Help please! Meeting with school...

[Hylas]

DS started reception in Sept and I am meeting with the school to discuss how things are going except I really don't feel that I know how things are going...DS has CP (left sided hemi) and is delayed in all areas, he has a full time TA. He appears to like school and we haven?t had any problems with him going in however I feel that I don't know what his day consists of. I have a chat with his TA when I collect him but don't really feel this is enough, and if I wasn't asking the questions not sure how much info I would be told i.e. he is struggling in a certain area but this only came about when I asked how he was doing in this particular area. I have read about home school books but the school hasn?t mention using these so I am going to discuss this with them. Also the SENCO advised that they don't use IEPs! Again I am going to discuss this further at the meeting but I thought that it was a legal requirement for a statemented child?

I admit I am struggling with the transition from nursery to school, am used to having lots of input and feedback and feel a bit lost. How do I know that the school are doing what they are meant to be doing...just feel really anxious that my lovely boy might not be getting all the support that he should, and if he isn't how will I know. Really want to have a good relationship with the school (obviously this is secondary to making sure my son's needs are met) and the head seemed wonderful when we were discussing DS coming to her school but now I am feeing a bit lost and scared. Sorry I know this is a bit rambling hope that I have made sense. Any advice gratefully received.

the sen code of practice here will tell you what they should be doing. They should be doing ieps, and they should be SMART so that they can measure progress. Home school books can work well, don't worry about asking for things.

Your entitled to have a copy of the schools SEN Policy, that should specify use of IEPs. Id read the SEN code of practise too, maybe ring parent partnership for advice, they may come with you to support you in meetings...ours did.

Insist on a home school diary too, make sure you tell them how to use it....Ive had a few problems!

HTH...Im sure more people will b e along with advice soon.

xpost with bigcar....great minds think alike!

Don't use IEPs? Oh dear.Have you got a copy of the SEN Code of Practice?
Ask the SENCo exactly why they don't use IEPs as there should be an IEP for every child who has been identified as having SEN and foer a statemented child it should lay out targets for meeting the child's needs identified in the statement and the strategies to be used to achieve the targets.

well I think that's a consensus on should be using ieps then

[hgrin]

Thank you so much! Did question the IEP issue but was told that they didn't use them as "they change so quickly" . Nursery were great so didn't have any of these issues to overcome. Hopefully the meeting will help resolve some of my worries.

Sorry another question - re the home school diary is this something they put together or should I provide it. Can I expect them to list what he has done throughout the day and how he has coped with it? I sort of feel like I am asking them too much but in the same respect he is my son and I have to know in order to make sure his needs are being met. DS is non-verbal so I can't ask him about what he is doing during the day. Thank you!

school should provide a home school book, it's nothing fancy, just a plain exercise book, date in margin and comments next to it. Dd3 is also non verbal, they don't write in her book every day which is fine by me. But I do know what the class is working on each half term and all the work revolves round that topic in some way or another, plus I also have a rough timetable so know roughly what they will have done. So I know what days assembly is, when they go to the library etc. She also has time away doing 1:1 work and as this is based round her iep targets and the way they will be carried out is listed on the iep so I'm also aware of what she does during this time.

It comes in handy being friends with people with dcs in the same class as they and their dcs will usually quite happily tell you what's been going on.

Hylas - aside from the other comments re IEPs and home school book, which i totally agree with, I just wondered what your feelings where as to what you think he should be doing? I ask because reception year in most schools is very play based. the first term in particular is assessing the abilities of all children. Personally I would ask what a 'normal' day for all the children consists of. Then i would ask if DS was able to access all these and if not, what they were doing about it. You may be surprised to find out how little traditional learning work they do in comparison to free flow play and socialising. I have found subsequent years harder when the play element is reduced, more sitting and attention required and frustrations in communicating their opinions effectively rear their heads.

You don't need IEPs. I hate the things.

What you DO need is SMART rolling targets based on evidence of needs. These can be weekly, monthly or termly, depending on how big the steps are. You must insist they are done and shared with you so you can support them at home.

I find IEPs are too restricting and a pita formal paperwork exercise that take far to long to set and agree, BUT they are your bargaining tool.

A home school book is important too. Outcomes for children are increased if all partners in their education are working together on shared goals. Get your own exercise book and on the first page put some headings that you'd like to be filled in for each day.

i.e. activities that day. Ones enjoyed, ones not enjoyed. Any successes. Any difficulties. One/two thing that was worked on that day related to his needs.

hth

Thank you all this advice is great.

Auntevil - you have summed up exactly what I want to know in a far better way than I could I just want to know what a normal day is, if DS's differentiates from this and if so why.

Stark/Bigcar - this is really helpful, am much clearer on what I want from the home school book. As yet we haven?t discussed targets at all...perhaps they have been wanting to get to know his abilities but like you say I want to know what they are working towards so that I can continue this at home.

Am clearer now on what I am going to ask the school for. Am on my own with DS so is great to be able to ask you clever people for advice