Starting primary concerns

[Obsidianfang]

My LB is due to start primary school in September, he is a July baby so he will be one of the younger ones

I’m really worried that he just is not ready for school,
He has a diagnosis of delayed development and is query FAS (from birth mother) /autism and has a VUS genetic anomaly - we are still waiting on assessment, but his nursery are really unhelpful, the Senco has stated that they do not think there is anything wrong with him from their viewpoint so are unwilling to address my concerns. I have involved the neurodisbility team but due to COVID we have not been able to have a meeting to discuss this.

My concern is that my LB cannot do things independently that his peers of the same age can do - he has started potty training and can access the toilet but cannot clean himself, he cannot dress independently, can’t use cutlery and has oral sensory issues so struggles to eat.
He has little ability to understand simple tasks/questions etc
His development is around 12/18 months behind other children his age

Any advice on where to go or who to address my concerns to?

Look on your local authority website, there should be a process to go through to defer him for a year. We successfully deferred starting our August born child. He's now going to be 5 starting reception in September; at 4 he was not completely potty trained and was very immature in general. His nursery absolutely supported us in our decision.

Does he go to childcare? Can you speak to them about his readiness?

I’d pre empt things and get in touch with the school SENCO...... sounds like he will need an EHCP so starting the process early would be good.

Do you have any help from any adoption social workers? I know locally here there are teams which help post adoption etc.

You can contact your local authority and ask how to speak to the Area SENCo or Inclusion Officer (different names in different authorities).
Explain what you have said here.
The Nursery have to follow the SEN Code of Practice, and should be differentiating if any child has the needs you have described.

So sorry, I missed the part where you said the nursery were unhelpful.

I agree with the above poster about contacting the SENCO. They will know how the LA usually deal with these things.

I would also contact the school.

I’ve emailed the inclusion team, hopefully they will be in touch this week
We already have the therapeutic team from children’s services involved as his paediatrician requested this - the problem is because of current circumstances, no-one is able to meet and discuss issues or I’m being passed from pillar to post, very frustrating.

I’ve spoken to the school and to be fair they are trying their best to be helpful but they do want an EHCP before he starts, which I can’t get until his assessment which I’ve been told could be up to 12 months away as they have a backlog

Your local authority are totally incorrect with the timescales for the EHCP - they are legally obligated to deal with any application for a EHCP within 20 weeks (and covid hasn’t changed this law) If they don’t complete the process within this timeframe, they can be required to pay you compensation. Be prepared to fight tooth and nail - they will try to fob you off but they know the rules and the minute the application is, they can’t avoid it. If they put you off making the application, they can avoid it longer!

Firstly, get your application in for a EHCP. You can do this without nursery support (although it’s obviously helpful if you do have it!) They then have 20 weeks (which means you might just get it before he starts in September)

If the Local Authority are difficult, call IPSEA. They are fantastic!

You say “birth mother” - is your DS adopted. If so, can you access after adoption support? I’m sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick with that one.

I have to say my son also had similar difficulties when he started school (although a different diagnosis) School was honestly the most amazing experience for him and he has come along so much. He has an EHCP and the school / nursery were very supportive so I’m sorry you are coming up against barriers.

Also I would say, by making an EHCP application if requires certain professionals to do certain reports so might get some of the professionals involved with your DS to have meetings / discuss his case

The school can't insist on an EHCP before he starts, if he has been allocated a place with them through normal admission criteria.
However, the school should still make reasonable adjustments and differentiate according to his needs, regardless of whether he has an EHCP or not, or if an assessment is being made or not.

Thank you!

This is really helpful.
We have him under a special guardianship order, not adoption, so we don’t have the same rights, and we really do have to fight for everything which is completely unfair to the children

I will definitely look into it, this week and file an application

I think this is more because they have known for the last two years that he would be attending for there as his older siblings attend, therefore know of his needs, and it was discussed when the children still had a social worker who was attending education meetings.

I think from their view point, it’s less of an insistence but wanting to have the support in place

If adopted, I would also try

• the 'virtual school' for your LA

and/or

• post adoption support

and/or

• the Ed psych team for your LA

One of them may be able to help (they were very helpful with my y10/y11 adopted DD during the past year).

I would personally look at seeing if you can defer school start for a further year (as summer born & issues). In 6/7 months you will be able to see whether the gap is widening, closing or staying the same.
If the gap is widening then there will be clearer evidence of his difficulties and more chance of getting an EHCP / special school in place.
If gap is closing or staying the same then he will have benefitted by becoming one of the oldest in the class.

Even if SGO rather than adoption, I'd try the groups I listed.
Will he qualify for enhanced pupil premium in the same way as an adopted child?

