To think school have to make adjustments?

[bingbangbongding]

Hi, DD11 has her SATs next week.

She is autistic. Diagnosed last year.

She's been in contact with the SENDCO over the past few weeks after advocating for a space where she can be alone as she finds it hard to understand questions unless she reads them out loud. Obviously she will disrupt other kids if she does this.

Admittedly I haven't been involved (my mistake) as she was updating me every step of the way.

Last night the class teacher emailed me that they would be unable to meet her request because (paraphrasing) they had run out of teachers/assistants/rooms to accommodate everyone who requested or needs adjustments.

I've checked the gov.uk site and it simply says 'children are entitled to adjustments' blah blah, not 'entitled to adjustments if the school can accommodate'.

DD usually scores very well on exams but is so stressed out over the SATs. It doesn't matter that we've told her that they are a measurement for the school there's a lot of self pressure. I think the schoo think 'she's doing fine, doesn't need the adjustment'

Can I push this? I have emailed the teacher to express my disagreement over this approach and suggested that we can provide an independent (my friend does exam invigilation and will sit with her).

Advice needed. Please.

No because it's shit pay.

I would love to do it but would earn significantly more sat on a till .

HT's need to pay properly.

Monday is a bank holiday, so the school won’t be open.

I agree that any arrangements should have been considered some time ago, but they weren’t. I hope the school, even at this late stage, can make some accommodation, but if not, just encourage DD to do her best and not to worry if she can’t do some of the task.

We actually have a very high level of need (higher than average EHCPs with children with very complex needs) and share general TAs between classes. Some classes have no support at all.

What evidence do you have that she needs this adjustment? Is this her normal way of working? I thought schools had to apply in advance for adjustments and evidence why they are necessary and show that the child usually works like this. Even for sats!

Space can often be a problem in school because you would think offices could be used but there is often sensitive data stored there that means a big no no, ringing phones etc. In addition, office staff are usually super busy themselves and lack capacity to be invigilator.

Schools around here are definitely minimising support staff due to lack of funding it's ridiculous and sadly it's students like ops who suffer the most. If your daughter is feeling stressed and upset, keep her off. Mental health is more important than these tests.

It's not discrimination, it's normal way of working.

Diagnoses don't automatically mean extra time, small room or any other access arrangement.

You can ask OP but school are under no obligation to give you what she wants. I'm astonished you've left it until now if she was this bothered.

@bellswithwhistles

The government need to fund schools properly so the HTs can pay properly.

I'm sorry the school are not being all that supportive. It sounds really tough for your daughter and its a shame they have left it this late in the day to tell you they can't help.

I don't know how it works with SATs but could she sit them at another time? So she could do it after the others have finished so she could be in another room. don't know how she would cope with being elsewhere (with another year group?) while the rest of her classmates are in an exam but it might be worth the suggestion?

I think the EHCP will be worthwhile going forward but I had reasonable adjustments at GCSE and definitely didn't have one. I had a bereavement and sitting exams was the last thing I needed so they put me in a smaller room with only a few others as I was getting overwhelmed and just likely to burst into tears at the pressure of it all. So they can make reasonable adjustments without an EHCP.

There are exceptional circumstances, such as a bereavement, or injury, which can be applied for at very short notice, but generally, any arrangement that is made has been the normal and usual way of working for a sustained period of time.

DD is usually ok. As the drudge of constant mock exams has crept up on her with daily mocks this week her stress levels have increased and increased.

The freezing in tests and feeling like she wants to run out of class is a long standing thing.

She is a clever girl and is always top 10/15% and so my feeling is that the teachers just think she's coping. What they don't see are the nightmares, the shut down when she gets in and the tears and tantrums.

The school know all of this as she sees a counsellor weekly and the SENDCO a few times a week.

In terms of space it shouldn't be a problem, it's an enormous primary, 3 classes per year. They're still insisting no space/supervision available.

