Advice again please...... AR/Ed Psychs/transition/statements etc etc

[mumgoingcrazy]

Hello all, I'm afraid I'm back and needing your help again.

DD2 (3.5yrs) is currently in an assessment unit at a sn school. She is due to start school next September and I would like her to go to our local mainstream school that has an excellent sn unit attached to it. Her sn teachers, all her therapists and her 1:1 at ms pre-school are all in agreement this is definately the best place for her.

She does have a statement which essentially is ok for now, but some wording needs changing. I'm planning on going to appeal after her transition review in December.

So here are my questions/issues.........

We have a new Ed Psych who has made no contact with me even though she has been copied into 2 emails with our old Ed Psych. The review is in 3 weeks, should she be making noises about meeting with us to assess her before the review?? I'm just not sure how much I should hound her given that her reports will probably carry the most weight. Should her report be in before or after the review?

I should also mention this unit has only 6 places available in September and there really isn't anywhere else remotely suitable for DD2.

Secondly, as I said earlier DD2's statement isn't worded quite right and I'm going to appeal. I know with this new paper I can now do this but wondered if this was through Sendist or whether the sn school can do it in light of all the new therapists reports?

I've spoken to the various therapists to ask what they will be recommending in their reports and the wording they will use and they assure me they will do right by DD2 which will hopefully make going to appeal a little more straight forward.

Thank you if you've read this far!!
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Hi

If you want MS then the LA should try to make that possible - the default is inclusion in MS unless there is no suitable provision in MS.

I wouldn't wait until the transition review. As you're already aware, places get taken quickly so you need to get your request in immediately.
I would write to the LA requesting that they amend her Statement Part 4 to (the school of your choice). the lA will then consult with that school to see if it can meet her needs as stated in the Statement.

The Ed Pysch should attend a Transition Review. His report and your views on suitable placement should then go to the LA - as I said before your choice should be thr first consideration.

If you aren't happy with the Statement you have then the review is your opportunity to try to get the LA to amend it, with the various therapists repsorts to back you up. If they refuse then you will have to appeal to SENDIST - that's not something a school can do for you.

I wouldn't wait for the LA - I'd be getting the Part 4 school named right now - of course the LA will say, wait for the review blah, blah but if you have your request in writing you've a stronger case if the LA drag their heels and places at your chosen school get allocated.

Best wishes

Thank you sausagemonster.

I spoke to our case officer a while back and explained I wanted DD2 to go to this unit attached to the ms school and she put her name down for the panel. The panel doesn't meet until March though and then the places will get allocated.

I've also met with the head of the sn unit and discussed DD2 and she said DD2 fits their criteria perfectly however the decision isn't down to her.

Should the Ed psych be seeing DD2 before the annual review as it's in a couple of weeks and I've not heard a thing from her?

Thanks again

Ed Pysch should certainly attend what will be a transition review as well as annual review, so one would hope they had assessed / oberserved you child prior to the meeting.

the Head of the SN unit is right - admissions to her unit will be decided by the LA.

The Panel thing is utter nonsense - all decisions about SNs are the responsibility of the LA Case officer and they know that, however they like to pretend that the decision has been taken by a panel - which it has not. The Panel may only be used in an advisiory role, the actual decision remains that of the case worker and all LA were remineded of that by the Dept of ed some time ago.

Waiting until March is ridiculous so I woudl be telling the Case worker you want a decsion now. the LA is supposed to make decisions as soon as all th information they require is available to them. They should have that. To delay for a 'panel' is unecessary.

Another reason why you should not wait until March is that the SEN Code of Practice (the SN bible that they must follow) clearly states that in a year of transition the child's Statement should be amneded by 14th Feb to show the new school the chold will be attending. Obviously, that is before the panel meeting.

So I'd be forceful with them, point out the error of their ways and , if necessary, make a formal complaint about unnecessary delay - right is on your side.

Best wishes

Thank you Thank you Thank you!!! You are helping me so much, I honestly don't know where we would be if it wasn't for mn. I've learnt so much.

Having read your post I have emailed sossen who have helped me in the past with statementing etc. I'll see what they say.

I honestly was going to wait until the March panel like a lemon.

