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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

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Original poster

Parents evening AND a SEN review? Or just one meeting?

20 replies

HonoriaGlossop · 30/09/2008 15:34

If that makes sense!

Just wondering what others experience out there. My ds is on the SEN register and up to now we've always had the parents evening meeting the same as other parents AND a SEN review as seperate to that.

Now it's just the SEN review on offer and I don't know whether that's ok or not. I thought the SEN review was an extra, added on thing because of having special needs, a completely seperate thing to parents evening. Don't know whether to make a fuss or not really but would like to know how others out there do this

TIA

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RaggedRobin · 30/09/2008 16:51

is it primary or secondary school? if secondary, then you should definitely have both to get a chance to meet all your dc's teachers. i teach deaf kids in a secondary unit, and would very much encourage parents to attend both.

not sure what most primary schools do, but as you say, i would imagine the two meetings would be separate - they should have somewhat different agendas?

Original poster

HonoriaGlossop · 30/09/2008 17:02

sorry, should have said - it's year 2 of primary.

That's what I thought about the different agendas.

OP posts:

Original poster

HonoriaGlossop · 30/09/2008 17:04

Also isn't it possible it could be noted by the kids - DS will want to know what his teacher has said about him as he and his friends will be aware of the parents evening...

spose I could just say we are meeting her another time (it's at the end of the month, the SEN review) but it just seemed better to me for all kids to get the SAME, but with add-ons for the SEN stuff?

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Romy7 · 30/09/2008 17:10

if they are really close, i would think one is ok (as long as you get the normal stuff as well as review of support etc.) is this to re-target for iep? i'd think that could be done at the same time. full AR should definitely be seperate and involve all outside agencies though...

kid · 30/09/2008 17:15

My DD is on the SEN register, not that I get invited to many SEN reviews

In the past (she has been on the register for just over 2 years), it has been parents evening and a separate SEN review to go over IEP targets.
Last year, it was a joint parents evening and SEN review. I personally didn't like this as I didn't want to discuss my DDs difficulties in front of others. It worked out ok though as I got to see the teacher before anyone else arrived! Not sure what will happen this year though.

Original poster

HonoriaGlossop · 30/09/2008 17:47

Romy yes it will be to review the IEP targets. He doesn't have a statement so I don't think we get the AR with outside agencies!

thanks for your experience kid. they should have a review every term, I think - doesn't sound like you have got this though....

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Romy7 · 30/09/2008 18:37

every term or six months at a minimum - but some don't even have a meeting, just send a new iep home for comments and signature lol. if you have outside agencies involved (don't know if SA or SA+?) then i always ask for their advice when target setting, in advance of the meeting... that way i can guide gently. don't know if this is appropriate or not in your case?

kid · 30/09/2008 19:45

I've been to the initial meeting when DD went on the register back in 2006. I have been to one IEP review since then where SENCO attended. I have also had one IEP/parents evening with a class teacher.

New IEPs are due any day now, I have not been invited in to discuss these targets at all. Infact I think today was the deadline but there is no IEP yet.

Would love to know the procedure for complaining about this, but as I don't know the full entitlement, I don't know what to complain about.

cat64 · 30/09/2008 19:54

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Message withdrawn

Original poster

HonoriaGlossop · 30/09/2008 19:58

thanks cat.

The parents evening we get is only 10 min - during our parents evenings before the IEP has not been discussed and nor would there be time to go over it in 10 minutes as well as covering the other ground that the teacher would cover for kids without SEN

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Minniethemoocher · 30/09/2008 20:42

DD has an IEP and is on School Action Plus. We have just had a meeting with the Ed Psych and are awaiting her report also waiting for a referral to a paediatrician.

We didn't have a parents consultation evening as well, didn't really mind after an hour and a half with her teacher, SENCO and Ed Psych, I thought that we had covered everything.

IEP review is due the end of October.

kid · 30/09/2008 20:49

Not sure if DD is on SA or SA+
Her teacher and SENCO aren't sure either [hmmm]
Can't check the IEP either as I don't have an up to date one. Will need to get onto the school about it as its not on.

Romy7 · 30/09/2008 21:41

kid, do you have any outside agencies involved ie SLT, OT , STA etc? that is the difference between SA and SA + (+ if externals are involved with dd)

kid · 30/09/2008 22:57

SALT is involved. She done an assessment and set some targets and suggested activites to help meet the targets.
Would that make her SA+ if she has these targets?

Romy7 · 30/09/2008 23:32

should do, yes. it means not a lot though. just a different register . can be easier to access additional funding from the LEA for the school i think. those targets should be on the iep. if there are a number of diff issues there would be one speech/ comms, one for behaviour/ social rules, one for gross motor etc etc. if just one area of concern (lol at 'just') then obv targets only in that area. it is the involvement of an external agency that makes it SA+. ie the school does not have the expertise to deal with the sen in-house.
it can make it easier for the school to ask for funding to provide (for example) a TA for 4 hours a week to provide slt group work or deliver a programme as suggested, and potentially provide evidence that a statement may be required if the dc is unable to progress with the current level of support (ie needs more)
so keep copies of your iep lol!

cat64 · 01/10/2008 23:56

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Message withdrawn

kid · 02/10/2008 07:39

It certainly isn't ever straight forward!

My DD has the SALT involved on a very low key basis, as in once a term! She was also identified as having dyslexia last year. So her moderate learning difficulty is now a specific learning difficulty. Would that, or should that, make a difference?

cat64 · 02/10/2008 14:49

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sayithowitis · 02/10/2008 16:11

The area where I work insists that if a child is seen by any outside agencies who visit the school to either observe the child or offer support to the staff re target setting, they must be on A+. This is also sort of indicated in the code of practise 5.54 . I think this is not including medical people who make a diagnosis but don't get involved in target setting. So in our school, even SALT once a term, would put a child on A+ because the SALT programme would be carried out by us as one of the child's targets.
Dysexia alone would not automatically put a child at A+. We offer support to many children at all stages on the register, even those only at C ( concern) as we have found that if we get in there early enough, we can often prevent the need for IEPs . OTOH, I know of some schools locally who only offer specific support to those who have funding attached! I suppose to a large extent it is down to the head teacher as they have to allocate their budget.
By the way, code of practice also makes it clear that it is ok to carry out a review as part of a normal parent evening.

kid · 06/10/2008 21:20

It was confirmed today that DD is on SA+
The teacher and TA both insist she is on SA, that does not give me much faith in their support of her if they don't even know that!

I don't know what to do. I have spoken to the SENCO about my concerns and reasons for it, but she has suggested that I leave it a few more days before approaching the class teacher again as 'everyone is stretched at the moment'
Will see if there is any change by the end of this week. IEP are now overdue, again

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