That school should do something to help my son.

[Listentothat]

My son is now in Year 7. Last year, when he was in primary school, his teacher had concerns as he was scoring very poorly in the school’s assessments. He was given a dyslexia screening test by the school SENCO, which suggested there might be issues, so we paid for a full dyslexia assessment, completed in March 2025.

The assessor didn’t diagnose dyslexia because DS’s reading, spelling and comprehension scores were mostly age-appropriate, and he hadn’t had any previous specific interventions for reading or spelling. However, she did say he has clear difficulties with phonological awareness and phonological memory, and recommended 25% extra time in exams, plus other support strategies. This is all detailed in her report.

His primary school took this on board and gave him some support, including 25% extra time in tests, and he passed his Year 6 SATs (meeting expectations). They also added him to the SEN register.

During his transition to secondary school, I spoke to a member of the SENCO team and highlighted that my son would need additional support. I was told the secondary school had received all of the relevant information about him from his primary school.

He has been enjoying secondary school and on the surface he seemed to be doing well. However in his end-of-term assessment results he was scoring in the low 30% range for Maths, English, Spanish and Science, but scoring very highly in other subjects (History, Geography, Computer Science).

I then had an online meeting with his form tutor in December. The tutor was very happy with DS’s behaviour and attendance, but he flagged that DS had scored very poorly in Maths and English and stressed that he needed to work on these subjects. I mentioned that my son had been marked as SEN in primary and had an assessment recommending extra time, and the form tutor seemed to have no idea about any of this.

I found this really odd, because as his form tutor I would have expected him to at least be aware that DS has additional needs.

I’m now wondering what I need to do to ensure my son gets the additional help he needs. Do I need to push for a meeting with the SENCO, or email his form tutor first or should I back off because the school with sort it out without my interferance.

What sort of help can they give?

What do i need to do?

I am feeling completely lost because I don’t know what to ask for or who exactly to approach.

Thanks for any help.

Obviously you make an appointment with the senco and his form tutor and advocate for your child. You don’t just leave it.

I’d have made the appointments when I saw his results. How long ago did you get the report showing he was badly failing in some subjects? What did you do at that time?

You need to make an appointment with the SENCO and form tutor and take along copies of all reports and correspondence from the primary school.

The SENCO probably all does have everything and it’s a result of poor communication with staff.

Sounds like he should have a "My Plan" written

It’s possible the school hasn’t received the complete report file from the primary, even though they should have. At the school I’m at, we’re still chasing up Y7 files that haven’t been received or are incomplete. Our staff do interviews with new students and parents, as well as visits to meet the Y6 teachers, to pick up issues like this.
As well as meeting the SENCo, I’d also meet the Head of Year. Often Y7 form tutors are new to teaching so may not have much experience with this. The HoY will have a broader view.

This is your opportunity to ask for a meeting with the form tutor and the senco.
Communication in many schools is terrible. You'll probably find that most people who work with your son, even closely, won't have much information about him at all.
This is something I found quite shocking when I worked in a school.

We got these a few days before the end of term.

Sorry what is 'My Plan'?
Thanks

I'm sure there's an official thing online saying what they are. But it's basically a table that sets out what things he needs to support him. So my daughter's says about maths interventions, sitting square on to the board, and extra time in exams. It draws on her dyslexia assessment etc. It should be written by the senco in collaboration with the teacher (form tutor or subject lead) and then signed by you and school. Like a contract of what they'll do for him. The class teachers should then have access to it. And they'll review it every year with you.

Realistically, would he want to be pulled out of class for small group lessons, meaning he misses class lessons and is then behind in a different way.
He needs to get his extra time, absolutely. Make sure that is in place for all assessments.
But I’m not sure what they can really offer. Even more severe diagnosis don’t get much assistance. And it’s all a compromise anyway. Personally I think the small groups away from class are mostly pretty useless as it’s not particularly specialised.

