Have you noticed many schools are trying to assign labels to pupils who may not necessarily need them - why is there a huge increase in SEN statements and the sheer number of pupils being diagnosed ?

[yummymu]

how does it benefit the school to pigeon hole and label children so avidly and relentlessly ? Are they being funded ? What is their motivation for doing so ? Is it in the best interests of pupils ? What about pupils who have a quirk about them ? Do they qualify ? How do we quantify an autism assessment ? Is this just complete nonsense and all children are different ?

@TizerorFizz "So parents are seeking to get help for dc and not accepting dc are not that special. Schools don’t have the money and it’s not easy for anyone. There’s no answer to be honest."
C'mon, Tizer -think! Your statements above are not mutually exclusive:

Yes: some children struggle to access the age-related curriculum (note: as a primary school teacher with 25 years experience, I know that when a child struggles to access the age-related curriculum, additional targeted support and bespoke intervention almost always makes a tangible difference and improves outcomes for the child immensely).

Yes: some parents are noticing that their DC need additional support in order to access the age-related curriculum.

Yes: some parents choose to request referral for assessment in order to better understand their DC's needs and challenges -who wouldn't? Schools ask parents' permission to make referrals for investigation and support from allied professionals all the time. It has nothing to do with parents "not accepting that their DC are not special"; what does that even mean?! All children are special irrespective of whether or not they have additional needs and, what's more, all have an entitlement to an education which meets their needs. Schools being cash-strapped does not change this fundamental entitlement. It just makes it a bit more shit for everyone, and most of all the child or young person with SEN and their families who have the Sisyphean task of taking on the SEN system in Local Authorities (and, regrettably, some schools) in order to safeguard their children's right to an education.

@CurlyKoalie The reason you don't hear much about SEN funding in your role is most likely because there is very little SEN funding to go around, and so it doesn't come up. Allocation of support staff does not necessarily mean a child comes with funding, but rather that there is a recognised need and SENDCo has some capacity in staffing. Very little of SEN is funded, and your SEN department is likely cobbling together support with what resources they have to hand. It is your right (and, arguably, your responsibility as a teacher to be informed of the SEN of the pupils in your classes though. Your SENDCo should keep all staff up to date with this as you are contracted to fulfil the basic entitlement of every pupil's right to an education, and this includes meeting the needs of SEN pupils.

@AdultHumanFemale You have just argued two sides of the coin. Entitlement is a difficult concept when there’s not enough money. The money is spread too thinly. Over diagnosis is now recognised. Schools are responsible for allocating their sen funds. Getting more is of course in their interests as is getting better results by too many students getting extra time. They don’t at work so it’s not a long term benefit when it comes to employment .

You might have taught 25 years and I’ve been involved in school management and being a governor for nearly 40 years. At which point was there ever enough money? Never from what I’ve seen and everyone always wants their entitlement. Of course they do but most schools have to compromise. Pp money is the biggest help but mc schools don’t see much of it so the mc Sen issues ensure budgets are stretched.

The increase is because schools used to be well funded with smaller class sizes that meant children were supported regardless.

Now a child needs a diagnosis so that the schools can access funding to bring support that the child may need because they are under funded.

Even having a child with a diagnosis doesn't bring money.

DD has every bit of paper possible, and school don't seem to get any money for her. What resources they do have have all gone on getting her exam access arrangements in place - not on actual help.

@TizerorFizz I've not 'argued' two sides of a coin. I have said that two things can be true simultaneously.

You say things like:
"...everyone always wants their entitlement"
and
"So parents are seeking to get help for dc and not accepting dc are not that special..."
and
"...too many dc needing adjustments and money..."
and
"Everyone needs help. That’s the issue...".

A statutory educational entitlement for all children and young people exists as a fundamental right irrespective of whether a learner has SEN. This is the foundation upon which all education provision happens. It is the basic premise which all who work in education should be operating on, you included if you work in school management and governance. It is not a 'nice to have' but enshrined in law. As a governor, it is literally your job to critically review how a school fares in ensuring best possible outcomes for all learners on the basis of this entitlement.

The statutory entitlement to education exists quite independently of available funding allocation. The fact that funding is scarce does not alter every child's inalienable right to learn. So what do we do? We double down and get forensic about ensuring access by identifying gaps in learning, and creative and tenacious about finding interventions which will support pupils achieve best outcomes. With diagnosis -great! With some extra funding -great! Without either -never mind, no excuses, no letting up on centering the best interests for each learner, we do all we can within ordinary available provision and push for more. One chance at mainstream primary and secondary education ‐it's got to count. These are children's lives you are dismissing talking about.

Your take on this is a cause for concern for me, and if you made comments and insinuations like the ones you've made on this thread anywhere in my trust, you'd be eye-rolled so hard and considered part of the problem. And just to make it clear: children with SEN and their families are not the problem.

Hear, hear. It must be incredibly difficult for teachers right now but I do wonder what exactly we are supposed to do with statements like ‘I have 30 children in my class’ (offered with no empathy/sympathy/suggestions as to how to make the best out of a bad lot). ‘Oh OK, I’ll just let DD know she needs to stop being autistic due to funding issues’ 👍

(The most galling thing is that DD’s needs are primarily SEMH-related and this was in response to us simply asking the teacher to try and foster a positive relationship with her because DD was convinced she hated her. Hardly time-consuming or difficult to keep track of, especially when weighed against the potential benefits or in our case, massive long-term damage of not doing so 😭)

@IAmUsingTheApplauseReactionSarcastically

With the absolute certainty of your daughter's right to an education at your back, read widely around the subject and inform yourself about SEN law -don't think that your DC's school or LA will always act in your DC's interest (as your DC's teacher's reaction shows). Engage with SENDCo rather than your child's teacher. SENDCo or Inclusion Lead should be setting the tone for how the needs of children with SEN are met (and discussed!) at your DD's school, and it definitely shouldn't have the merest whiff of the things said by Tizer above. I too have an autistic DC in mainstream and have found that advocating for their needs is relentless and often down to luck. The most productive (if exhausting) thing I've done has been to be 100% proactive and on the frontfoot about what I think might work for DC in school, or be really specific when asking them to frame an intervention and staying really clear of any tendency to talk in general terms: "DC finds X difficult because Y. What might be put in place to support this to happen?" Because I see what brings the most impactful change in my own workplace, I suppose I have a blueprint to work from and this is problematic in itself as SEN advocacy is far from a level playing field which is a national disgrace.