school's use of statemented LSA hours

[PolarEyes]

DS1 has a statement, 25hrs lsa support (inc 5 from the school's own budget)

I am having a lot of issues with the school so composing a letter. DS1 isn't supported at breaktimes and lunchtime which totals 1hr 25 mins. So that should mean he has adequate hours for the rest of the time. But his lsa doesn't start til 9.15am so he is unsupported between 8.45 and 9.15. Now I totally understand the LSA must have a break herself, but should the school be making other provision?

They are applying for an extra 3 hours a week so his LSA can start at 8.45am to take him to the gym club that runs til 9am, but I am not really seeing the need for extra hours.

[purplepidjin]

" Also another one she said "not good to have an adult glued to him all the time"."

A decent TA (speaking from experience) doesn't do this. And school should bloody well know that - or bother to train their TA's properly.

Sorry, I mean that I have TA experience not that I'm any good. But I have tried my best to build up good relationships, with my 1:1s, key students and students i have worked closely with. And been successful at it without sitting on them where it wasn't necessary.

Oh, and been slated by class teachers, heads and Senco's for backing off when the student is working independently... Thank F I'm back in the private sector as of Monday!

[StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou]

How long ago? You have the right to 'reflect' and you can say that you signed reluctantly as you were told to, but since then you have come across 8.39 of the CoP and wish it to be known that you were not consulted, nor do you agree with them.

The review doesn't match the press release. It says that basically the majority of schools don't have a clue how to deploy their staff to get the best outcomes from the kids.

[PolarEyes]

purple - the 2 things that are keeping me from withdrawing DS1 from this school are that 1) he has made a friend and 2) his TAs. They are fab with him and I know when they have been present for an outside agency to observe, the outside person has nothing but praise for them (and in fact steals ideas to share with other schools).

You sound great, especially using your free time to help a parent like me. It is a shame the state system will lose such a valuable TA but totally understand why you would want to move on from it.

Star, meeting was on Thurs just gone. Will add the SENCOP into letter, thanks. LSAs are great at his school, just a shame DS1 isn't getting the hours he is supposed to!

[PolarEyes]

the Ofsted SEN review file keeps coming up "corrupt" on my laptop. ain't that the truth.

[purplepidjin]

Aw, thanks Polar It's a shame they fckd me about so much but that's a whole new thread, and not one about mums lol

My DP has a 5yo niece with ASD, so I'm now learning to relate to her as a relative, not a student. Reading threads on here is good practice, it's not as easy as it sounds as I'm not really used to kids I'm not working with!

I'm so glad you have good TA's. I've met some truly dedicated people, but an awful lot more that see it as an easy ride, or a way to get the JSA folk off their backs.

Totally agree about the OfSted file ;)

[Spinkle]

Reading this thread disappoints me a bit. My DS (6, ASD) is supposed to get full time TA support. I don't think he does. I think his hours merely covers an extra person in the room. I know this happens. I think they count on the fact DS cannot tell me what has been going on means they 'get away' with it.

I am now programming him (oh, how he loves a rule) to ensure he asks for help all the time. Of course, I want to encourage autonomy and independence from him but I think they need training first

But then again, this is the same school who regarded his behaviour as 'naughty' for a year until they got the ASD diagnosis...They know I'm on to them though

[keepyourmouthshutox]

I know that my ds did not get the full 25 hours support but could not prove it. He only started getting all the hours and more when he became a danger to other children.

It is so difficult to check what the school is doing and of course it is very tempting to get the TA to take care of a group of children, even if it means my ds could not understand really what is going on, as the class was short of a TA for a couple of months.

Of course now that I have started being 'difficult', I think his TA's time is more thoughtfully utitlized.

[PolarEyes]

See DS1's school have been quite blatant in telling me he doesn't have any TA support first thing or at breaks and is thus short of 30 mins a day. Obviously they must think I am as silly as I look!

It is so hard when you are expected to trust them - the SENCo said she would let me know if something "really bad happened" wrt his behaviour. Apparently him having to be physically removed from PE is not really bad.

I thought getting the statement would be the biggest battle (which actually went smoothly) but it seems getting the contents of it enforced is way harder as it is almost impossible to prove what is going on in the classroom.

[StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou]

Spinkle I don't think there is anything you can do about making the TA your own child's exclusive help. Even when it is in the statement.

However, you can demand an IEP that ensures he gets quite a bit, and some other things.

Frequency to practise certain small interactions/skill will ensure this. i.e. to get the skill asap, ds will have to be given the opportunity to practise every 5-10 minutes throughout the day etc. Also, something like 'reduced stimming - ta will count no. of times stimming and for how long each time and reduce it over the half term' means the TA has to be pretty on top of ds etc.

BUT as angry as it makes us (especially when it has cost us financially to take the LA to tribunal to get it) schools do use specific TAs for other children who have emerging problems that they haven't got help for because it is cheaper, as well as general classroom things. They think they are being efficient with resources.

Just make sure you have the most challenging IEP targets and that can help a bit.

[Lougle]

I think it is worth noting as well, that many, many children have statements that read 'x hours 1:1' to the parents, because that is what their child needs, and what they thought they were getting, but in actual practice read 'x hours TA support delivered in 1:1, small groups, blah blah as deemed necessary'.

That means that 4 or even 5 children who all have 25 hours 'TA support' can be shared in a group by 1 TA, because it is a 'small group'. It doesn't matter that between them their statements amass 100-125 hours, the wording allows them to all share the same 25 hours.

[PolarEyes]

Handed in my letter this morning querying the misuse of hours and a whole bunch of other stuff. SENCo not in til later this week though I did copies to the Head and Class Teacher so not sure whether I am going to get nabbed at pick up time. I feel a bit sick.

DS1 doesn't need exclusive use of a TA so I am fine with small groups etc but when the TA isn't in the room, a professional who went into observe said the teacher's pace was too fast for him and he didn't get he was supposed to be joining in with things. So when they were doing a physical activity with the teacher calling out "stretch" "bend" etc he just watched on bemused. When she was doing fast number counting up and down, despite being solid on numbers it was apparently obvious he was struggling to keep up. Interestingly, she also commented that she has a boy on her caseload with similiar difficulties as DS1 who is well supported and included just by the Teacher (no TA at all).

Think I have gone waaay off-topic there - apols for brain-dump.

[PolarEyes]

Well I got a letter in the post yesterday from the senco. My comments have been noted and will be discussed at the TAC meeting at the end of the month. I am not too happy but not surprised either; will just have to make sure the minutes show each and every point of my letter and the outcome.

another snag is dh agrees with school that DS1 shouldn't be in the christmas play (we did both initially agree as he is a bit phobic of dressing up, but having mulled it over with various people I am now of the camp he should be given the opportunity - dh thinks ds1 will only end up distressed, I argue that he has to to many things in the school day that are hard for him and he isn't excused from them). Will have to try and resolve this one between us before the meeting.