Absolutely meet with SENCO and tutor and find out what they can put in place to support him. But when it comes down to it, meaningful extra help will probably fall to you to provide in the way of specialist extra 1:1 tuition after school.

I’ve been through this with my DC and they hate being pulled out of class for extra help that doesn’t really help. Occasionally before / after school sessions are offered which is better but of course DC is reluctant. It is painful all round.

Thanks.
He didnt like being pulled out of his primary school classes but I hope several small interventions will have a big difference to his overall performance.
How is your DC getting on?

I’m in Scotland so we probably do it differently but in my son’s school, any information about extra support is actually on the register. The teacher will take the register at the start of each subject and any kid with additional support needs as their name in bright blue and the teacher can hover the mouse over the name so see what support and extra time/allowances that child must be given in class.
If anything ever gets missed, then their house lead will go and speak directly with that teacher to ensure the information isn’t missed again. The school my kid is at has a fantastic pupil support deportment though and they really are on it. We got enhanced transition as well so when he was in P7, we went to the high school every Friday for 8 weeks and the kids got to try out the classes and we met teachers (high school here finishes at 12.30 on a Friday so the school would be empty apart from the classes timetables for the enhanced transition kids to try).

Get in there with every bit of documentation you have, be polite and positive, but if necessary make a fuss.

I will do. I hope SENCOs and teachers are responsive to parents at my child's school.

Primary school is much easier, we could msg the teacher online and ask for an appt but at my sons school you have to email the office and they will then email the teacher. They've made commincation much more difficult for the parents - probably on purpose.

I found this happened in school too. I found it took a while but DS and the school sort of naturally found his place. He is in top sets despite atrocious writing and spelling. Dyslexic though for exams he’s allowed to use a laptop with spellcheck and gets 25% extra time.

Could you send an email to the form teacher, CC-ing the head of year and SENCO in, and say something like:

It was good to meet you and discuss Fred's recent test scores, and how he's settled in. I really appreciate good things they mentioned, what you picked up
I was a bit concerned about the fact that you were not aware of his additional needs, and the adjustments which have been recommended by NAMED PROFESSIONAL AND ROLE. I spoke to SENCO (who I've CC'd) on DATE, before the year started, who assured me that the school had received the relevant info from Primary School, and that these would be put into place.
I am now concerned that these things haven't been put into place and Fred is being negatively impacted, and would like to arrange a meeting with You, SENCO and H.O.Y, and anyone else relevant, to discuss what needs to be put into place from now on for Fred to succeed. I will bring a copy of assessment, plan etc to the meeting, but please also find it attached to this email for you to review before the meeting if you wish.
At the meeting, I'd also like to discuss how this information and these adjustments will be passed to all his other teachers, and how we can ensure they're being put in place.
Please let me know when a good time for a meeting would be, and whether there's any more information you require before the meeting.
Thanks
Listentothat
Fred's Mum

Yes totally make an appointment. You sound like a lovely parent. Also ask about reading / Maths interventions that might be running and ask if the school has done CAT tests or reading age tests. Data helps!

I’m Head of English at a comprehensive where almost 30% of the students have a diagnosis of some kind of SEND. Your son doesn’t have a diagnosis so would be very low down the priority list for support, but his information should absolutely still be on the register and he should have what at my school is called an SEN passport, so that teachers know the best methods to use for him. I’d also suggest emailing his English and Maths teachers directly just to touch base and make them aware if they aren’t. It’s very powerful when we can have a positive rapport with parents.

Best of luck :)

Oh and yes to exam concessions. When he gets to Year 9 double check that he’s on the list for extra time as the new guidelines mean any special arrangements have to be entered earlier than ever for GCSE. So you’re in a good position having raised this in Year 7.

I wouldn't send the letter recommended above. Your child's form tutor sees him for around 20 minutes every morning, as part of a whole class, for registration, assemblies etc and possibly doesn't actually teach him.
It's easy to miss the info if they have lots of classes and are trying to make sure that everyone in their subject classes are catered for. Your child doesn't have a specific diagnosis that affects form time - he only needs additional time for assessments and that is something the additional needs dept will ensure happens during national testing. Or they will pass that on to subject teachers for when they are doing formal assessments.
Subject teachers get to know what the individual children in classes need, as the year progresses and generally build that in to lessons.

