Inclusion policies are not working

[somewherbetweenHoneyandTrunchbull]

I am an experienced teacher. And every year budgets are being cut and more and more children are being chucked into mainstream. Non-verbal, extremely sensitive to noisy kids being put into an overcrowded open plan mainstream school. Some have a little speech but couldn't hold a conversation. Many not toilet trained. Many cannot control their emotions and anger. Some where English isn't a first language. Many with social work involvement and living through ongoing trauma at home.
Meanwhile support staff numbers are being cut, year on year.
I had been managing just about. Spinning many plates. Constantly juggling. But then they enrol another two kids with complex needs into my class on 28 individuals. I just can't do it any more. This week I've been bitten, scratched, hit so hard I thought they had cracked a rib. Violent incident forms all filled in but reality means not much will change as I can't get more that 2 20 minute slots of teaching assistant time each week.
I love my job. I love the kids. I love those lightbulb moments. But at the moment I can't do my job of teaching children. I can barely keep them and myself safe in my class. I try. I'm exhausted. I'm worn out working day and night so that I'm super organised so everything can go smoothly but it never does. If it was just one child having a meltdown I probably coolyld cope. I just do t know which firework will go off when. I don't know what is setting them off and once they go, others follow.
I cry most days at how hopeless it feels. I have some really bright and eager children too. They are also being let down by this system. I'm not sure who the current education policies help. It doesn't seem to help anyone except desensitising children to daily bouts of violence and the language.
I'm very broken tonight. I'm so sleepy but won't help x

When does the meeting needs balance out with taking responsibility

When they are in primary it's harder but at secondary

No, what I've been saying as nicely as I can is teachers are part of the problem and the difficult circumstances they find themselves in is partly their own making.

Teachers have massive pull with ehcps of they wrote that they can't meet need or child needs x support etc parents are able to act. As shown earlier in the thread some teachers only write positively about children due to unlawful la policy. As a parent it would be monumently easier to get a decent ehcp in place if teachers wrote child x has or is suspected of having the following needs a,b and c which we currently cannot meet. This is where many teachers fail families unfortunately.

It shouldn't be repeatedly happening, if theyre really that scared for their own safety call a meeting have the details minuted, ask for a managed move better yet help get the support the child needs so they have their needs met. Be honest, not many parents would want their child to be physically hurting a teacher or anyone else but if no one tells them what can they do?

To get the provision a child needs professionals have to say it, it can't come from the parent. Coming on sm and moaning doesn't help anyone.

Many kids reach secondary with no formal sen support, many placements fail at this transition because of this.

If a child at secondary has sensory needs which were just about being managed at primary and getting to the one more year stage and then they hit a modern secondary with possibly 1000 students, all making noise at once during class change, possibly five times a day. It won't be long before they can't cope. They can't take responsibility for that, they may not even realise why they're melting down.

Yes a big scary place for most dc let alone SN

But a school can’t just say that they can’t meet a child’s needs, they have to prove that they have tried to meet the child’s needs and failed. Numerous cycles of plan/do/review. Even if it’s blatantly obvious to everyone that the placement is wrong.
it’s one of the biggest flaws in the system, that a child has to try and fail before the get what they need, and causes so much damage to the child and makes everything so much worse.

Elisheva is correct, we can't just say we can't meet needs, we have to prove it. And we find that, whatever we do there is always something else we " should have tried" or should have done in a different way or by a different person, for a longer period, a shorter period, at a different time of the day, the barriers come thick and fast. Whatever we try to do is never enough and we are chastised for it, even the fact that we CANT meet need is met by feigned disbelief!

If an ehcpnis in place call an early review:-

Say that childs needs have changed and ehcp is no longer reflective or talk to the parent and support them to ask for a reassessment. State needs that aren't included in section b and say what provision the child needs to have them met or if they need to be assessed by a professional in that field say x child has issues with xyz and we can't assess or detail the provision to meet them, it would be advisable for slt/ot/Ed psych etc to assess.

If no ehcp in place you do not need to do plan do review. The threshold for ehcpna is relatively low, I'll screenshot it and post. Support the parent to apply with documentation that they can use.

How do you suggest a single teacher in a class of 30 children ensures every child has their needs met?

Please see the screenshot, plan, do, review should not stand in the way of a needs assessment. If a reassert is required so that all needs and provision to meet them are detailed, specified and quantified say so. The parent can request it snd if turned down appeal to tribunal.

They don't need to, they just need to say they aren't.

