DS school Sen battles

[puttingtheheatingon]

DS did his first full day at school today after 2 weeks on half days (he is in reception). He had a few explosive meltdowns and school insisted I collected him half days for a couple of weeks to help him ‘reset’. I agreed as he was getting nothing out of school when he was so dysregulated.

I can tell class teachers don’t want him there full time, as they have lots of Sen children in the class and not much support. His ehcp doesn’t stipulate that he needs a one to one. I disagree as he thrives so much more when he is guided. He is very bright. A quick learner. Just struggles to deal with socialising. Plays lovely with a small group of NT friends he has made. When other children push past him/touch him he gets anxious and tearful. Sometimes it leads to a meltdown, he has pushed children when having a meltdown. He understands this is wrong and is trying to find better strategies to deal with feeling overwhelmed. He is genuinely so kind, loving and sweet at home. He is a fantastic brother.

Today I am told the staff heard a scream and DS and another boy are on the floor together in an altercation. None of them saw what lead to this and school tells us the other boy said he was ‘just walking past DS’ and he went at him. Honestly this sounds really unlikely. I’ve asked DS and he said the other boy keeps pushing him. School says they never see this. He obviously needs watching more and more support but their answer is to exclude him from the classroom and place him with a high needs child who has a 1 to 1. I’ve been in to see him in this room and he’s usually colouring at a table while the other child is throwing things and is extremely distressed. Two members of staff are usually restraining the other child and trying to stop him from hurting himself. I don’t believe he is going to learn anything in there.

It feels like the school don’t know what to do with my DS so have given up and just keep popping him in this ‘calm down room’, even when he doesn’t need to calm down. He just needs more support in the classroom. I sometimes get mixed feedback from school. One member of staff will tell me he has had a good day whilst another will say it’s been a bad day. I think they just pay very little attention.

I have a meeting with the headteacher this week. Can I demand they top up his funding and provide him with a 1 to 1? Even if I have to take him in half days til the end of the academic year. I will as long as they do something their end and make the classroom more inclusive.

please be kind. Advice from those who understand Sen. signed a very exhausted mum.

Hi this sounds really tough OP. When you meet the head, can discuss requesting an early EHCP review from your local authority?
The school will need some top up funding.

It looks like his level of support needs to be reviewed and you and school can evidence this. Currently they’re not able to provide him a full time education which means his ehcp outcomes won’t be met.

Is the IASS or SENDIASS service in your area any good? They should be able to advise you on this.

This must be so hard. You can definitely ask but most schools don't have the budget for enough staff to provide this.

Having worked in schools and what you describe is the adults are dealing with far too many children having difficulties - you could move your DS to a school who has less children on the SEN register and your DS will be allocated more time -
From experience some classes have 6/8 SEN kids others it’s 60%

I would say though most kids with violent outbursts tend to be NT not SEN -

I would move him personally.

Demand top up funding!!!! Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Where from exactly?

If the school could afford it and had the staff available, they'd support your DS. It needs to go back to the council who make funding decisions so he can be fully supported.

Don't offer for him to do half days as that just hides the problem.

They need to do everything that's in the EHCP. If he needs more support in order to do that and access a full time education, they need to be going to the LEA and evidencing it so they can secure more funding. It might be worth requesting an emergency review given the circumstances of what he is going through.

Them telling you he can only do half days is an illegal exclusion - no matter how they dress it up and get your consent. They aren't allowed to do it.

I've been where you are and the battle is exhausting. Mainstream school (in my opinion) are no good for autistic kids always on the edge of a sensory / social communication meltdown. My son was constantly put on the Sen room to do nothing and he's still traumatised by it now. He goes to an autism school and is a totally brilliant and thriving teenager who is more well rounded than a mainstream school could ever achieve.

Yeah exactly

I have spoke to the Educational psychologist and who observed my son and was instrumental in getting his ehcp. She told me in no uncertain terms that there’s no chance of my sons funding being increased as it rarely happens in our LA. Our close friend is a headteacher at another school and told us there is an almost always a pot of funding to top up ehcp funding. That school is going to be very reluctant to do so though.

I just don’t know where to turn.

it is going to be really difficult to move DS schools. Can’t explain much more on that.

Regardless of the EHCP, he is still entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act in order to have his needs met. Ask them what adjustments are they putting in place to ensure he can access his education, while they wait for the EHCP review.

@castahay whenever he does a full day they put him in the calm down room most of the day. So I am reluctant to send him all day. He is happier on part time.

As for Sen school I’ve not found any I like locally and our LA is renowned for rejecting applications to move to Sen schools when ehcp has a mainstream school named. Son has managed many weeks at school with no issues. So I know he can do it. He just needs more support.

I will request an emergency review of the ehcp. Thankyou for the helpful advice ❤️

This. Ask for an emergency review of the EHCP and insist the LA attend. Make sure you write on your views form (which must be shared with all attendees two weeks before the meeting) that he is being unlawfully excluded because school don't have the right support in place for him. Ask school what they need to ensure he can attend full time and access his education, tell the LA they must provide it. It is the LAs responsibility to ensure he can access suitable full time education.

I also suggest you look at the Ipsea and sossen websites and familiarise yourself with send law, you're going to have a long journey ahead. You will constantly meet 'we can't do that' ' what funding' etc etc. if it's the EHCP it MUST be provided so get that sorted.

Also document everything in writing. You may need it for an EHCP appeal.

