How much info do you get about an IEP?

[Lizalu]

Ds got an IEP around Easter time but the first I knew about it was when his class teacher said to me in the playground ?here?s ds?s IEP?. ?His what?? I said. It was then fully explained to me, in the play ground ,because this had never been mentioned to me before.

I had to do searches on mumsnet before I realised this was a good thing for him that would help him. It was due for review in July and as term has nearly finished I asked the class teacher for a meeting. He told me they had already done a new IEP and he would print it off for me for the meeting.

From what I have read other people get invited to review meetings and have to sign the IEP. I now feel the IEP is more about box ticking than my ds.

FWIW I feel his class teacher has been brilliant throughout the past year and very communicative which is why I feel let down and am blaming the SENCO at the moment.

Does he have a statement? IME only children with statements get a formal review. Those with IEP's do not, at least not with all parties eg, parents, borough representatives etc present.

No statement but I just expected a bit of communication, or meetings, about what an IEP was.

There are children at my shcool with IEPs that I am sure the parents know nothing about.

They are used as a working document to plan targets and measure attainment. It's good you got to see your sons.
Sounds like you need a meeting with the SENCO.

Thanks for continuing to dispell my worries about DS having an IEP. I think I will give it 3-4 weeks into new term and speak to the new class teacher and the SENCO.

If he has an IEP you have to see it as the parent and you have to sign it. A DC can't have an IEP without the parents knowing.
I would insist on a meeting with the SENCO and see his new teacher early in September.

The iep is an excellent thing, but i am invited to each iep meeting and a lot of what gets put on is what I've asked for such as help with social skills.
I find it's a way of checking the school are doing what they've promised woth ds1 and it's very valuable.
I'd be very concerned if I were you and I think you're right that the senco is the person to talk to - say you feel out of the loop and is it not possible to come to the next review meeting - they will have set a date for it.
Even my ds comes to the iep meeting - he says hello and shows us a piece of work - when he's older they hope he'll contribute to his targets.

btw I am actually shocked that parents wouldn't know their children had an IEP. I know they are useful working documents but there has to be communication about them surley.

Thank you, I also felt the IEP was a good thing but was concerned about the lack of communication about it and feel the need to discuss it and give some input into my understanding od ds's problems.

Cat64 I understand the time pressures and would have appreciated some explanation if it was in writing but there was none. This is perhaps something they need to look at.

I was invited to first meeting when IePwas explained and also given targets to work with my dd on. When teh IEP was reviewed I was invited to that meeting and my thoughts were listened to. I also had to sign the IEp.

because the IEP wasn't explained at all, just handed over, I briefly thought it is awful and meant ds couldn't cope with school. Of course it didn't but nobody explained it to me.

sorry if I've confused things - my ds1 is on school action plus as he has the salt and an assigned number of hours additional help because of his as dx.
If a child is only on sa I can see why the parents would not be asked to come to every meeting, but it would be useful and it's very unprofessional not to get a letter explaining things at the very least.

At our school the IEPs used to be sent home to be signed. If you weren't happy with the targets you were able to speak to the SENCo.

Parents are now invited to have more input if they want to. Sometimes there is a meeting with the SENCO, teacher and TA (usually if the difficulties aren't straightforward and the parent(s) might have ideas about what would work for their child). If the issues are ones that the school has a lot of experience with then an IEP will be drafted in advance and the teacher will go through them with the parent(s). At KS2 level the children also sign them.

I got a copy of the new IEP in ds?s reading folder today and am very happy with it but I only got it because I approached the teacher to ask about it. As I said in the original OP I am very happy with the support he has received and the commitment of his teacher and intend to tell him this when we meet next week.

The lack of information about the IEP is a strange anomaly. It has a review date of October so a formal meeting every three months would be a lot but I do think the school need to tighten up procedures for informing parents about what an IEP is and what is going to happen. I will feedback to school in a positive way.