Ok please don't flame me.. question about statement for reception child

[sagacious]

Child is in reception (started in January)From the start its clear he has behavioural issues (eg punching other children in the face regularly)I help out in the class there isn't an hour that goes by where something doesn't happen.

Teacher is lovely but ineffective (she seems to think because he will sit still for timeout .. albeit it crying uncontrollably, there is no problem)

Mother has been told the school is sorting out a statement (shes unsure what exactly this is) but this CANNOT be started until year 2.

Surely this cannot be right. The child clearly needs help now.

no it's not right (or even legal!), but some LEAs try and spin this line. The 6 week deadline is to demand that they assess for a statement:-

www.ipsea.org.uk/sevenfixes.htm#RequestingAssessment

Some useful sites (with helplines!).

www.ipsea.org.uk (lots of info and model letters)
www.special-educational-needs.co.uk/sos!sen%20news.htm
www.ace-ed.org.uk/

Are you a parent of another child in reception?

DS3 had a statement in year one.

Please let the Mum know about the telphones lines IPSEA and SOS!SEN ; they are wonderful and can help a lot.

Get her to ask toput the yr2 bollocks in writing

LEA's are often reprehensible in their treatment of SN kids, reducing them to no more than expenses to be avoided at all cost.

She can request the statement herself btw; the school does not need to be persuaded

Oh and BTW a blanket policy like the 2 year thing is illegal, IPSEA website explains this.

My dd1 had a statement from 2.5, so the school's view is rubbish. The parents should contact the LEA and request the process of statementing commences.

I take it the mother wants the statement??

Thats what i am wondering, has the mother felt that there is any need for concern. Apart from the hitting thing you haven't specified any other problems. Is he a summer born child, some just go through this stage a bit later than others.

Riven thats pretty much what we ahd isn't it? but we idd find we got help from the LEA when we bypassed the school.

The school will not be able to do anything - it is completely down to the parents I'm afraid. The school can ask for a child to have a statutory assessment, but the LEA can just say 'no, not now' and the school have no right of appeal. If the child's parents apply under the Education Act 1996, the LEA have to reply to their request and if they refuse, they have to give reasons why and the parents would be able to appeal to the SEN tribunal.

It is important to have evidence in the form of professional reports, if possible to back up the request. If there is advice in reports which give recommendations for support that the child requires, it will be very hard for the LEA to defend their refusal to assess at tribunal.

And this LEA should be reported to IPSEA - shocking behaviour as they are breaking the law. Riven is correct. Blanket policies are unlawful.

You help out in this class and you are now feeding back what you see there on the internet?

Firstly, when you go into a classroom to help out you do so in confidence. Talking about what goes on in that classroom is out of order and frankly if you were a parent helping out in my child's class I would want you removed.

Secondly, you have no idea what is going on with that child and whether or not the parents are fighting to get him a statement, or even whether he has a diagnosis of sn which would warrant a statement.

If the child's mother is a friend of yours and is asking your advice it's one thing.

But if you are taking it upon yourself by talking about someone else's child whom you have observed in your time helping in his class then frankly it is none of your business and you should keep out of it.

wannabe - I disagree. Many children today are being left high and dry without the support they require. They muddle through for years and years, shunted from pillar to post and become worse because they are not able to access the support they require, and their behaviour is responded to and dealt with inappropriately by adults who are not trained to do so. It is cruel.

The OP has not mentioned names and as such has not broken any rules about confidentiality.

Wannabe
The childs mother has asked me about the year 2 issue

As I have said shes unsure what the statement means so doesn't know if she wants one.

I didn't know so rather than identifyable RL asked the one place I know can help (MN)

I wondered when the ritual flaming would begin, I would have added a whole heap of additional info but as this is the WWW thought it best NOT to add any more information.. I could but its not my place.

Thanks for the links and info Riven/Peachy and Tecpep (there is other stuff but see above) I shall pass them on

xpost electra .. thanks

I was wary about posting as it is but I am trying to help .. asking does not automatically make you the bad guy

I think it is good that you are trying to help, sagacious - I see no reason why you should be flamed. Most often, children with special needs do not have any advocate at all, which means that until their parents feel able to take on the system, nothing gets done

I think it's good to ask also Sagacious; having a child in the system is hard enough, if someone does just that bit of gewtting info etc for you it's often a much bigger help than you'd ever guess. I can remember things that I am sure seemed trivial to the doer but not to me.

Far better this than usual standard of 'There's a kid in X class who is hitting and her mother has done nothing....' which is almost always based on nowt but assumption.

Well done.

The TES site might be useful to you, as well as all the advice you have received here.

No, Jajas - that is not correct. If a parent applies school action isn't an issue. In fact SA is a waste of time - the LEA is not legally required to provide anything unless it is quantified and qualified in a statement of SEN.

'they will get nowhere applying for a Statement until they can show what they have put in place to support the child previously.'

No, this is also not correct. When it comes to provision, the buck stops with the LEA. If a school or LEA ever tells you you can't apply for a statement until X,Y and Z has happened, they are wrong and such a policy is unlawful. My dd was statemented at 4 and she had never been in any Local Authority provision at that time and was being educated at home. What's important is that you have the views of a professional in writing, which give recommendations about what the child's needs are. Then there is evidence for the panel in the event of a SEN tribunal.

I would suggest that the mother gets a referral to an E Psch evaluation through her GP.

A full statement is hard to get, and might not be appropriate, but an ed psych evaluation will give her the heads up as to whether the child needs SEN or SN support. And it bypasses the head.

Electra, I disagree that SA is a waste of time. My Ds has been on SA and it has been invaluable.