HELP Dyslexic DS being failed

[greeneggblueegg]

DS is in yr 8. He was privately diagnosed dyslexic in yr 4 with particular weaknesses in working memory, decoding and processing. We provided his secondary school with a copy of the report and had a meeting with the SENCo before he started who reassured us and promised all sorts of support.

In reality the school has done bugger all. In fact every time we have parents evening the subject teachers appear positively oblivious to DS's dyslexia. Several comments about how disorganised he is and how terrible his written work is!
To add insult to injury when we insisted on a recent review with the SENCo she said he had been taken off the register as didn't seem to
need support Dyslexia doesn't miraculously cure itself FFS and the report even says DS will struggle more the older he gets. Apparently this decision was based on the fact DS is 'on target' in the majority of his subjects (never mind fact they've just slung him in lower sets). My argument is imagine what he could achieve if he was given the required level of support detailed in the EP's report!!

It's like the school (& SENCo in particular) have just cast him adrift and have no expectations of him.

We asked the SENCo to lay her cards on the table with what help we could reasonably expect from the school - she basically said very little as his dyslexia is not sufficiently severe! In September she will review the situation to see if some help can be "syphoned" off from incoming Yr 7 SEN students!
This made me so cross that I went off and did my own research. Lo and behold our local area provides a free "Dyslexia Outreach" programme to secondary schools. When I challenged her she said it was an oversight but still wouldn't refer DS as she first had to prove School had taken initial remedial steps!

I just can't accept this; it's like she and the School just don't give a shit. The Head is also retiring this year so cares even less.

Fortunately we are able to provide DS with a private tutor who desperately tries to plug some gaps in DS's learning but is only able to do so much and is aghast at the school.

What can I do? Can I raise a complaint? Honestly feel that DS is being failed the school is negligent.

[Goosegettingfat]

I'm a specialist teacher of dyslexic students. You need to put what you have said here in a complaint to the governors. Or, if you feel the head is good, complain to him/her first, but it sounds like the possible lack of knowledge from the senco and the presumable funding difficulties the school is struggling to overcome will mean that ultimately this needs to be raised with it the governors to get results.

even if your son is a high-functioning dyslexic he is no less entitled to support than a low functioning dyslexic student.

[greeneggblueegg]

Thank you Goose. It's reassuring to hear that we shouldn't just accept the 'no resource' stance.

I have very little time for the Head, she is clearly coasting until end of term. The SENCo appears out of her depth and kept asking us what support we were expecting?! The woman is paid a good enhancement to for this role yet is incompetent.

Thank you for suggesting the governors route. I will state the facts but is there anything else I can say to add weight?

I wouldn't even say DS is a high-functioning dyslexic. He has obvious weaknesses that should be very clear to teachers. It seems either they choose to ignore his needs or set the bar so low he appears to meet their standards.

[Goosegettingfat]

You're welcome. I don't wish to sound over-dramatic, but if I were in your shoes and the provision (not even in terms of resources but just in terms of approach and communication within the school) was so poor, I would actually consider moving schools. Obviously that depends what the alternatives are and what your circumstances are.

What you've said is perfect. In the senco's defense, she may be paid very little extra for the work she has to do- I've seen a lot of senco work and it's an overloaded and thankless task a lot of the time for a very meagre boost in salary.

As a bare minimum I would expect all staff who teach your son to be made aware of his dyslexia and be up to date with his IEP. That doesn't require any extra resources! As for what further help should be given, she really shouldn't be asking you to suggest that!

[greeneggblueegg]

He doesn't even have an IEP (or at least one that I've seen).
There was a list of targets, but surely that's not the same thing? In any case they've been ignored since he was taken off the register.

We have considered moving him but he has so many friends at this school we are loathe to rock the apple cart. I am equally as cross with myself for letting things slide for so long and having blind faith that they would deliver adequate support.

[Goosegettingfat]

Right well a child with a diagnosis of clear dyslexic issues from an ep, with no IEP Which is purposefully shared with parents and staff is not a good situation. I would frankly be either.
A) politely hounding them to within an inch of their lives
B) throwing all my toys out of the pram
C) calling and visiting alternative schools to see what provision they offer for dyslexic students
D) or all 3!
I mean I know I sympathized a little with the senco, but if a child actually enters the school with a report from an ep identifying an issue, and she doesn't seem to think it's her job to coordinate appropriate support, what the hell does she think her job is?? Of course the real issue here is government cuts to SEN budgets, but that doesn't help you much

[greeneggblueegg]

@Goosegettingfat
We have been advised to insist DS uses a laptop for the majority of class work.
Obviously he will have to use a school laptop for assessments etc but we need to consider getting him a lightweight one for general classwork (as School laptops are clunky and heavy)
Would you have any recommendations? Many thanks

[Goosegettingfat]

Advised by whom? The EP? How does your Ds feel about this idea? I would tread slightly carefully here: assuming you want to improve the relationship with the school yet achieve some support, I would carefully weigh up the value of "insisting" on allowing use of a laptop. Ie: this marks Ds very clearly out from other students. How would the laptop be used when the class work is in worksheet form? Worksheets are often ideal for dyslexic students if they're well designed. Who is responsible for ensuring a record is kept of ds's work (ie if it is accidentally deleted)? how should the teacher mark the work? Is ds's typing better (or as fast as) his writing?
Obviously laptops benefit many dyslexic students, and in some scenarios (eg exams or essays) I'd say it's a no-brainer to use one. I'm just suggesting that this actually might create a lot of extra logistical faff for both staff and Ds, and in a slightly tense relationship for the school, you might want to discuss with them exactly how much benefit Ds would gain from it.

[greeneggblueegg]

That's really helpful, thank you. It was a suggestion from the EP and a friend of mine who's a secondary teacher.

I certainly don't want him to be singled out or made to feel different but his written work is so illegible I can only see that a laptop would help. This is yet another example of his teachers not understanding his needs - they constantly moan about his writing and presentation (yet do nothing to help him or use different methods of working 😡)