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Primary education

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Original poster

DD has a individual education plan (moderate learning difficulties) in her bookbag!???

32 replies

duejuly2010 · 04/11/2010 18:23

I've just taken this out of my dd's bookbag with no word from the teacher as to what on earth it is. What's it all about!? I realise that she needs some additional support but how serious is this?

Obviously parent/teacher relations at her school are not a priority!

OP posts:
PixieOnaLeaf · 04/11/2010 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

roundtable · 04/11/2010 18:55

That is very unusual, I would get into make an appointment as usually it's discussed before any paperwork goes out to parents.

Has it never been discussed at a parents evening with the c/t or the SENCO? Perhaps they talked about any difficulties and then typed it up for you then to sign? (I'm just hypthosising, this might not be the case)

Seem strange if there has been no contact before this about you DD's IEP. I would definately make an appointment to find out what is going on.

Original poster
duejuly2010 · 04/11/2010 19:11

It just says they'll review it in March. The areas are 'To read the jelly and Bean reading scheme' 'To work independently without prompting' and 'To sustain attention until a task is completed'.

I know she's full of character and it is hard to get her to pay attention and take on board what you say to her but I just put it down to her being scatty.

I'll def make an appointment

OP posts:
Lougle · 04/11/2010 19:13

I may be misunderstanding your thread title, but are you saying that you weren't aware that your DD has Moderate Learning Difficulties?

eaglewings · 04/11/2010 19:18

They should not have sent it home without talking to you first, can see it is a shock.

When you have got over the shock, be glad they are on the ball enough to want to help her. Its not a label, but a gateway to a better school life IMO

Original poster
duejuly2010 · 04/11/2010 19:20

No idea! It says on the top of this form 'Area/s of concern: Moderate learning difficulty'. I don't know what this means...Anyone the wiser?

OP posts:
Acanthus · 04/11/2010 19:21

It does have your DD's name on it? Not put in the wrong bag?

Original poster
duejuly2010 · 04/11/2010 19:26

Yes DD's name there. The thing I don't understand is why today...we have a parent teacher evening next week!

OP posts:
ramonaquimby · 04/11/2010 19:27

they are pretty vague targets as well

autodidact · 04/11/2010 19:53

This is awful. I can't believe that no one has discussed this with you before. How appallingly insensitive and unprofessional. I would be thinking of a complaint to the head in these circumstances. Truly dreadful practice. I'm so sorry you have had this terrible shock. How old is your daughter? Have you had ongoing worries about her learning?

MrsBrollyhook · 04/11/2010 19:56

The IEP is not a problem (DD has one and they can be useful to help with lots of things), but just sending it home without discussion isn't right. Should def have begun with a meeting between you as parents and the teacher and SENCO.

reallytired · 04/11/2010 19:59

"Moderate learning difficulty" = slow learner

That is dire. As a parent you are supposed to sign and agree to any IEP. You need a meeting with the SENCO.

Please don't lose heart, my son had an IEP for two years and got level 3s in Maths and Reading in his key stage 1 SATs. He really struggled with fine motor control and had glue ear. Once his hearing problems improved his learning took off. I had to really fight to get him taken off the special needs register.

anotherbrickinthewall · 04/11/2010 20:01

Shock. gosh that's been very badly handled, the school should consult with you when drawing up the IEP, and shouldn't be bandying around alarming labels on a document such as "moderate learning difficulty" without discussing with you first. also agree with ramona, the targets are too vague as well.

Original poster
duejuly2010 · 04/11/2010 20:15

My DD is 7 and 3 months, yr 3. Well she was in the lower groups with the sats but I put that down to her being an August baby mostly. She does struggle with her reading and I'm reading the Oxford reading tree series (level 4) at the mo with her, she's pretty good at this level and will be onto the level 5's asap which I realise is lower than average but not something I was overly concerned about - they're all different right???

So is there a register? Definately contacting teacher asap, she really doesn't seem all that different from DD1 at her age. A bit harder to focus and not as academic but learning difficulties. No suggestion of discrimination here btw, I'm a social worker so totally not me...but I'm shocked at the lack of communication with me over this and just a bit Shock in general about it all. Should I have picked up on this sooner... Confused (puts thoughts of bad parenting to the back of her mind)

OP posts:
Lydwatt · 04/11/2010 20:30

Can i just echo that an IEP is not a bad thing...I was warned my dd might be put on one as she was very vague and distracted at the start of term. She has now settled, so it is no longer needed.

IEP's simply means that an issue has been noted and that the teacher is coming up with specific ways of addressing this. An IEP can last weeks, months or years depending on the need. The idea is to address the need that has been highlighted.

handled correctly, it should only be a positive support for your child.