We have about 6 children in our school who's EHCP, EP and SENDCo all say we can't meet need. In 4 of these cases the children are now waiting over a year for an alternative placement. In 2 cases the parents want their children to stay in mainstream, so they are.

I have called for early reviews, the LA has refused, I have applied for EHCNA , they have been rejected, I have gone to mediation, some have been overturned, some not. I have tried again. I have had agreement that specialist provision is necessary, and waited 15 months for a place to be found, I have pestered SEND officers until they refuse to take my calls,

Please don't think we just sit and accept the violence we are subjected to, or ignore the children when we know we cannot meet their needs but can only do the best we can. We are as frustrated as parents

I do think you ignore buy as this thread has shown some teachers don't fully do what they could to help.

The la can't refuse unless it's within the timeframe from the previous ar, they don't have to attend, hold the meeting, minute it all and get the parent aware of timeframes and right to jr. Mainstream schools act on behalf of the la in many cases.

Ehcpna can be appealed if refused but by parents, get them to do it or if they can't signpost them to support. Give them the documents they need saying the above.

As a teacher you shouldnt really be attending mediation unless asked by the parent.

If parents request mainstream say what you need even better write it down.

If specialist placement is needed get why in the plan (need and provision) so it is still made while waiting. Eg slt, ot, training, aids as much as possible or the parent can get budgets to buy in.

Make parents aware of eotas so they can get their needs met while waiting for a placement.

Just to be clear I'll be eternally grateful to some teachers who helped me in some of these ways or worked with me to get what Is needed.

Incidentally the right to mainstream doesn't mean the parent gets to chose the school. It can be any mainstream, if your school can't meet need the la should find one that can.

Please excuse spag I'm juggling various things atm

If a child was having their needs met, they wouldn't be violent.

So what are you suggesting would help? Being in a class with 1 teacher 4 other violent children, 2 more with dyslexia, one dead child, 2 ADHD, pulse 3/4 violent NT children who have poor home lives, don’t forget the quite kids who have had hours of education ruined because the teacher is now dealing with the incident and the HT won’t remove them or even call parents - this happens - who wants a school with a reputation?

The poorer the school the less likely it is that the parents complain - poor schools stay poor.

Thw truth is the parents voice is way louder than the teachers - how I wished time and time again the parents would complain.

And this is why some children get all the support and resources and some get barely anything, because if you are a parent who has the resources and ability to fight and fight for your child then you can wade through the bureaucracy and get what your child is entitled to. But if you are a parent who can’t read, or English is not your first language, or you have six other children, or you are struggling with your mental health, or living in a refuge, or don’t actually care that much then it’s impossible to get anything.
And schools aren’t just fighting the LA over one child, it’s six or seven or eight. One of my schools has over 40 children with or waiting for EHCPs. The amount of paperwork and meetings that generates is astronomical.
And my LA have just appointed an outside ‘advisor’ to help them reduce the number of EHCPs by 20%.

This is so true! The more vocal, articulate parents manage to get the help needed for their child. Schools are wary of tribunals and parents who know how the system works.
The system is totally broken and swimming in pointless meetings and written reports which are simply delaying tactics.

I agree the system is a shambles and I'm also in one of those LA'S that's having to reduce sen spending to get other debt written off, it's sickening.

This post has shown that teachers do abide by unlawful policies and don't always give parents what they need to fight. That's why I've wrote time and time again write down how they're being failed, that you can't meet need etc. Yes parents/ carers are the only way that LA's can be held responsible but we need the evidence. Reports saying what a child can do and not what they can't do not help at all. Parents can only use professional evidence.

Many teachers don't understand the ehcp process, as shown.

Yes, I agree some parents will always lack tje ability for whatever reason to fight but there is help out there and of they get to appeal stage they're entitled to legal aid.

Teachers can't complain on a thread like this and at the same time admit they don't do what is needed to help. So far ive read:-

Can't show unmet needs because of plan, do, review.

La policy to only write positive reports.

Can't call an ar because the la refuse.

Teachers who do the above have to take some responsibility for the lack of support the children in their class recieve.

Schools are wary of tribunals and parents who know how the system works. usually the schools and staff who don't know the system for themselves.

A local authority can refuse an early review and there is no right of appeal against their decision to do so.

Please don't blame parents for fighting for their child and exercising their legal rights. Clearly they need to.

suffolksendiass.co.uk/education-health-care-needs-assessments-and-plans/annual-review/requesting-an-early-ehcp-review/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20they%20may%20disagree%20with,assessment%20of%20your%20child%27s%20needs.

In which case they can request a reassessment of need which they can appeal against at tribunal.