I would point out to the head teacher they have an office, that can be used

That is probably in use most of the week

I’m surprised at some of the comments on this thread. I would have thought it was perfectly normal to expect autism to be accommodated by a private space and breaks that don’t affect exam time. They’re bog standard adjustments that have been around since I was at school. Can the school not get a supply teacher to increase staff for a reasonable adjustment? I’m sure there’s a compromise they can come to on finding space. Yes the OP made a faux pas with not being involved earlier, but I’d be pushing on this if it was my dc. The OP’s daughter has long term issues of freezing and feeling she wants/needs to leave class, so that is her way of working. If she tends to read aloud, she may well not remember to ‘whisper’ or feel unable to do this and process information in a room full of people. No, SATS aren’t important as such, but they are often used to place children in sets in secondary school. Equally, it’s not a good idea to cause serious anxiety around them and not meet a child’s needs because that association will stay with them and so will underperforming. Equally, I’d have thought it sets precedent for similar happening later on. I’d push for the adjustments to be made, OP. Schools being underfunded and understaffed are not something a parent can help and doesn’t mean they should stop advocating for the correct support for their child. Just like hospitals being underfunded and understaffed doesn’t mean we all shrug and say, “Oh well, poor old doctors, I’ll just live with my serious health issues and forget seeking medical help.” Lots of us have had to advocate for our children to receive appropriate medical care and I don’t see how education differs from this - it’s rubbish for all involved, but often necessary. It’s not the OP’s job to decide which room or how they get extra staff, it is her role to push for her child to access the support she needs, whether currently deemed by the school to or not.

Not always for a full time ta the expectation would be 815/830-4/5. (Often asked to do one after school commitment a week) Usually getting paid 845-330. And with pro rata it works out 13/14k a year. So you still need wrap around care unless you work at you child's school.

I empathise as my own child is autistic.

However the duty is to make REASONABLE adjustments and in determining whether the requested adjustment is reasonable a number of factors including resources, capacity will need to be taken into account. It’s not a right to all adjustments in all circumstances. I’m not saying that I agree btw but it’s how the law is written.

Suggest taking some advice from an education lawyer if you can

It shouldn’t have to be this way OP but as a ASN parent you do need to get in there and fighting early: My son will have his first National exams next year and I have already been in dialogue with the school about the adjustments and making the case to SQA for them.

Looking at the situation in schools in my local area, I am so worried about how even children with statements/EHCPS will continue to get their entitled provision as schools are haemorrhaging staff without being able to replace them. And whilst I know it’s the schools legal duty to provide it, we seriously are not far away from the point where this is going to become impossible.

This is so scary but I absolutely see it... It's a disaster waiting to happen. Already parents are having to fight for EHCP provision to actually happen

A teacher can't invigilate on their own so they would need two members of staff to be in the room with her. I doubt they have this because they have had to put an extra person in each class for the tests.

ds1 (university) reckons so many students have the quiet room adjustment there are more students there than in the main hall - I think / hope he is exagerating but it is a problem for schools / colleges if they have several students in need of support. I am incredibly impressed though that she is able to advocate for herself - mine at that age would just bottle it up until they exploded.

The right is to REASONABLE adjustments. Not to all adjustments in all circumstances. Where do they get an additional room from
if they don’t have one?

I’m not saying this is “right” btw that they can’t accommodate her but sound bites out of legislation without having any understanding of the legal nuance is not helpful to the OP either.

OP you have had a lot of replies and I haven't read them all but I will be administering SATs on Tuesday and can tell you that the guidance is clear - one adult cannot administer to one child in a room alone - another adult must be present. And children cannot be supported by family. I know you are suggesting a friend not family but even so I'd consider a family friend too close. School also need to be able to evidence that the type of support you are adding for is normal classroom practice.

@bellswithwhistles
’HT needs to pay properly’ ( for TAs)
With what?

Sounds like the school hadn’t been that organised.TAs can be pulled from elsewhere if needed, SM can give up their offices( ours do) and you can do the test in shifts with cohorts kept apart if staff are needed for both sittings.

You do have to prove the adjustments are used normally though. Some schools do practice tests before so I’m surprised this hasn’t cropped up previously in your case. Does smack of masking not being spotted or dealt with along with poor organisation.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/key-stage-2-tests-varying-the-test-timetable

I'm secondary, but for any access arrangements we have to demonstrate that the arrangements are the candidates' usual way of working and have evidence for the adjustments. Usually this means that their in class assessments are conducted with access arrangements (where relevant), their end of year and any mock exams are also conducted with those arrangements.

Every year we get last minute requests for access arrangements but if the student has been fine (as in appears fine in school, their papers aren't giving any concerns, and there's been nothing raised with us about any fallout at home) then we can't put the access arrangements in place.

You say yourself that school don't see the nightmares and fallout at home, and i think that combined with the lack of EHCP, and the fact it's so close to SATs week means it's unlikely they'll be able to do anything. There needed to be more discussion much sooner.