Cameron confronted about special schools inclusion policy

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I can't help but feel that the heckler was being pretty unreasonable, though I understand completely why he is angry. Cameron tried to answer his questions but he just didn't listen. I feel quite sorry for both of them.

news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/David-Cameron-Is-Confronted-By-A-Parent-Who-Struggled-To-Get-Chil d-Into-Mainstream-School/Article/201004415620837?lpos=PoliticsFirstHomeArticleTeaserRegion1&li d=ARTICLE15620837DavidCameronIsConfrontedByAParentWhoStruggledToGetChildIntoMainstrea mSchool

riven I didn't mean they shouldn't mean they shouldn't be in that class, but just 2 out of 30 imo isn't inclusion/
I am luck dd goes to an exceptionaly good school, they strive to meet al the young peoples needs.
dd is I suppose the most "able" in her class, so they have her working with a couple of older kids on work(entry level exams) they find a way, so yes there your dd would be on the floor(not all the time) I have seen them accomadate all kids of needs.

so I assume they can do everything that the others can, with no help

why hide it?

I'm another one who supports anyhting that takes us away form the huge push into MS school.

we have just spent nearly 3 years fighting to get dd1 into a school which wouldenableher to learn.

Luckily for us, SN school was accepted fairly early on in this process (well, about a year ago). what wasn't accepted was what type of SN school. we were actually told, by the head of a SN school, that we should accept taht dd1 wouldneverspeak at school, and thatmaybe thebest we couldhope for was her being quiet and behaving well.

We removed dd1 immediately, and started ehr at an ABA school.

Within a term, she has learnt more than she learnt in a year at her last placement. she is just leaping ahead,because, as someone else said, she is now free to learn.

we have just ;learnt (today!) that dd1's statement has been amended, and that the LA has agreed to fund her current placement.

tbh, if you took the case at face value, it is the only environment for dd1.

sadly, we spent years being fobbed off, withpeople insisting MS was ok, then the "nearest" SN school (was what her last statement read - hardlyallocating according to need and suitability there, were they?)

any policy thatlooks at the childand their needs, and listens to parents when they express a preference, would get my vote

Gcse's don't even register on my radar I'm afraid. I'd like ds1 to be able to communicate yes and no clearly and to learn to behave well enough to be able to go to a cafe or a walk on the moors or go for a horse ride. Those are the skills that will give him a good life - not GCSE's. Those are the needs of the children my son's school serves and I think most parents would be incredibly unimpressed if the school started fussing about GCSE's.

My son is a clever boy - he needs lots of stimulation and opportunities to learn and be active. His school gives him that along with the skills he needs to hopefully be able to have a fulfilled and worthwhile adult life. Inclusion schemes for him
usually mean being strapped to someone unable to explore the world (not safe). Specialist schemes open doors and allow him to access the world.

He surfs because of specialist schemes. He rides because of specialist schemes. He climbs because of specialist schemes and he swims because of specialist schemes. He couldn't do any of those things in a mainstream environment. Likewise he is given an appropriate education because of specialist schooling.

I wish there was a sen school my daughter could have gone to

She has moderate physical disabilities and very mild learning ones. Locally there is very good provision for severe disabilities, but nothing for mild/moderate

She has held her own and will be taking GCSE's, she isn't the bottom of any class and has really good support in mainstream but she doesn't have real friends - people tolerate her and the other disabled children in the school. That isn't inclusion, she is excluded due to being not the same as her peers. They are kind to her but that isn't always enough. There is no one like her although the school has high percentage of many SEN. she is lonely

If there had been a mild/moderate special school locally, I would have pushed for a split placement at least and would have considered fulltime also

just attending school isn't inclusion

I think it's people like your dd who have suffered the most from special school closures scaredoflove as they have tended to be pushed into mainstream because they alternatives have been shut. Yes, ds1 was initially forced into ms as well (we weren't allowed to look at special schools) but once he'd demonstrated it was never going to work in a million years he was able to get an SLD place relatively quickly.

Sorry if you needed to hide this Riven.
I hope my incoherentramblings didn't addto that - I should try valium before typing

I was trying to say that provision is so random that we all get different idea of where the problems are based on our personal local experience.

The thrust of our attention should be getting whatever provision we chose as best for our children . That is going to vary.

fio you are right(as always)
at the end of the day we all want what is best for our dc's, that might not be the same for everyone, but I think we all aggree the choice should be there,

The closure of special schools in my opinion is the education worlds equivalent of the Doctor Beeching Axe which occured to railways in the sixties. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_Axe

I have a disability and I suffered in mainstream education due to bullying from other pupils and lack of understanding from teachers in my primary school. I can remember a friend of my mums saying her ambition is to get her autistic son in a mainstream school and me thinking "I don't reccomend it!"