End of year 5, little or no progress

[WakeUpMaggie]

Ds is 10 and at the end of year 5. He's always been a little below the average and found learning to read a huge struggle but he has gone downhill in all areas this year. As of this year, the school have been testing the children regularly. DS is getting ridiculously low scores. I was told yesterday "just to warn you, he got 25% in his combined scores for numeracy and literacy". His problems are pretty much across the board :
Slow at reading. He can only read if he has a reading ruler (provided by me. The school never mentioned it)
Poor comprehension when he takes the SAT style test papers for literacy.
Terrible at maths. His teacher thinks he has dyscalculia. She said he just doesn't understand or retain any information relating to maths. For example he couldn't understand 6000ml is the same as 6l.0

He also has difficulty following sequential instructions. For example, if I said put your shoes on, feed the rabbit, put your cup in the dishwasher and brush your teeth he would be befuddled and wouldn't know where to start.

He has had an Ed psych assessment but it wasn't the full one as the school didn't have the funds a d mainly concentrated on maths despite me expressing concern about him not being a le to read without a reading ruler. They just clarified what I already knew to be honest, very low maths score, poor working memory and visual a d verbal processing a d suggested a referral to SALT.

I just don't feel I have any answers. He says the work is so much harder in year 5, so that would explain the sudden huge deterioration. I am dreading his end is year report.

Sorry this is so long. What should I expect from the school? Should DS be on the SEN register and if so, what will that mean? They have tried varjous interventions such as time with a TA, giving him less work etc but nothing has worked.

I could cry. He gets so upset when the test scores get given out. We have to apply for secondary schools soon and I really don't want him ending up in the bottom sets. I have already been told he may not pass the SATs. I feel so frustrated as he seemed OK in all other years. A little below average but not at the point of failing.

OP, could you fund a full assessment yourself?

Excuse typos and missing n in and. It's early.

Yes we could and I have thought about that. I just don't want to upset the school as they have paid for come of what I will inevitably be duplicating. The school is very high achieving and I honestly feel like the crappest parent ever. I stood next to someone yesterday who was telling me how high achieving and hard working and what perfectionists her kids were and I snapped back that I just wanted to see an average result.

Some not come.

Maggie, to be honest I would be forging on ahead and having the assessment done myself because the reality is that if the school havent done much about it till now they’re probably not going to.

Just inform the school that due to the recent comments about your son you’re going to be seeking an assessment on him over the summer as you think it’s about time.

I think you said your son will go up to secondary school next year and the best thing you can do for him is to prepare for that now. Don’t forget he’s not going to be his current schools problem much longer and there’s a very good chance they’re marking time till he leaves.

Google Educational Psychologists in your area and look for one that has good all round experience with perhaps an interest in discalcula and dyslexia.

I know how upset you must be feeling right now but I promise you that once you start this ball rolling things will feel better and get better.

Excuse typos and missing n in and. It's early

Don’t worry about it. I’m the blind as a bat fat fingered typo queen.

I'm not sure if this will help you or not, but we were recommended a book by our daughters consultants at Great Ormond Street. Pic attached.
Our daughter has poor working memory and is very similar to your son in that she struggles with a set of instructions. The reading and the maths ring a bell too!
Her secondary school have been brilliant, although she does have other conditions that require their help.
We were brushed under the carpet at primary and it wasn't until year 6 that the teacher tried to put wheels in motion regarding testing for thing like dyslexia and dyscalculia.
My daughter was always borderline in results for these tests though.
Good luck.

I just don't want to upset the school as they have paid for come of what I will inevitably be duplicating.

The school don't sound like they are capable of or interested in helping him beyond the bare minimum--I really would not waste my time worrying about upsetting them.

As Flora said, have him assessed privately and get some private help for him.

It's likely that there have been underlying issues rumbling away for a while which are just now coming to the surface because the difficulty level of the work has gone up a notch.

Yes, def get a private assessment. They way funding is at the moment, you’d only get a full assessment if you had a needs assessment for an EHCP, and then only if you’re lucky. You may find a SALT assessment useful also, but go for RP first and don’t delay. They should give you strategies to help with learning, and it may be that you should get an ehcp, depending on how much his need it. That’s the theory anyway!

It depends.

It could be that the work has got difficult and the teacher was crap at differentiating / didn't differentiate all year. Even without SEND, children are different and require different levels of support.

It could be that there is a SEND need, in which case raise it with the SENco but be aware that it doesn't sound like some members of staff are too clued up or proactive on it.

Do try to find ways forward for assessment (if that's the route you choose) before secondary because that way he'll come up with a SEN marker and support can go in from day 1.

