One to one teaching at primary level

[justasking111]

School are unable to get more teaching assistants budget cuts. So they're pushing for more one to one staff to fill the gap. It's causing a bit of a kerfuffle with parents, but is it of benefit to all pupils if this happens??

YANBU it benefits the school no matter how it's achieved

YABU the school shouldn't have to resort to this for extra help

@Flitter123

If the school can get funding for 1:1 help for a child, that child will need it because it’s not easy to get. If the school then use that help for general classroom assisting instead of the child in need that’s obviously very unfair.

Okay so is the evidence provided by the school or is an outside body involved

@justasking111 - The Local Authority makes a decision on whether a child needs extra funding for 1:1 support. They need strong evidence that it is needed. It is normally recommended by occupational therapist, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists and other professionals, the school may also submit evidence.

@justasking111 getting an ehcp and 1-1 for a child is a very long and drawn out process. School need to show evidence that the child is in need, outside professionals such as Ed psychologist are also asked to provide a report/evidence as well as the family of the child. This is then collected and it goes to a panel for consideration. It can take many months and not a quick process at all. The school also need to prove that they will or have funded the first £6000 of the cost.

@RussianSpy101

How have people never heard of 1-1s?

Children with EHCPS usually have a 1-1.

No they dont

Some EHCPs may specify some 1 to 1 support but not typically

Obtaining funds for 1 to 1 support is extremely difficult , then that support if for the individual child. It's not uncommon for a 1 to 1 to work with a small group of children depending on the child's needs

Wow, I wish it were true that an EHCP gets you a 1:1!

@justasking111

School have 22 in reception full time but an extra 15 from 9 to 11 in the morning then from 1 to 3 another group of 15. So most of the day 37 children. They have one teaching assistant were refused another. The extra numbers come from the adjacent playgroup

If they have 37 children they need 2 QTS teachers as they are in default of the infant class size legislation.

They need 0 TAs legally.

So are they a foundation unit? Do they get funding for the pre-school children?

Many EHCPs suggest some 1:1 time but not full time so can use TA across children. But EHCPs are really difficult to get, you wouldn’t be complaining your child is being categorised if you manage to get an EHCP for them

@toomuchlaundry

So are they a foundation unit? Do they get funding for the pre-school children?

Doenst matter. A Foundation Unit is not a legal thing- it is an organisational model but has no legal status.

Reception age children cannot be in a class to over 30 without 2 QTS due to the infant class size legislation.

A class where etc majority of pupils will be age 5, 6 or 7 by the end of the academic year is an infant class.

If you take a child with SEN's 1-1 away from their duties to assist the class generally then you are directly disadvantaging the child whom the assistance was specifically assigned to in the first place. That's why it's illegal.

I have 3 dc in primary with ASD&ADHD but only one has a full time 1 to 1.

The hoops that had to be jumped through in order to get that were not easy!

Unless it is actually a real need, children won't simply be labelled in order for extra resources! It doesn't work like that.

@TheHoptimist I was just wondering whether it was a foundation unit, as was slightly confused by the reference to playgroup children.

Think there is also an issue with funding as the pre-school element can’t help the fund the main school

Both outside agencies and the school and usually, parents, will all have to contribute evidence to get the child 1:1 help.

[quote toomuchlaundry]@TheHoptimist I was just wondering whether it was a foundation unit, as was slightly confused by the reference to playgroup children.

Think there is also an issue with funding as the pre-school element can’t help the fund the main school[/quote]
Not quite right

A school whether maintained or an academy cannot support pre-school provision from its core budget.

Profit from a pre-school can go into a school budget.

As far as I understand it, many local authorities are trying to move away from EHCPs that explicitly state full time 1-1 funding. This means that a child with an EHCP may get some support, but it means the support is more ‘flexible’ which means the adult can be used for many different roles. In practice as well, unless a child has special needs which require an adult with them at all times, no exceptions, most 1-1 TAs or LSAs will perhaps go and help other children in the class who might be struggling, or pop out and do a short admin task for the teacher. There’s a real move away from the Velcro approach of one adult only being with one child (obviously there are exceptions).

It’s a very difficult balance and it is certainly true that some children who are supposed to have full time 1-1 funding are not getting it, particularly due to covid absences etc. Also though, schools can be clever about how they use their resources- say a child who has an EHCP needs OT, and several non EHCP children also need it, it becomes easy to say the child is ‘covered’ by the adult but others can join the group. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, depending on the child’s needs.

It also depends on how much input a parent has, and how much they know about SEND and funding.

"As far as I understand it, many local authorities are trying to move away from EHCPs that explicitly state full time 1-1 funding."

EHCPs are required to be quantified and specified so that approach is likely to result in unlawful EHCPs although LA generally want EHCPs to be as vague as possible. That has always been the case.

Exactly school can get funding for one to one but not TAs. Parents worried about their child being Categorised aged 4

So you/other parents are worried that the school will push for diagnosis/EHCP's in order to get the extra funding?

If only it were that easy.

Sometimes it benefits the child if 'their' TA works with them and other children.

@Nanny0gg that is not how it works. It isnt for a school to decide that.

I can’t vote because I think both.

@Nanny0gg

Sometimes it benefits the child if 'their' TA works with them and other children.

Yes, I’ve done speech and language sessions with “my” child and other good language role models. Those children were chosen for the benefit of the child I was focusing on. Something that was a constant source of tension with the mainstream teacher who wanted to send other children with speech, language and communication needs for extra support. It’s also important that children work independently at times and don’t fall into learned helplessness. The key thing is decisions should be taken with what is best for helping that child progress at the front and centre, not what benefits the wider class.

@TheHoptimist ok, I’ll rephrase.

The 11 children I know who have an EHCP all have a 1-1.

@DemBonesDemBones my sons did. It’s specified on the plan.

I’m in a patent support type group, there’s 11 of us and our children all have EHCPS which specify 1-1 and all the children have them.

"Sometimes it benefits the child if 'their' TA works with them and other children."

If that is the case it will be written into the child's ehcp.