Clearly, in this case, your teacher has handled this wrongly and you should contact the school tomorrow as a matter of urgency.

Good luck Smile

Lydwatt · 04/11/2010 20:32

p.s. you are not a bad parent and they are probably not bad teachers....they have, however, behaved badly towards you, as the experts in the educational field here....

auntevil · 04/11/2010 22:21

Just to add my name to the IEPs are not bad in themselves. The targets do need to be SMART targets and the SENco and teacher should know this. As a parent you must have input on this. If for example to read the jelly and bean scheme is a target, this surely involves you at home. You are part of your child's education and should not be treated as an afterthought but as part of the team.
Do book an appointment to see the teacher and SENco, there may not be sufficient time to discuss all of these issues at the parent meeting, and the SENco should be involved.
Also check on a regular basis that the IEP is being worked on. The targets have to be achievable in a timescale. Make sure that some targets are of a short timescale and do not drag on for terms on end. There is no point in suggesting that your DD finishes of her tasks by the end of the school year, if in July they say, oh well, she hasn't really achieved that we'll take it forward to next year - any issues just roll on and on. Smaller targets, biting away at bigger issues, in shorter timescales are easier to focus on, therefore easier to achieve.

MollieO · 04/11/2010 22:36

Having an IEP - not bad. Not knowing that an IEP is being proposed - bad. Can't believe the SENCO and form teacher didn't discuss it with you first.

I assume that you knew your dd had learning difficulties? Have you discussed this with the school and what they intend to do to help? Ds has LDs and has just moved on to ORT stage 6 . He is in yr 2 and someway behind his clasmates. His IEP was discussed with me before it was implemented.

DreamTeamGirl · 05/11/2010 09:49

Just a wild guess here but, as you have the parents evening looming, might it be something they were preparing for that and hoping to show you then to discuss?

I do hope you found out anyway, it must have been an awful shock for you

myredcardigan · 05/11/2010 10:05

Sorry, but apart from the issue of sending it home without warning, the targets are, well, pretty rubbish tbh.

To read the Jelly and Bean scheme??? That is a ridiculous target. How is it measured? Does it mention a success criteria? If she can read 3/4 of them is that enough? Must she read every word? Ridiculous!

The whole point of an IEP when it pertains to a child with some form of learning difficulties, it to make it manageable. Small, manageable but challenging steps which should be drip taught and included in the teacher's planning.

If, a child is given a target such as 'Tho sustain attention until a task is completed' then it needs to be looked at in conjunction with the success criteria which should say something like, 'Duejuly's DD will be able to focus on task for 20min 3 times daily'

This is the very reason why these documents are discussed thoroughly with parents before being sent out. Parents normally agree with the targets and sign the document.

I'm sorry you've had such a shock. You must go in and speak to someone.

sugarcandymonster · 05/11/2010 10:16

I agree that the targets sound pretty poor. They should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bound.

If your child has an IEP, I think it means they're now on School Action. It's definitely not something to worry about and children go on and come off the register at different times. It's good that you're contacting the teacher, but they should really have arranged to contact you. This booklet gives a good overview of SEN in schools and what you should be able to expect.

ClenchedBottom · 05/11/2010 10:56

Again, IEPs are not bad things in themselves, although the vague and woolly targets are a cause for concern - what's the point of an IEP if it can't be used to actually measure the rate of progress?
Like another poster, I wonder if they've sent it home so that you've had a chance to look at it before the parents' consultation next week, but tbh even if that is the case, then a covering letter should have made that clear.
And to introduce the term 'Moderate Learning Difficulties' without any prior discussion is outrageous! - Plus the fact that a school would not diagnose MLD themselves, it would usually be as a result of investigation by an Educational Psychologist. Perhaps they actually mean 'General Learning Difficulties' - as in, difficulties with learning but not in any specific pattern, but their use of terminology is way off the mark.
Stay calm and polite (not suggesting you'd be anything else but YKWIM) and follow it up thoroughly with school.
good luck.

myredcardigan · 05/11/2010 11:03

Can I just add that 'moderate learning difficulties' is not anything I've ever seen written on an IEP. My understanding of MLD is that it is a non-specific medical diagnosis. It's certainly not something I'd ever use in school.

myredcardigan · 05/11/2010 11:04

Sorry, clenched, I didn't read that you've just said the same thing about MLD.

ClenchedBottom · 05/11/2010 11:08

That's ok, so nice that we agree.....

Although MLD is not a medical diagnosis - it usually follows an IQ test, hence normally only being mentioned after investigation by an Ed Psych. The 'cut off' point for MLD is often stated as an IQ of below 70 (where the average range is about 85 - 115) - although I don't think the OP should get too worried about all this at the moment, because it seems to me that the school are just in a muddle.