What to ask the head and teacher at meeting? - advice please.

[carocaro]

Hi, my son is 8 and has been on school action plus for over a year, with miniscule improvement. We've had a useless start to the school year so far for many reasons and we now have a meeting with the head and his teacher on Friday. He has in IEP, but he does not achieve what is set out in the IEP before the next one is written and new targets are set ie: they just move the goal posts. He gets no help at all. The school have said he won't get IPF (individual pupil funding) but I still want them to apply and I have asked them to do so, but heard nothing.

He is getting left further and further behind and the schools strategy just seems to be ad hoc and resigned to the fact there is not a lot they can do as they don't have the manpower. We are paying (I say we, my step Dad has) paid for a weekly lesson at Dyslexia Action and they are starting right back at the beginning with his literacy, as they put it, school have done very little to meet his needs.

I cannot see the wood for the trees at the moment and just need some advice. What should I be asking for now?

Thanks

Your situation sounds very much like mine.
DD is roughly a year behind the rest of her class. But no help is being provided.

I'm going to offer to go in myself to give her one to one reading and other exercises. I'd even offer to support her in class regularly, but I've no idea yet if they'll allow it.

If not, I don't know what to do. She's a bright girl and so frustrated. It's really affecting her self esteem now.

Have you considered asking for a statutory assessment? If your dc's school cannot meet her needs on school action, maybe she needs a statement with some 1:1 hours. They will resist this, but it might well be the next step. IPSEA have some good stuff on their website to help with this. If you decide to go down this route, it is better if you apply as the parent rather than the school as you can then appeal the decision if you are refused.