Teachers - I need your help please.

[ALittleBitConfused]

DS is due to start reception in Sept. The choice we have for our first choice will have 3 siblings with SEN. One with profound difficulties, one with ASD and one with behavioural probelms. All have statements with 1:1 written in them I believe.

My friend has a ds with ASD and has put down this school, so there will be 4 children with SEN in the class.

Is this likely to impact on the education of my ds if he gets in? It's an overscribed school.

The HT might be trying to put your friend off. In terms of application SEN have priority (thinking about your friend's dc). And the HT knows that other SENs might not become apparent until the pupils are in school. The HT is probably thinking of results/the pressures on the classroom teacher/scaring off the MS kids (it does happen). However, whilst the HT might be genuinely concerned and is dressing up her chat as 'honesty', especially if she's short on funding, if that school is the right place for your friend's dc then he has every right to apply as anyone else, and the HT is being unprofessional to suggest his needs won't be met, or leaving herself able to suggest at a later date, 'well I told you so' when his needs are not

Knowing about a problem/issue ahead of time means you put structures in place to address them.

'Knowing about a problem/issue ahead of time means you put structures in place to address them'

Oooh that's a good one. They have half a year I suppose don't they?

Am just surprised at a HT taking this tack with a parent. What if your friend had not enquired but just applied anyway? Is the HT warning off other parents whose children have possible SENs? I'm guessing her school have been successful re SENs because the numbers have been small or not to many at 1:1 level. She may well have point, resources aren't limitless, but who's to say another school you or your friend applied to wouldn't have similar?

You can look up the amount of children with SEN statements and the number of children who get free school meals and all sorts of other interesting statistics on ofsted reports and govt. docs.

It does have a negative impact on educational outcomes statisically speaking.

More than 10% with statements often means the classroom chemistry starts to go very wrong.

The thing is Candle, if all those children are having their needs met, then theoretically at least, there is no reason for there to be a problem.

The problem is only if those children aren't suppported right.

And I guess I can see why that might be expensive for the school.

Thanks everyone. I'm sending my ds there if he can get in. Something inside me rather likes the idea of this unique and challenging class. It means that the teachers need to think outside of the box a bit.

My friend is also going to send her child there although she believes now that the school are trying to throw in the 'affecting others education' thing to try and appeal etc.

However, honestly, her ds wouldn't disrupt a mouse standing in the way of a mountain of chocolate. He is such a calm and complient little thing but with oodles of self-confidence. (I don't know if that is typical of a child with ASD though as I only know him).