we are two mums who have disabled children and are at present having to
fund raise to send them to a school that is really helping them .We
have a petition open and if you could possibly sign it we would be
forever grateful.you can only sign if you live in uk.
Look at the following petition and please consider signing it
petitions.pm.gov.uk/LEAfight/
HERE IS OUR STORY SO FAR
"HI I AM THE MUM OF A DISABLED LITTLE GIRL AND WONDERED IF YOU COULD POSSIBLY HELP ME.
Jodie?s Story
Meet my 12 year old daughter, Jodie, who was born 13 weeks prematurely. Jodie is disabled and has Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus and Epilepsy.
As Jodie reached her 5th birthday, I was looking for a school for her to attend. At that time, Barnsley Local Education Authority was in the process of closing all the special schools in Barnsley, in favour of one single big school, Greenacres. Despite 5 visits to this school, I knew it was not suitable for Jodie. With no other options available to us, I placed Jodie in a mainstream school, Barugh Green Junior & Infants. Although this school and its staff were very good to Jodie, she was held in the Reception class until she reached the leaving age of 11 because the school and the LEA felt that Jodie couldn't follow the National Curriculum
Jodie was very happy at Barugh Green and enjoyed her time there. At this point, that's all I really hoped for, a place where she was happy, as I accepted that Jodie wouldn?t be able to follow the National Curriculum. However, aged 11 Jodie had to leave this school and I was faced with the same problem of finding her a suitable special school. I was told by the LEA that I had to find one for her myself, so I set about doing this.
After some research, I found a special school called Paces in High Green, Sheffield. Paces are a school that teaches Conductive Education. I must admit I didn't know much about Conductive Education at this point ? however, I went and spent time at the school and was very impressed and could foresee real benefits for my daughter. Only children with Cerebral Palsy are eligible to attend and therefore it is ideal for Jodie and for her development. As Barnsley LEA refused to fund her place, I went to a SENDIS tribunal (Special Educational Needs Disability and Inclusion Service) - but unfortunately we lost. However Jodie was offered a bursary for one year and has been attending Paces school since September 2004.
Thanks to the dedicated focus that Jodie receives at Paces, her progress and development have been more than I could have ever hoped for. She is a different child now, showing visible improvements in both her overall behaviour and her mobility. At the end of the year I had Jodie assessed by a Mr Mike Davies who is an educational consultant and neuropsychologist. His report stated that Jodie is functioning well below the three year level and recommends jodie should be disapplied from the National Curriculum as his view was that jodie will progress very little further intellectually or academically and there must be a strong educational focus on making her as physically independent as possible. After visiting both schools he also stated in his report that he felt that Greenacres School was not suitable for her, and that to move her from Paces would be detrimental to her continued improvement and that she would regress as a result of this...Mr Davis stated that inclusion in a mixed ability class at greenacres would go completely over jodies head.
Encouraged by the findings from Mr Davies?s report, I went back to the SENDIS tribunal feeling very positive. On my arrival, I was met by my barrister who advised me that we were extremely likely to lose again as all three panellists were very pro LEA - this was before we even went into the tribunal. Sadly, he was right - we lost again. Despite the fact that we had video evidence of Jodie's progress at the school, two of the teachers giving personal testimony and evidence AND the psychologist?s reports, all these factors were ignored. The LEA stated there was over-emphasis on physical disability and that it would amount to an unreasonable public expenditure. It was as if the decision had been made before we even entered the room. I was truly devastated.
Jodie can now attend Paces school only until July 2006 and then I must raise the money to enable Jodie to stay there. My only other option is send her to Greenacres School, an option that I just cannot consider. I have had to fight for so many things for Jodie, even to get her a decent wheelchair and now I have to fight the LEA for a place at a school where she can really achieve something and not just be a number. It?s a fight I will willingly undertake to give my daughter a real opportunity to shoot for the stars in her own way and continue to develop towards her full potential.
Jodie has already been through so much in her short life. She has had over 50 major operations the last one being in February a 5 hour operation on her legs feet and hips ,this was done to make walking easier for her but now her spine has twisted and she faces yet another operation as she gets quite a lot of pain .There is no other option it is either let her be in pain or have the operation but the surgeon has told me that she wont be able to walk again .Jodie is unaware of this .She is also unaware that she may not be able to go to school with all her friends ,I just cant tell her . Despite all of these challenges, she is such a little fighter and battles through it all with her usual cheerful smile, which inspires me to fight for her no matter what.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read Jodie?s story ? if you can help in any way towards my little girl?s future development and happiness, I will be so grateful. Our story has been in the Barnsley Chronicle and the Barnsley star and shown on BBC Look North and on Calendar on the 13th April 2007
We raised £4000 so far and the school has allowed me to pay this to keep her there till Christmas as it is £18000 a year .I now have to try raise some more to be able to keep her there, if I have not raised enough by Christmas I feel I have no alternative but to keep Jodie at home till I have raised the money but until that time she will have no education at all
As Jodies mum I feel very let down especially when I saw that Gordon Brown was giving 8.5 billion pounds to other countries for education. Jodie has so many health problems that I have to deal with and this puts me under so much stress and worry and now on top of all this I have to try raise money to keep her at a school where she has shown so much improvement and is so happy there.
update-14 feb 2008-I managed to raise another £25000 which is paying for Jodies schooling this year but now have to start fund raising again to try raise the other £38000 to keep her at school till she is 18 .Jodie had another opperation in may last year and was in theatre for 10 hours ,she had two rods put into her spine and dispite being told she may never walk again jodie has battled through with the help of her school and is able to walk again with her frame,this would not have happened if it had not been for all the help and support and hard work from Paces school.I am trying to organise a auction to raise as much money as possible so if anyone has any unwanted items we could use please contact me on the numbers below.My older daughter is also going to do a bungee jump so if anyone could sponcer her that would be fantastic.Thank you so much to all the people who have helped me so far .
Sandra Scattergood - Jodie?s mum
Home telephone: 01226 219020
Mobile telephone: 07731 359059