Mainstream and SEN dilema

[worriedmumanddad]

Today, I was told by the headmaster of my son's primary school that "they don't report to me".

My son has SEN and an EHCP in a mainstream school. He spent the majority of year 5 neglected by those meant to be supporting and teaching him. Year 5 ended with parents submitting an offical compliant after my distressed son's behaviour started to change for the worse. My son went from a happy boy who enjoyed going to school to distressed, unhappy boy, all because of his year 5 experience.

He's now in year 6 and the school has a new head and my son has a new class teacher and 1to1.

The new head (aware of the compliant), at the start of year 6 was amiable and wanted to demonstrate the school is doing right by my son and asked me how the school could demonstrate this during regular performance reviews. I answered that I'd like measurable targets based on the curriculum that demonstrate progress. We've had 2 performance reviews and no measurable targets have been produced. During the 3rd performance review I asked for this again to which the head replied "they don't report to me".

I'm interested in parents thoughts around this comment. Am I being unreasonable expecting the school to demonstrate a repeat of year 5 isn't happening again?

What are performance reviews? You've had three since September? This seems like they have tried to go above and beyond, as the requirement is to report to parents 3x per year.

Does your child have an EHCP? This is where the measurable targets should be taken from. Long term targets in the EHCP, transferred to short term targets by the teacher.

Well, the HT is right, they don’t report to you. However, how they have communicated that is very blunt and confrontational, and it doesn’t bode well for a positive relationship between home and school.

Is the school providing the provision in section F? Does section F include all the necessary provision or does it need amending? Are the reviews in there? Three in one term seems a lot.

Long term targets in the EHCP

EHCPs contain outcomes, not targets.

How often are you having these meetings? An annual review is a requirement for the EHCP and I imagine there will be the usual round of parent meetings, but three in a term is difficult to sustain long term, I’d have thought.

What are the outcomes of these meetings and what are the measurable outcomes of the EHCP? Is your son making progress?

It sounds as though the school has been communicating well with you, over these meetings so far. I’m assuming you’re wanting to know what academic progress is being made and that is measurable, so you should know what he can do now that he couldn’t at the start of term.