Op, as a family we live very much in the world of special needs. I also have a child who’s an SEN teacher. Within the last few weeks we’ve acted on concerns we have about one of my grandchildren and we’re now going down the assessment route starting with an OT assessment even though we know its not going to end there. I was a bit upset even though as I previously said we live very much in the world of special needs and and I said to my daughter my hearts breaking and I dread him going to school in September. She told me don’t worry mama, he’ll be ok this year but next year will be a struggle for him. I’m mentioning this is just to back up what the previous poster said - school work stepped up a notch this year and it’s highlighted your sons difficulties.

Wow. Thank you MNetters.

imip what is a RP?

kokeshi123 tbh, I do think DS has been overlooked for many years. They put his problems down to immaturity for a long time.

itis6oclocksomewhere I will order that book. Thank you.

floradoranoraI get the distinct impression everything is being dragged out. The Ed psych gave me a verbal report but said the actual report won't be with me until the end of term, that's 3 months after starting the assessment!

Don't worry about "upsetting the school" you need to fight like a tiger here

The school is letting your son down, cannot believe he has been written off like that

Get a proper Ed Psych report asap, and once he goes to secondary, get all the help/extra time for exams you can.

Does your local state secondary do rigorous "setting/streaming"? A school that is not too fixed about sets, and allows kids to move up/down when needed is best for kids like your son.

Also, bottom sets is not always bad, in good schools that would be a smaller class with one of the better teachers!

I’d definitely get a private assessment ASAP. It sounds like you might have to really push school to meet any recommendations about how to support him in the assessment report. Don’t worry about offending the school - their main concern should be meeting his needs. Does the school have much experience with children with dyslexia etc? How is your boy coping?

Why are they testing like this and giving out marks? No school measures progress like this! Is this a private school?

They should be looking at all his class work and be assessing on far more than tests. That’s very lazy. You should be monitoring his homework to see if it’s suitable. You can certainly ask for him to have differentiated Work and help in class. You definitely should get your own tests done. Secondary gets more difficult for children whose reading and Maths is weak.

Bubbles, my ds's school does termly test, and it's state school. And they sometimes leave them with other books for parents to see on open nights and parents eve.

Please don't worry about the school. I know where you are coming from but this is your child and ultimately, once he is out of their doors next year, they won't care. Get an assessment and then you will know what is behind these difficulties and have strategies to help. Without a full assessment you could be helping him in the wrong way. I have had to do this for my children and I think sadly schools just don't have the expertise, knowledge or resources to help properly.

EP not RP, sorry!

I used to be an educational psychologist before kids. I wouldn't pay to get a private educational psychologists report. They are very expensive (£400+) and as you say yourself, the testing that was done just told you what you already knew.

On your shoes, I would find a private tutor to go over the basics. I would speak to the SENCo about what they are going to do to help your ds. They should be engaging in regular cycles of assessing his need, planning support, implementing the plan and review progress. Look on the school's website for what they offer kids with special needs. You should be fully involved in these discussions.

Where I used to work, it would have been very unusual to refer a child in Year 5 to SALT, which suggests to me the EP was pretty concerned about your ds's understanding or use of language. Difficulties understanding language and poor working memory would certainly explain a great deal of the issues you described.

If you can afford a private Ed Psych assessment I'd do that asap. Have you looked at Dyspraxia? I'd consider asking the GP for a referral - My GP will do referrals to paediatrician/other child services without the child present. Mine gave me a form to complete at home.

What are your secondary school's like? Sometimes the ones with the poorer reputations can be better for a child who needs extra support. So if you're in an area where there is a choice, I'd be trying to find out about the SEN provision.

Thank you all. I really am grateful. I have an Ed psych calling me back later. Just to answer some questions:

Peanutbuttercups21 yes the secondary schools stream and as far as I know they move about alot. My issue with the bottom set is possible behaviour problems. The secondary school is a bit rough so the general perception of the bottom sets is that's where bad behaviour is.

Mumtolovelyboyandgirl he gets very upset. it's awful when he brings the results home and I know he sometimes cries in class.

Bubblesbuddy it's a state primary school. They test every term and he has got low scores all year. Unfortunately they don't hand out homework which has been a real nuisance. I set my own and he has a tutor.

Does anyone know what I can expect from the school if the Ed psych report comes back with anything? Would he go on an IEP seeing as he is below where he should be and continues to be so despite intervention.

Upsetting the school? Are you serious? They’ve failed your child massively! It’s not even like he’s happy there!

Welcome to the world of the SEN parent, and sharpen your elbows, then go and see the senco and ask what the fuck is going on!

How involved is the SENCo? I'd have expected him to already have an IEP or equivalent. Ideally having a meeting with the SENDCo and class teacher to discuss support, but this can be difficult with availability.

You sadly have to be THAT parent with a SEN child tbh. I am and not ashamed of that.
If you suspect DCD/dyspraxia you can start an assessment through gp. It's often a lot faster and still free as through NHS.
Our school is supportive of my son but I still have to be that parent.

Tbh he should have also been on the SEN register by now too. My DS isn't academically struggling, except in writing as he has dcd and other issues, but was put on the register in reception as soon as they realised he had SEN.