IEPs can someone help me understand please I'm confused!!!

[girliefriend]

My dd has just had her 3rd IEP (she is in year 1!) I am confused as at the last parents evening her teacher was very positive said she is on track, doing well and there was nothing to be worried about so it came as a bit of a shock to get a 3rd IEP in her book bag the day before the last day of term.

I feel that dd is doing o.kay, she had a slow start because of ongoing issues with her ears and her hearing but that has improved. Her reading, writting and maths is about where her friends are imo.

What are other peoples experiences with IEPs? Is it the case that once she has had one she will stay in the system so keep getting them iyswim? How do other schools deliver them (I feel just to get them in dds bookbag without explanation is pretty poor) and should I be more worried than I am?

I am going to ask for a meeting with her teacher after the holidays to ask her these questions as well but just interested to see what you all think?!!

TIA

Hi from what has happened with my DD we have an IEP review every 6 months and I meet with the teacher to go through IEP and agree targets. It is at the meeting that I am given the IEP rather than it being sent home. I know a friend who's DD was receiving 'extra help with reading' and then received a letter saying that her DD was no longer on the SEN register which came as a shock as she didn't even realise her DD was on the register in the first place! so from that I take it that whilst children are in School Action/Action Plus they do remain on a register until formally discharged presumably in agreement with the parents

Hope that is of some help and it may be worth checking out the IEP policy with the school. Since we have had a change in SENCO at DDs school things have improved (for the better!)

Most IEPs are short-term, they are basically paperwork to make school keep track of the fact that the child needs extra support for a while at least. With specific targets & strategies stated in writing, and progress towards the target duly noted. You should get specific answers about how they want to manage communication from your child's own teacher.

Yes, you should be invited to school to discuss an IEP review; they should not be just sending one home to you!

Okay thankyou that is helpful, I will make an appointment next term to talk to her teacher re these issues, kitkat thats what I think as well, my brother is a teacher and he thinks its rubbbish as well!!! Thanks again

Realistically, if a school has 50 children with IEPs, and only a part time SENCo, and of course the class teacher will be teaching, then it doesn't tend to happen that you get invited to IEP review meetings unless your dc are at School ACtion Plus. There just isn't the time in the school year. If you are ever concerned, worried, or confused however, then at that point, yeas, do go and talk to either the class teacher or SENCo about it.
I would take the class teacher's comments about being 'on track' to mean she is on track to meet her IEP targets maybe ? That she is on target to meet what she is predicted to be able to do this year, given her starting point in December ?

Think of your red book - if your dd was born and settled on the 10th centile, then the HV or GP wouldn't be concerned about her being on the 10th centile as a 2 yr old, but if she was born on the 90th centile, and dropped down to the 10th centile, it would be a concern. The similarity is, that possibly your daughter is 'doing fine', considering she started behind 'the average' in September, rather than "doing fine" to mean she has 'caught up' to 'the average', which would actually be superb progress. Does that make sense? - I'd prefer to draw a picture than use words, but can't on the computer!

What I would be asking is a)what the school are doing and b) what I could be doing, to help her overcome the difficulties she has in whatever area of the curriculum (or hidden curriculum) she has difficulties.

DS1 had one for one term for maths in Yr3.
DS2 had one for best part for 2 years and it has just been removed.

They aren't forever and they aren't marking her card in anyway. They are a good thing - shows the school is on the ball and wanting to help. But I agree it's odd to get them handed over in the book bag - we've had them at parent's evening.