can also call the Contact a Family national helpline, like IPSEA they have a helpline for SEN.

contact.org.uk/our-helpline/

councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/information-advice-and-support-services-network/find-your-local-ias-service

Push for new review and assessment.
Do you mean his levels are WT ((working towards) a lot of bottom set y7/8 kids won't be on a gcse level yet.
You need to find out if the special provision would be better for him.
Are you reading with him at home?
Had he always been behind was he prem?

Hmm maybe special school is not best for him then. The one I viewed was for children with moderate learning difficulties but has very limited spaces.
I have made a few phone calls today and am hoping for ds to return to school tomorrow, although he is totally against this. The LA have said I need to get him back ASAP due to his attendance being so low. They have said the duty lies with school to support him. I'm waiting for school to call me back to see what they can do. The annual review is being delayed for a month whilst they seek advice from their learning team at the LA. I have also contacted sendiass and am waiting to see if we qualify for their help. I'm just feeling overwhelmed with it all and hate seeing ds so distressed. Hes absolutely petrified at the thought of going back.