Teachers do not adhere to Statemented 1 to 1 support, do not believe in sub-levels, make APP assessments up....How much of what parents are told by schools about teaching is a box ticking exercise?

[Regards]

Following on from this thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1859219-Im-a-teacher-and-happy-to-answer-any-questions

and this:
community.tes.co.uk/tes_primary/f/36/t/381051.aspx?pi2132219857=1

I realised I was incredibly gullible when my DC first started school. What exactly should we believe concerning what the teachers tell us, how much is a PR job to cover up the ugly truth?

I think my views on the above may make me a difficult person to deal with for some. For this I apologise.

Cross post.

when I helped out for 2 years at school with reading as a volunteer parent, I went in completely "neutral", I had no suspicions or paranoia, nothing.

But I saw that 1 child with severe SN who had, supposedly, 1-1 for 25 hours a week, never got any 1-2-1 as he was calm and undemanding. The lady who was supposed to work with him was asked to manage 2 disruptive children, often by taking them out of the classroom to go and sit with them in the corridor. One of them used to beat and kick her, he had serious problems but no statement.

She told me she only got to spend 5 hrs a week with the child she was supposed to spend 25 hours with.

As I know she was not supposed to tell me (it was a weak moment and she was in tears) I never told anyone, not even the mum of the boy with SN.

I am still not sure if that was the right thing to do.

But I was shocked and it opened my eyes. This was a good teacher with an average class, who did the best she could, but something in the system stinks if this is how it goes.

Agree entirely Paramella

Not the best for that boy with SEN though Paramella.

I know, but the parents thought there was something fishy as, obviously, their child reported he never got to spend much time with Mrs. X.

They have moved him to a different school.

At the time I felt really torn about it. But all I got was a snapshot (only ever there for 2 or 3 hrs) and what the TA said in a tearful moment.

Maybe I was too scared and should have whistle blown. Doing nothing is always the wrong solution.

Entirely agree that the child should have had their alloted time.

However in that senario it would have been of limited use since those two boys would have either disrupted the lesson to such a point that no learning took place anyway or the teacher would have been standing on the other side of the door again disrupting learning.

Funding is difficult to come by for behavioural problems and waiting lists to see cahms or bass/pro can take an age. Even when they are seen the right support can be years away.

It all comes down to money.

Glad you find such a serious topic so amusing swallowed

'However in that senario it would have been of limited use since those two boys would have either disrupted the lesson to such a point that no learning took place anyway or the teacher would have been standing on the other side of the door again disrupting learning'

Not really. The TA could have moved with their charge to another class.

What would have happened has that 1:1 not have been there?
The answer to that is what should have happened instead.

Starlight Hmm yes I always thought this when the TA complained my DC did not understand what he was reading. At home he did. I just think he did not want to discuss with her. Also they picked some books for him about subject matter he had no prior knowledge (reading scheme level aimed at older children).

Non Statemented children got hours and hours of input on Reading Recovery. Yet it was a rare week he read to her more than once, some weeks, not at all.

I would have put a stop to this except I knew he hated reading with her. I knew he could do it. Good thing we got a new TA the next year.

^When I discussed with the teacher she knew nothing about it. So much for communication!

I am sorry that your experiences have been poor but all I can say is talk to the school. If the school don't know how you feel they cannot address the issues.

Trouble is, WorriedMouse, it would seem that talking to the school can lead you to be perceived as one of those controlling, obsessive parents.

Huge cross post with everybody, because ds's portage lady came round to discuss statementing, primary school and strategies to deal with ds's chronic separation anxiety (oh the irony).

I must stop reading this because with ott posts like
as if you'd want mrs pots being your child's ta if she was capable of being such a cold hearted witch that she wouldn't help jenny tie her shoe or billy spell 'field' or save little clara from being burnt alive in a fire because 'it isn't in her job description'. it is obviously just a big ol joke to some on this thread.

Segregating a child from teacher input? And possibly resources needed for the lesson? What happens if this is group work?

You seem to think that dealing with ebd children is just a matter of thinking really hard or calling the Cavalry. It isn't and they never come.

Seriously Starlight if the answers were all as easy as you make them out to be, don't you think everyone would be doing it?

Not funny for those of us living on both sides hazeyjane.

If you're not living life on the edge you're taking up too much space.

You are definitely taking up too much space soap re both sides, are you trying to be omnipotent?

Oh I'm very trying regards

Oi

No I don't.

I think an easy answer would be to send them to the HT until the HT gets the message that you can't cope with them without additional resources.

It is utterly unacceptable to use a statemented child's 1:1 in place of whatever else it is that you would have done.

But again, can you answer, what WOULD be done if the 1:1 was not there?

Starlight I think just as you said. Send them to HT. Use class phone to ring head to get them.

'It all comes down to money.'

Why then does that 'money' have to be handed to the school and class teacher from the most vulnerable in the class?

I'll tell you why. Because despite it being illegal, vulnerable children, especially with communication difficulties can't speak out. Hidden developmental disabilities are observable through behaviour in many cases and as such can be blamed on or at least considered partly to blame on the parents.

Add to that extremely low expectations of these children and a sense that they should perhaps be in an alternative environment, and you have all the justification you need plus no way of anyone holding schools to account.

ht may not be there, sends them back or makes out you should be coping with one or two or three or more very disturbed children on your own.

I would seek support from other classrooms eg another pair of hands or if dangerous enough send the class to another classroom.

Eitherway no lesson. It will still be my fault that the class does not progress academically even though I have asked for help but been told no or fobbed off. I may then find myself on a disciplinary because it.

This. My friend. Last year.

Oh I see. Well that's all right then. Use the disabled child's provision to protect your career by all means.

Schools really do have to be investing more money on SEN. I hope they are going to and not just the bells and whistles stuff.

This the point though Starlight. If education and sen in general were properly funded so that assessments could be made quickly, quality training available straight away and support given. There would never be a need to move a ta anyway would there.