I apologise for this being long, I don't really know whats relevant and whats not and what the problems are IYSWIM. I also apologise for it being completely disjointed, I am just putting everything on the page as I think of it, I hope it makes sense as I would really appreciate some advice.
DS1 is 7, August baby, started in yr3 in Sept. Its quite a large junior school, about 400 children I think and so about 100 in his year. This year they cut the number of yr3 classes from 4 to 3 so ds has about 35 children in his class. His teachers job share so he has one mon-wed and one wed-fri.
DS struggled before towards the end of reception and start of year 1, I actually went as far as taking him to dr and him having blood tests because his behaviou changed so much, he seemed very subdued and tired. All results clear in the end. He had an excellent teacher in yr 1 though and by the end of the yr was doing brilliantly. In yr2 he had 10 min sessions with the SENCO every morning because his writing is at or just below where it is expected for his age but his reading is far ahead. They found no cause for this and it wasn't continued when he changed to junior school. He did well in his SATs, can't quite remember now but all at or above where he 'should' have been.
When he started in Juniors he began having nightmares again and struggling to get to sleep at night. Teachers at parent's evening (in oct I think it was) said he had taken a while to settle in and show what he was capable of but had in the last week or 2 started to settle and do very well. After christmas hols he was keen to return but now keeps asking for days off, still taking a long time to get to sleep and having nightmares at least once or twice a week. Has told of other, older children teasing him at playtimes. He is very sensitive and takes everything to heart. He is also gets very wound up so is a perfect target for bullys as he gives a huge reaction and stomps off in massive, dramatic strop and sulks. I have been trying to encourage him not to give such a reaction since infants.
He says today he told his teacher that a yr 5 boy had been teasing him and had told him that he was a peach with a bum split face (or words to that efect!) and his teacher just laughed. This is the same teacher who, as ds tells it, ripped his work out his book and chucked it on the floor because he had not stuck it in straight. Couple other things that now have me questioning her a bit.
Oh also since xmas he has been having 'one to one intervention' he calls it where he has an hour of one on one time with a teacher. This is because he is still struggling with his writing. At the parent's evening they told me his reading age was 9.5 but his writing age was just below 7.
He says he is struggling with numeracy. They have changed him to 'target table' and he now gets no help with his maths. He doesn't understand the method and gets lots of it wrong so his teacher tells him off and he now has to do it in catch up tomorrow. He thinks he understands the method but then gets it wrong. He says his brain doesn't listen to him and won't do what he wants it to do. There are people on his table that make him laugh and he can't concentrate.
He also started complaining of chest pains a few months ago, particularly in the cold in the mornings but also at other times. Took him to dr but dr believes it is psychsomatic but said to go back i it continues but ds should try not to worry about it. Ds wants to go back as its still there so will prob take him this week.
He is a very sensitive, very affectionate little boy. He has always had lots of friends but no best friend really. When he was little he was unbelievably hard work, constantly on the go and absolutely no control of his emotions, if he felt something it just poured out of him, be that love, anger frustration or whatever. He was never intentionally naughty he just had very little self control and masses of energy. He is still a bit like this now but can now also spend hours just watching tv or playing computer games if he has nothing better to do. He takes an age to get a sentence out and actually seems to be getting worse lately. When he is trying to explain something to me he will go into every little detail, stopping and starting to pick or possibly remember his words. He cannot carry out a conversation or follow instructions if the tv is on in the background! He has very low self esteem lately, one of his teachers commented on this before christma, keeps saying how he is useless or 'just an idiot' and gets really down on himself and defeatist. Cannot take any sort of criticism.
Sitting and talking to him tonight has really upset me. He seems so sad again, I've said I will talk to his teachers and see if they can tell me what the maths is so I can help him with it at home. He wanted to have time off school so I could help him but I said no we can do it evenings/weekends. He really just wants some time off but I told him that would just make it harder when he goes back. He said he wants to just sit on his own to do the work with a teacher nearby to help him when he needs it. I don't know if this is just him adapting to all the changes being so young and over sensitive or if there is something more making learning and socialising harder for him or what. I'm a bit lost really. I want to take him out of the school and take him back to the infant's but obviously can't do that. I'm also thinking perhaps he might be better suited to a much smaller school but thats not really an option either.