Questions to ask at primary school

[chickensaresafehere]

Proposed statement came through for dd2 last week,which was a relief.
She is 3.6,hypermobile & non-verbal,so not starting at MS primary school until next September.
We are going to look round schools tomorrow,what questions should we be asking apart from asking to see their SN & inclusion policies??

I wouldn't ask to see their policies. They're all pretty meaningless.

What I would just do is talk to the head and see if they seem to care more about the children than their sats. Does she seem interested in your child.

You can tell from the league tables or ofsted report if the have an avg number of kids on the sen register or not. If they have significantly less than avg I would ask the head teacher why. It is a warning bell for me that they are either not identifying children properly - or driving them away.

I would ask what experience/training they have had with children who have similar SN.

I'd ask to meet the SENCO and try to find out what their other responsibilities are. At some schools the SENCO is p/t or is also the HT which often doesn't allow time for the role to be carried out properly.

How many other children there have statements? You want to feel reassured that they understand the statement obligations are legal requirements and that they know they have to carry out meetings/Annual Reviews properly, otherwise you'll be pushing for these things all the time.

I'd ask for their SEN/inclusion policy, anti-bullying policy, prospectus, CVA/SAT results etc. I do agree with IndigoBell that they are often meaningless but by making the request, you're showing the school that you're aware of these policies and will expect them to be adhered to.

I would try to get an idea of how much funding they can offer out of their own resources. With a statement, your child will have their own funding but some schools are able to top this up while the most financially strapped ones can't. You can get an idea of this yourself just by seeing how well resourced they are generally.

Are you considering any SN schools as well?

I would take the proposed statement with you, and ask the school if they feel their environment & staffing can meet the requirements of it, and what they would need to do to meet it.

Don't just listen to their words, look for body language, tone, etc. One school we visited had the head saying all the things we wanted to hear, but his body language and tone, and his behaviour during the tone of the school made it exceptionally clear that DD1 would be neither welcomed nor valued at his school. His priorities were uniform, appearance and reputation, and it was crystal clear. Bear in mind, that this was the school we were sure we would be taking DD1 to for the last 4 years.

I agree with indigoBell - ofsteds and policies can be fairly meaningless. I originally chose a good sounding MS primary - they talked the talked, but were virtually lame in the walking department - only 3 OT sessions in 1 term instead of at least 3 weekly.
I moved him to a MS school with a disability base, that was less well regarded, but the school loves all children and looks for ways to integrate all. DS is doing brilliantly. Confidence is sky high.
Look around the schools with DD. Children are mighty perceptive as to whether they like it. Talk to parents, particularly if their children have any additional needs. But any parent who has had a problem can tell you if the school is proactive in dealing with it.
Talk to the head, and staff. can you have a 2 way conversation with them?

• What range and types of SNs they have experience of?

• How do they communicate with parents about SN-related issues? eg do they use home/school books, do they ask for parental input for IEPs, is it easy for concerned parents to arrange to speak with the SENCO?

• How much experience do they have of working with outside agencies?

Depending on dd's particular needs you might also want to ask about toileting issues. So things like: what facilities do they have, what's their policy on changing nappies etc.

Totally agree with Indigo and others. It's the way they talk and the questions they ask. I visited several and one stood out because both the head and the reception teacher were interested and clearly up for the challenge. In another school I visited the head recommend I look around lots of other schools before I made up my mind - not difficult to get the unspoken message from her!

cansu, the head at one school I took DS1 to was even more 'subtle'. We were looking for a school for DS to return to having home-edded him. I told him that DS1 had school based anxiety and asked what they would do to help him integrate into the school. He looked at him, said "He looks fine to me, but if he does, then I suggest you find a more caring school" .

Said the same at the next school and the head launched straight into how they had lots of experience with children with autism who suffered anxiety and what they did about it. He took special interest in DS1 during looking around the school, found at DS's special interest etc and even made sure he pointed out the books relevant to it in the school library.
The first school had the better OFSTED report, the better facilities (was in a brand new building, with all new computers, gym equipment etc). But it was very easy to see the real difference in the schools, and where DS was going to be happy.

Thanks so much.
You have given us lots of things to ask,you lot are great
Unfortunately the nearest SN school,which specialises in S&L is over 30 miles away,so we are hoping to find a good MS school.