Does your local authority sign up to the Special Guardian Support Service? If so, I think they may have a helpline that may be able to assist with help/advice.

Has your Special Guardian Support plan been reviewed? If not, you can request a review of this (indeed reviews should be done at least annually in any event) This could be another avenue to getting additional support from professionals?

If DS has a SW involved, I would be pushing them to do something as well.

As long as your local authority allows and the school is ok you can defer the year. We're in the process of currently doing it, the school is being really helpful even though we left it really late and the council said it's fine as long as the school agree even though we are technically a few months past their cut off. We just weren't sure before and changed our minds at the last minute so that's why we're doing it now. Call the school and the council and they're both be helpful I'm sure.

I would defer his start by a year.
My son was a July birthday and has no delayed development and still struggled for the first 3 years to keep up at school. He has got there eventually but I really wish I had delayed his start by a year. My son is in an independent school so staying down or delaying a start is a parental choice (with the Heads ok).
Good Luck x

If you do plan to defer his place at school, have you thought about swapping nursery? I swapped my DS from nursery to one recommended by one of the professionals involved and it made a massive difference. They accessed early funding for him, did his EHCP application and was so passionate about his development. Were supportive of his OT attending and enacted all her recommendations and did regular speech therapy with the whole group/little groups and individually to help him along. I wish I moved him earlier.

I will have a look at these too, thank you

Yes he will get pupil premium when he starts

I’m definitely thinking about deferring him a year, I just want to explore all other options before making such a huge decision.
We have the ability to apply to defer until July, I’m also hoping that his health visitor will help

You should definitely defer, and @Crazycatlady83’s idea about changing nursery is a really good idea.

We moved him to this nursery in October last year on the advice from the professionals and SENIT team, he qualifies for tier 2 funding but the nursery won’t access it, the SENCO said in her opinion there is ‘nothing wrong’ with him so won’t apply the funding despite all the professionals involved and his diagnosis
He has also been awarded dla,
I’m waiting for a meeting with the inclusion team to sort this, but I really don’t want to move his nursery again as it really disrupts him

If he stays 12-18 months behind, but becomes one of the oldest in the class, then he becomes 0-6 months behind the youngest. That is a much easier gap to handle.
Obviously if the gap widens then you wouldn't particularly be helped long term but it will still help to start with.

Both my adopted DDs would have been better off a year down (education and maturity) but the elder one was already in juniors and the youngest was autumn born so it was never going to happen.

You need to be clear that the LA/school are permitting deferring and entering into Reception, not expecting you to defer and enter y1.

Absolutely, agree.

I will take all of this on board, thank you for your help!!

You can make a parental request for statutory assessment (or EHNCA) without the school ‘signing off’.
Template to make request

www.ipsea.org.uk/making-a-request-for-an-ehc-needs-assessment

Agree that a chat with Virtual School or SW might be helpful

@Obsidianfang

I’ve emailed the inclusion team, hopefully they will be in touch this week We already have the therapeutic team from children’s services involved as his paediatrician requested this - the problem is because of current circumstances, no-one is able to meet and discuss issues or I’m being passed from pillar to post, very frustrating.

I’ve spoken to the school and to be fair they are trying their best to be helpful but they do want an EHCP before he starts, which I can’t get until his assessment which I’ve been told could be up to 12 months away as they have a backlog

Primary Senco here. Is he already known to the MDT / Early Years SEN team at your LA? You say he has a diagnosis of Developmental Delay, who gave him this diagnosis? Am I right in thinking he’s either adopted or LAC?

The Primary school cannot refuse to have him on the grounds that he doesn’t yet have an EHCP. However, as a Senco, I would be suggesting that he has a graduated transition into school this September. How this happens is dependent on whether you work full time or not! My suggestion would be that he comes to school for perhaps every morning for a while, increasing his attendance gradually. The best way to get the support he needs, and indeed to assess him for that support, is for him to be in the setting. If he is delayed by 2+ years now, this would probably still be the case next year, so keeping him away from school for a year won’t mean he ‘catches up’ with his peers. I’m a firm believer that children should be educated alongside their peers in terms of their age. It’s up to schools to provide the support to enable all children to do this.

One thing to take into account if deferring and therefore entering reception a year late, many secondary schools will only admit children in the correct year group for their age, so if a child leaves Y6 in the academic year when they are 12, the secondary schools may well want to place them into Year 8. There is also the issue of the legal school leaving age. Once a child reaches that age, there is nothing anyone can do to make them stay on to take any exams etc. The knock on effect of delaying school can be long lasting.