AIBU to now want to go above my DC's school and take things further

[ballerina1971]

I am very angry with my DC's school. My youngest DC, age 13 has an EHCP with 24 hrs support. last summer when it was exam time it came to my attention my DC did not have a TA for support in lessons when I raised it with the the school they stated all TA'S were helping with exams for 2 wks
• I advised that my DC TA was funded for them through the EHCP, a legal document, not to be used elsewhere DC wasn’t to be without TA again. The school stated they had always done this, I advised this didn't make it right. I had the conversation with the SEN Department, Assumed the matter had been dealt with. My DC then came home in September stating there was no TA again As they were being used for the year sevens, I rang the SEN & insisted that my DC had the
• TA in lessons & having had this conversation with them I didn’t expect to be having it again. A few weeks later my DC came home asking why I had been complaining about the TA’s I was quite shocked by this and I said why are you asking, my DC told me the TA had said to her during a lesson that she better not do ,anything wrong (the TA ) as your mom has already been on the phone complaining to the school about the TA’S! Then earlier this year after my child had stated the teachers seemed to be being nice to her, the same TA said to my DC it’s because they’re scared of your mom she’s notorious around here and laughed. WTAF! This is wrong in so many ways such as, unprofessional, breach of confidentiality. now I’m fuming this is just another incident in a long list of incidents that have occurred since my DC have started there. I’m not talking minor, insignificant things, as I would let those things go I’m Not someone who feels the need to complain at every little minor thing. Very significant things such as overdosing my child on paracetamol and not advising me as per their procedures that they had given paracetamol just to give one example. There are only so many apologies I can receive from the school before I have to take it further. I’ve now had enough, I want this to stop. AIBU to now take this further and not go through the Complaints procedure again. I have followed the school’s complaint process on everything and now I’m sick of it I wish to go to the Local Authoritytand further. The school needs to be accountable for what they're doing I don’t feel at the moment they are. I get a sorry but then they go on to do something else

If they're having recruitment issues then they should be supported with that by LA. But not at the expense of children with SEN. That's like taking a crutch off a kid because ten other kids need the wood for pencils.

Oh and I’m one of those elbow mums 😂 dc 1-1 is theirs and theirs only. I have never allowed and won’t allow them to be used for anyone else, only in cases where It’s like DC is doing maths intervention and a couple of her classmates do it with her.
i thought hard their funding and it is fully funded - school pay nothing towards it.

That isn’t the problem of the pupils with EHCPs. I have supported countless parents to enforce their DC’s EHCPs. In every single case where funding, resources &/or recruitment has been cited, when faced with enforcement action, it hasn’t been an actual barrier. With the right funding, potentially substantially more (one case I supported is now funded at the level of the teaching MPS and many, many other at a higher rate of pay that the average TA - higher wages, potentially much higher wages, attract more applicants), and effort (parents are only taken seriously when LAs see parents know the law and will advocate and enforce DC’s rights) an appropriate appointment can and has been made.

Those parents whose DC are not getting provison they are legally entitled to should take enforcement action, not blame other vulnerable DC.

So then @Bovrilla the onus is on your child's school to recruit appropriate scribes, not whip support from some kid in year 7 with a learning disability.

Do NOT come at us with funding issues. We do not care
Lovely. You should care though as they affect all children, including yours.

I'm assuming you've read mine and plenty of other schools staff's responses on here:

They can't recruit the staff.

They don't exist.

We've been trying to recruit TAs for a year. Impossible.

This is why we were on strike last year whilst half of Mumsnet decried the teachers as lazy, work shy etc.

Again, GCSEs start in 2 weeks. How are the school going to provide my kid's legal entitlement? They have no choice but to rob Peter to pay Paul.

It's a national disgrace but the schools are not the enemy here

Some of us have children with SEN and children without @TobaccoFlower so yes, we get it. But we also get that you don't illegally redirect financially ringfenced support. If you did it in the private sector you'd be sacked for misconduct.

Most secondary schools now are, in fact, academies - LAs have little to do with them and certainly have no role in supporting them with magicking up staff. Schools under LAs get little to no support on staffing, either.

It's all very well insisting that schools "have the responsibility" - but if they advertise for staff and get no takers - then what?

