SEN at secondary school - pros and cons of being taken out of class for extra support.

[nananoo]

Dd is moderately dyslexic and in year 5 at primary school. She has limited help - maybe 1 to 1 for 10 minutes a day. So she is not really taken out of class or is treated any differently to her classmates.

I've just visited the SEN department of the secondary school she is likely to go to. I was impressed by their commitment and expertise, but I had a slight doubt about how secondary school age children coped being taken out of class and taught separately for some of their lessons. Is this the usual way - or do other schools have a more integrated approach?

I can see all the advantages of having individual help or smaller groups - but wondered if children felt singled out from their friends.

I would love to hear of anyone else's experiences.

Children go out of class for all sorts of stuff, instrument lessons, nurture groups etc.

DS used to do both, and is fine.

And he is very prickly about his mates knowing about his dyspraxia.

Speaking from first hand experience (extra help/mobility/PT/OT/Speech and mainstreamed into local school while at SN school)

Advantages were the extra help and the visits to Dunkin Donuts super mobility lessons.

Downside was being taken out of maths (my worst subject) and my grades showed. I failed one class twice.

The few friends I had during my time at mainstream school used to want to join my mobility lessons!

Thanks for those positive messages - just what I wanted to hear! I had a good feeling about the school. Unfortunately I know a couple of people who have taken their children out of the school because of the SEN department's way of teaching. I will try to trust my own instinct!

DS2 (Y7) has interventions before school (instead of registration) twice a week. Plus a lunchtime meeting with his LSA once a week to discuss progress/targets. Then some G&T stuff as and when, usually optional stuff after school. Many of his friends are attending sports practice, music rehearsals etc at these times, so it just feels like part of the culture of the school.

The curriculum moves quite fast at secondary, so missing regular lessons might cause problems with continuity and understanding. Topics don't seem to be revisited as often as they were in primary school, and catching up missed lessons is hard.

DD1 refuses to go during anything except PHSE.

I didn't find out for months she had stopped turning up, SEN dept. didn't chase her.

Truth be told, they really don't know what to do with very bright dyslexics. At 13 her spelling was four years behind and her reading age was 16.

Her reading, out load is actually awfully inaccurate, but it was a comprehension test. DD1 is an expert at getting meaning out of text she apparently can't read. Trouble is this means her proof reading is also awful.

School got her 25% extra time in exams and that's about it.

Really interesting points. I was mainly thinking about other classmates attitudes to children being taken out of class...and not the obvious problem...missing out on lesson content and not being able to catch up.

My Y7 DS does a toe by toe (dyslexia exercises) 4 mornings a week for 15 minutes 1st thing every morning instead of form registration. There are about 30 Y7 kids doing it out of a 180 year group, so he certainly doesn't feel singled out. He does miss seeing his mates at form time though.

Thanks Paulapantsdown! It sounds like your school has a good arrangement. I would be happy with that! I must get back to the school I'm looking at and see if they try to take children out at registration rather than in the lessons.

I have 2 dyslexic ds and they both have learning support at times when their classmates would be doing a language. Not in the Uk so slightly different system, but it works very well for them.