Where do i stand (dd2 not having 1:1 for an hour)?

[Marne]

Dd2 started MS school on half days in september, she has a statement which says whilst on half days she will have 2.5 hours support and when on full days 5.5 hours support (this support can be 1:1 or in a small group). I was not happy about this as i wanted dd2 to have full 1:1 (just her and a TA) so the school promised me she would have full 1:1, they applied for extra funding which was granted. Dd2 has had a 1:1 every day since she started (for the whole morning) apart from 1 day when her TA was ill.

As from the 1st nov dd2 will be staying for lunch and going home at 1pm (until x-mas), now the school are saying that her TA will be going home at 12am so dd2 will have an hour without any extra support. DD2 will be without support for luch time and play time (the time she's more likely to get out of the school or eat something she shouldn't). The SENCO said 'oh well, her statement only says 2.5 hours and we will keep an eye on her for that extra hour' .

I know its my fault for not trying to get the statement changed to 'full 1:1' (and i feel guilty), i trusted the school and over all they have been great with dd2. Should i trust them to keep an eye on her in the extra hour she is there? or do i fight to try and get her exta support for the exta hour?

I'm guessing i will just have to see how it goes ?

Cannot advise as only you know how important it is to have constant 1:1.

However, my DS also had constant 1:1, albeit much later in his education, and although it was the only way he was able to continue in education at that time the presence of a 1:1 support worker was actually a barrier to him making friendships etc. I have always tried to wean him off support when possible as he can become over-reliant.

Perhaps theone hourwothout could be an opportunity for your DD to try to 'go it alone', but only if she knew where to call upon help if she needed it?

As I said, only you know how important it is for her. Just thought I'd share my own personal experience.

Thanks wetAugust, the teacher said it will give them a good idea how she will cope without 1:1. I don't want her to have full 1:1 forever and i hope in a year or so she will be able to cope without the 1:1. At the moment i feel she needs someone watching her all day as she runs off and tends to eat everything in sight. Lunch time could be tricky as dd2 will pinch other childrens food and wont sit still but i guess the school will soon find that out and find a way of dealing with it.

How vulnerable is your child? My ds was bullied at breaks etc. Although it is true that they should not be overreliant on 1 to 1 support, you caould still have one who is not too intrusive. In fact, now ds has 1 to 1 at playtime again and I have suggested that the opportunity should be used to teach him how to play with other children/playground games if he shows any interest. Otherwise they shadow from a distance.

Marne SOrry, but I'm not sure you will win that fight unless you request a statement review and then threaten to appeal it if the additional hour is not put in.

You could offer to do the covering yourself, or pay someone to, or you could start recording 'incidents' that you can link directly back to the fact that she doesn't have that one hour. i.e. if she starts wetting the bed, or not eating dinner, or cries on the lunch club days, or you requested that she was taken to the toilet during that time which obviously hasn't happened due to an accident on the way home etc etc.

That will give you the evidence.

Unfortunately provision is rarely won unless you have had the luxury of failure.

And FGS, don't feel guilty for anything you have or haven't done. You have ALWAYS acted in good faith and made the BEST decisions you can in face of the information you have for your dd.

I don't entirely agree with WetAugust that 1:1 causes reliance. My battle has always been to secure a 1:1 who is there 100% for ds, but he is not aware that she is iyswim.

I see the 1:1's role as one of facilitating peer interaction and learning, rather than playmate and prop.

BUT, to be fair, given most TA's training and recent research it is very rare indeed to find a 1:1 with these skills, and certainly in ds' preschool, after battling for 1:1 support I found her more of a hinderance to his progress than helpful.

In my experience lunchtime can be the worst time.I used to take my DS home because the lack of structure, noise, risk of being pushed about (accidentally as often as not) is greater.
If I were you I would press for a named adult to be specifically looking out for your DC. They don't need to be glued to her side, just shadowing and ready to intervene if necessary.
Lunchtime supervisors have a tough job keeping up with all the sore knees, arguments, lonely children, clingy children etc.

I don't think dd2 will even sit in the lunch hall , she cant handle assembelly in the hall and i'm sure lunch time in the hall will be to noisy for her, this will meen she will have to sit in another room which will require a teacher/ta sitting with her. Her 1:1 shadows her at break times (is not glued to her, just watching her) unless dd2 wants her to be with her.

It depends, w doethe statement ACTUALLY say, if the statement doesn't specify that the hours MUST be used to support lesson time then they should be able to use the hours when she most needs them.
Is it that there are not enough hours on the statement or that the schoola r enot using them wisely?

I would imagine that lunch time and break are potentially the most chaotic times of day for her. I think they need to specify what 'keeping an eye on her' actually means.

I would be concerned that this would mean 'If it looks like things are kicking off, obviously we will have no choice but to deal with it' or 'We will let her stay for lunch and break until it becomes obvious that she can't cope and then you will have to collect her'.

If on the other hand it means that a named adult will be shadowing her and perhaps some other children, I would be more confident.

The statement says 'to use the support when she needs them', i would be happy for her not to have 1:1 whilst they are doing play in the classroom (sandplay etc..) as she is safer in class, the problem is her 1:1 (TA) will only work 9-12am, i'm not sure if she will extent her hours when dd2 is full time or if they will get another TA to cover the afternoons.

Sorry you are going through this, it's not really acceptable.

They need to fit the staff to meet your dd's needs not the other way around, she is not going to stop needing support because the TA goes home at 12
Yep, school need to do some staff juggling. It may mean your dd will have a couple of TA working with her, can be a good thing in case of sickness or holiday etc.

"They need to fit the staff to meet your dd's needs not the other way around". Yes I agree.