To be concerned over what my daughter says about a child at school.

[Jgb12]

I have two children. Both with additional needs and they both have support at school. DS has 1:1. Dd has some degree of extra help but not 1:1.
I’m saying this because I know children with additional needs can struggle in school settings etc and struggle with their behaviour.

Dd comes home and tells me that a little lad in her class is horrible to her. He chucked a toy at her the other day, she said he kicked her today. She has come home with little marks on her legs that are from pencils being shoved into her skin. I think the little boy in question has additional needs himself so I do have sympathy and I don’t want to bring it up with the school unless I have to but Dd is really upset and says that he is quite a handful. I know his mum and I would never approach her because being a parent of children with additional needs I know how hard it is and it’s not her fault at all.

But I can’t help feel he should be better supervised.

There’s a few of them in the class needing extra support in a group of 25, probably about 5 inc Dd requiring support. I think out of the whole school it’s the only year group with a larger number of children needing extra help but there’s only 2 TA’s, in fact one goes home in the afternoons so 1 in the afternoon. They are only 5 and 6 so I don’t feel this is enough.

Aibu to be really annoyed. She’s in tears saying he hurt and I feel it’s a reflection of the lack of support in the class... I know money is tight in schools but both Dd and another child have their support outlined in an EHCP so the school really need to sort this.

I think I’m annoyed at the school more than anything !

An EHCP doesn't come with any funding whatsoever in our county

This is a myth a few local authorities like to propagate, and I wish schools wouldn't go along with it. The simple fact is that if provision within the EHCP is properly specified and costs more than the notional £6000 allocated for each child with SEN, the council has no choice but to fund it.

@rawlikesushi, if your school is being expected to put in funds toward EHCP provision that it does not have, I would strongly suggest you refer parents to an organisation like SOS SEN and tell them that you will give them any supporting evidence they want if they care to threaten judicial review to enforce their children's rights. Parents don't need to worry about the costs of legal action as it's in practice really unlikely that the council would let it get that far (as they'd be bound to lose); also because any legal action would be in their child's name and they would get legal aid to cover the costs.

@VashtaNerada

It’s not the LA that’s fault (at least when it comes to how much is available). The government has significantly reduced how much money they’re given.

Unfortunately for LAs that is not a valid excuse in law for failing to arrange SEN provision, and it can be enforced relatively easily through the courts if necessary.

I would 100% want to know if this was my child acting in this way. I think you should speak to the teacher

Unfortunately for LAs that is not a valid excuse in law Yep! Absolutely ridiculous. We need properly funded public services or we all suffer. And don’t get me started on the impact poverty can have on behaviour. I’ve had children that have needed to be discreetly led away from the lesson so a TA can feed them in a corridor so that they’re able to behave properly and access learning. It’s all so sad. And billionaires have actually profited during the pandemic. It makes me sick.

Do take pictures of any injuries albeit small areas. It was only when I emailed the bruises into the head was something done with my son's aggressor.

I never understand why people excuse the failure to apply for EHCPs or arrange SEN provision by reference to "the poor LAs". They have a choice between taking up the lack of funding with the government or failing disabled children, and they seem to go for the second choice every time.

@MoonJelly

I never understand why people excuse the failure to apply for EHCPs or arrange SEN provision by reference to "the poor LAs". They have a choice between taking up the lack of funding with the government or failing disabled children, and they seem to go for the second choice every time.

Exactly they go for the path of hoping parents won’t fight the system so they can get away with doing nothing or the minimum.

The daft thing is that’s a method that will cost a lot more in the long run. Getting the right support early on makes a lot of difference.

And our LA seems to have plenty of money to make families need to fight all the way to tribunal for what their child needs.

I’m sorry that’s been your experience @MoonJelly My experience of LAs is that they’ve processed EHCP applications sensibly and allocated their entire budget. And the unions are constantly in discussion over the shameful cuts to budgets. I fully accept it may well vary by region though. I also think it depends on the SENDCo. My school has multiple SENDCos who are all excellent. I’ve heard horror stories of schools having to share them which must be a nightmare.

I find the opposite @Sirzy - I’ve got multiple families who are blocking assessment by EPs. It must be so frustrating as a parent when it’s the other way round. I have a friend who has been through a nightmare trying to get assessment and funding for her DS so I am genuinely sympathetic. It’s just not something I’ve seen at my school. I think I’m very lucky!