WOW!

im speechless at this.

1. wtf makes you think we’re not working full time?
2. we have kids with send, wtf makes you think we’re capable at scribing. Speaking for myself I have worked as an invigilator and made it clear that I wasn’t suitable as a scribe because I have poor fine motor control and can’t write neatly and quickly
3. most parents I know with send kids are utterly broken and simply don’t have the fucking bandwith for volunteering. A lot of our children also get dla, they may have social workers, specialist hospital appointments, physiotherapy.

please remember only around 5% of children have needs sufficiently high enough to require an ehcp. A lot of our children will never meet the milestones that other children do. A lot of our children may never be independent.

Those children who “have to cope” without a 1:1 do because they can cope without a 1:1.

I was a SEN teacher for fifteen years @Bovrilla and I scribed in my free periods at exam time.

My child hasn't got needs to require full time TA

She has got needs that entitle her to 25% extra time and a scribe.

So separate exam room and invigilator and a scribe.

Where are you suggesting the school magic up these people from in under 2 weeks?

I care at the ballot box but when it comes to the education of my children and meeting the requirements of their ehcps it’s irrelevant. We’ve got far bigger issues to worry about than a lack of a scribe for a gcse.

@GoldenTrout I have no idea why you have extrapolated that a separate person would be required to supervise rest breaks.

Everyone is saying that it’s all unacceptable. Everyone knows that the current situation is the result of crushing cuts by the government and LAs. All of those children with additional needs need the support to which they are entitled. All of them. That they don’t receive it is a travesty.

I spent many years working with and advocating for children with SEND. It was never straightforward and it’s less so now. Surely, everyone would want all children with any kind of additional need to be supported in the way that is helpful to them and for the time specified. Everyone who has worked with vulnerable children or is a parent surely wants the best for them and advocates for them.

Yes, I fought with the local authority, yes, I railed against the removal of support, yes I fought the head, the school business manager and the chair of governors get the provision that was their entitlement. I argued with Ofsted too amd much good that did me.

Me too

I am absolutely incredulous at how naive some parents are about how thin SEND are stretched.

GCSE exams HAVE to have precedence for a few weeks whilst in the current situation. Of course it's a long, long way from ideal. But it's the sh*t sandwich schools are in

Unless this is an injury or new disability then they haven’t had under 2 weeks notice.

@ballerina1971 go higher, always put things in writing, copy in your child’s case manager.

be that parent so that in 20 years time you can always be assured that you did your best for your child. The teachers won’t think of you on 20 years but your child will. The ta should absolutely not be speaking to your children this way.

No but they can't recruit staff

They still can't recruit the staff

It's 2 weeks to GCSEs starting

Does the school provide the legal help to the GCSE kid taking their exam of the ehcp Yr7? Because that's the choice they have.

No, but when you've tried to recruit invigilators for a year, what do you do?

The LA can't magic up people either.

Oh and OP you are 10p% correct the TA should NOT have spoken to your child about you that way.

Totally out of line. Speak to the headteacher.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable for schools to comply with the law. But it may not be possible in the current climate even if it was when the school accepted the ECHP.

What is the solution? Telling parents they are no longer able to meet the requirements of the ECHP so they need to find another school that can? Good luck with that.

@Headfirstintothewild have you seen the poster who said they have been trying to recruit for over a year

This is why parents need to support teachers and schools in shouting about the funding (or total lack thereof)

Our children are being let down and schools are in an impossible situation financially

@GoldenTrout so we can have a child with a 1:1 but no teacher and then what happens with the 29 other children in the class. And the 1:1 will be directed by the teacher, so no teacher what will the TA be doing?

Yes, as I posted, I have supported countless parents to enforce their DC’s EHCPs. When faced with enforcement action for EHCPs lack of funding, resources or staffing isn’t an actual barrier. LAs know it isn’t a lawful excuse.

All the fighting doesn't help the immediate crisis though:

There's not enough staff to scribe and provide TA support.
Despite recruitment over months they're not going to appear before GCSES start
Kids doing GCSEs also have legally entitlement to support in those exams.

How on earth is the school supposed to do it: it's an impossible sum. In the end they have to choose the least bad path and that's to prioritise the kids taking their exams