I imagine it's a case of the school doing the best they can with the little funding they've got. If it's the case that your son's behaviour is affecting 29 other children's education, then that's not ok either. I realise it's your job to advocate for your son, but the school has to advocate for the whole class. In an ideal world, there would be plenty of funding available for your son to have all the support he needs, but that's not the case unfortunately. So the school has to make difficult decisions that benefit the majority.

In which case the school need to approach the LA and tell them what they need, then support the parent to get it in the EHCP, via tribunal if necessary @SaladSeeker

I've been there. My DS is such a lovely boy, not violent at all. When he was in mainstream primary for infants, it was so draining and stressful.
Your DSs school is not being inclusive by having him segregated and not doing full days. I think it actually goes against the rules in place, as your DS is entitled to so many hours of education. But then, most schools aren't equipped or funded to be fully inclusive. Dont let them exclude him from the upcoming Christmas festivities either.
The only way things improved for my boy was going to special school. It changed his and our lives for the better. He's an adult now and had the best time there, due to the support and understanding. He did really well in his GCSEs too.
I'm honestly heartbroken reading your post and others like it. I hate that things have actually gotten worse, rather than better for SEN kids. I know it's a strain on you and how upsetting it is.
The other thing I would say, is look at home education. I HE my other children (who don't have SEN) and it really is the best. I can't tell you the amount of families like yours, who have taken their children out of school, who are now happy and thriving. The one thing they all say is "I wish we'd done this sooner" Never keep your children in a place that is making them unhappy or is failing them. It should never be a battle.
Whatever you decide, keep being his champion. Things will get better 💐

@SaladSeeker Curious, do you have a SEN child?

Can I demand they top up his funding and provide him with a 1 to 1?

Your head teacher friend might have a special pot of money to top things up with, but my school certainly doesn’t! We have a deficit budget and no money even for supply teachers, so don’t assume that will by the case everywhere. We couldn’t provide a child with a 1:1 without the EHC funding .

What funding is the EHC actually providing currently?

Absolutely to the emergency ehcp. They should be suggesting it anyway and if by the end of the meeting they haven't then suggest it yourself and ask them directly why they haven't suggested it.

State very clearly that staff have repeatedly said they didn't see what happened but have chosen to take another child's version of events over ds'. That in order to help him regulate he needs someone watching at all times to step in and guide him or help him make the right decisions when brushed against.

Many times placements fail over something as simple as proper supervision and support.

I don't know where your headteacher friend works that they have secret pots of money for 1-1 staff but the primaries I work with can barely pay the bills.

And it's always been like this. 1-1 funding has to come via an EHCP and the LA.

Op it’s clear it’s not the right place for him. One thing I’ve learned on this SEN journey is that you absolutely need a school that is willing to work with you in supporting your dc. And if you have any reservations, it’s far better to move him sooner rather than later. It’s my only regret for Dd2, she lost out on so much in YR and Y1 which needn’t have happened.

Op have been you asked what training the staff get on any sen?

Does the Senco have any idea what or are they just a Co ordinator.

In my experience unfortunately no school staff have even basic sen training at all, any ta is no specialist either.. So how would they know what to do with him when no one understands sen triggers, stragety etc.

Stop allowing the school to illegally exclud your son by picking him up.
School is ringing you to avoid a paper trail , There are procedures they should be following see www.ipsea.org.uk
If you want additional funding for your son, school needs to show they can’t cope ie need additional staffing and showing they regularly need to send him home supports your cause

They are illegally excluding him by offering half days. Do they document his outbursts and absences? Are the other children on ehcp or are they using funding for your dc to manage them too? Speak to the Sendco and LA inclusion officer to plan how to enable him to be in school fulltime.

I am so sorry you are going through this. Its just awful and so so unfair.
I work in a special school and we are on our knees, no staff, not enough funding and constant appeals and tribunals for spaces we just dont have.
We have 12 children in classes designed for 8, often with just a teacher and one TA because we cannot get anyone to apply for the jobs. The money is just not there for anything, staff, interventions, even a cleaner. We clean our own classrooms.
This government should hang their heads in shame, the situation is beyond dreadful for children with SEND.
I love my job, but I fail children every day and its heart breaking.

Agree with the above posters re unlawful exclusions. It doesn't help the child as there no evidence that they can't meet need.
Emergency annual review to look at his outcomes and the likelihood of these being achieved. Discuss what is working well and what isn't.

The school should speak with the Local Authority surrounding funding, the LA can change the banding of the plan if school and the inclusion partner can prove its needed.
You could then ask for an implementation meeting, to implement the plan and discuss concerns.

If your not confident in navigating this, you could reach out to local services for support such as SENDIAS.

You need to request an early review of the EHCP. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

You can’t demand 1:1 if the EHCP doesn’t detail, specify and quantify it. That is why you need an early review. Once you have 1:1 detailed, specified and quantified in F, via tribunal if necessary, it must be provided and can be enforced. Ignore the LA or anyone connected with them telling you DS won’t be 1:1 or it won’t be funded. You might need to appeal but it is possible.

Follow up conversations with emails so you have a paper trail. The school asking you to collect without formally suspending DS is an unlawful, informal exclusion. Because DS is below compulsory school age, you can choose to send DS part-time, but it is your decision. Ensuring suspensions are formal will a) provide evidence of unmet needs to support you pursuing additional provision, b) force the school to follow due process, c) limit the number of days the school can suspend for, d) allow you to challenge any suspension, and e) ensure DS receives alternative education for longer suspensions.

Be careful with SENDIASS, some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies. Look at IPSEA and SOSSEN instead.