I'd start with a gentle meeting or call with the SENCO, rather than a full on copying in of everyone and his dog.

XT is now extremely difficult to get - JCQ require test scores under a certain level in order to approve. Some diagnoses will automatically mean an approval but, oddly, dyslexia is not one of them.

I suppose what im saying is that giving 25% extra time is not always within the gift of the school. They can apply and offer evidence (they absolutely should do this) but have no power over whether the request is granted or not.

Is he on the SEND register? I think that doulx be my first question. You dont need a diagnosis for that, but most schools do follow the DfE guidance that the child should be K coded, which essentially means they get interventions above and beyond good teaching.

At my school, you dont need to be on the register to qualify for a profile of need to be circulated to staff (what another poster called a My Plan, although different schools use different names). However, some schools do make this stipulation.

In your shoes, I would aim to firstly ensure he has a My Plan/Pen Portrait/ profile of need which is shared with staff. Then I would decide if I wanted him to have anything additional to adjustments in the classroom (what's known as quality fiest teaching) - this is usually TA support or perhaps some interventions- if he gets this then he will go on the SEND register in most schools which then gives you leverage with the SENCO. So advicate for whst additional support uou ghink he needs, being mindful of ghe JCQ stipulations around XT as many schools will be cautious about putting that in place in Y7 if theyre not completely sure it'll be approved by JCQ further down the line. Then, ask the SENCO what the plan is for deciding access arrangements- unless there is severe need, most schools dont start considering such arrangements until Y8/9.

I'm a secondary SENCO and that's what I'd do if I were in your shoes.

Email the SENCO asking what can be put in place. There are stricter hoops to jump through for special considerations now (mandated by the exam boards) so you may be coming up against this. I'd also send a blanket email to teachers straightforwardly explaining that DS had support in primary, why and what you know helped him. Yes the teachers should know but if they don't you need to advocate for DS.

When did they put in new rules about extra time? What evidence do they require now?

Depending on the school and how it's organised - make an appointment with SENCO and Head of House in the first instance. His Tutor, may only really see your son for Tutor time, and not much else. However, once there's a clear plan in place your son's Tutor needs to be aware. I'd say that not all information went from your son's primary school to secondary school or the information hasn't been distributed to all staff involved with teaching your son. My son doesn't have SEN needs but he's had medical issues, that haven't always been passed into all staff teaching my son. Your situation doesn't surprise me in the slightest!

I realise that the form tutor role is different in different schools but what are people actually expecting the form tutor to do?

It doesn't really matter if he likes it or not if its what he needs

An asymetric set of results like this is a massive big deal as it will inhibit most things unless he manages to get those GCSE results in maths and english.

Unfortunately you have to have a good idea of what support you want and think he should have and present a case for it in a polite fashion. He's clearly not getting it in the normal class.

Its no good for them to say 'he needs to work harder' when there is that information that they have already. They understand and see there is a problem and the point is what are they going to do about it???

Surely they’re the point of contact who get the ball rolling?

I’m in Scotland and it’s a bit different. We don’t have a “form tutor.” We just have the head of their house, who is called the guidance teacher/pupil support teacher. They have that teacher for one hour a week in class but they deal with everything as well.

And that’s our point of contact as parents. Doesn’t matter what it is; could be behaviour issue, a problem with one subject, bullying, extended time off for something, anything at all that we need to discuss. We contact that teacher, and have a meeting with them and they then contact and sort out whatever needs sorting out. So in my kid’s school, the pupil support teacher would contact the SEN support and get the discussions going on pricing extra support, having the child added to the extra support class for whatever subject they needed to work on, maybe referral for assessments etc. But we can’t access any of that without first talking to their pupil support teacher. I assumed a form tutor performed a similar role?