I have also decided to email our new ed psych direct and just say where and when will you be assessing DD2 given her review is in 2 weeks.

Blimey you really have to keep on top of people, it really is a full time job.

I'm also a bit and that our case officer gets to make the decision. She is rubbish for a start, and I'm sad because I've really peed her off in the past re DD2's statement.

Thank you again, I honestly really don't know where we'd be without mn.

BIBIC and retained reflex therapy has brought DD2 on so much, more than anything ever before and I only ever found out about them through mn.

Hi

You might want to look at this letter that was sent to LAs

www.network81.org/News1.aspx

It warns LA about 'blanket policies' but the bits that will interest you are the 15 Feb date for school to be named and the very last para about Decision Making - i.e. don't hide behind panels, as panels are only advisory.

That means the LA could (and should) make a decision in your case now.

Sometimes you have to prove to them that you know your SN rights - and be prepared to battle for them.

Best wishes

Thanks again.

I've actually got a response from the Ed Psych today (slightly shocked being a Sunday) and she said provided there is enough information on DD2 at the annual review meeting, she doesn't need to see her prior to this.

Is this right?

She's never met us before.

Thanks for the letter, it's so reassuring going armed with all the facts.

SausageMonster is right in all but one area. There is no requirement for LAs to name the statement to reflect new setting by Feb 15th when transistion is from early education to primary phase:

"5:72 Thus for all children transferring between phases, except from early education settings ,
a provisional recommendation should be made in the year previous to transfer so that
parents can consider options at the same time as other parents. The child?s statement
must then be amended by 15 February of the year of transfer in the light of the
recommendations of the annual review, the parents? views and preferences and the
response to consultation by the LEA with the school or schools concerned. There will be
no need to require the annual review for such children to be brought forward since the
information from the previous review can be used. All the arrangements for a child?s
placement should therefore be completed no later than the beginning of March before
transfer. It is important for placements to be finalised as early as possible in order for any
advance arrangements relating to that placement to be made and to ensure that parents
and children feel confident and secure about the arrangements in question."

does this mean I do have to wait until the panel in March?

Thanks Lougle for pointing that out.

I better get all my facts straight before going in all guns blazing.

Thanks
x

Thnaks Lougle for pointing that out. I took transfer from early education to be a phased transfer - it seems not.

I still don't think you should be made to wait until March for this panel meeting as all the iformation will be available by the Annual Review.

Im doing this post on my phone so excuse typos etc. Thx again ladies. Ive just heard the head of sn unit i want dd to go to is attending the review. Good thing? Also the new ed psych not doing report may work in our favour as shes never met dd and others at review will recommend unit so she has to go witb it doesnt she? Wl try proper post this eve thx x

Im doing this post on my phone so excuse typos etc. Thx again ladies. Ive just heard the head of sn unit i want dd to go to is attending the review. Good thing? Also the new ed psych not doing report may work in our favour as shes never met dd and others at review will recommend unit so she has to go witb it doesnt she? Wl try proper post this eve thx x

Does sound hopeful

Fingers crossed

SALt said Ed Psych should definately assess DD2 and write a report before the annual review (bear in mind she's never met DD2). But, if her teachers, keyworkers and therapists are all recommending the unit in front of the head of the unit the Ed Psych will have to go with it surely.

or am I being too optimistic?

It's difficult to say as each LA varies in mnay things such as the weight they give to particular reports etc

But I don't see why they would have invited the Head of the Unit to the review unless there was a prospect of her obtaining a placement there.

On the other hand entry to specialist units is usually after the issue of a Statement - but your LA may be different.

I would just state quite clearly and firmly at the review that you wish your child to attend the unit and ensure that's recorded in the review documents that school sends to the LA - of which your written pratental input should defiitely be included in that bundle.

Please let us know how it turns out - always useful for future parents.

Best wishes

My written parental input??? I didn't realise I had to prepare something before the review?

DD2 is already statemented, but I assume after the review I will have to get the statement amended to incorporate the changes and also to get the unit named in part 4.

Should I be writing some sort of report on DD2 to give out at the meeting?

Sorry for being such a plank

Thanks again

I was always asked to contribute my views to the review of Statement. I'd certainly write that I wanted the Statement changed to (whatever school). That way you ensure that the LA receives your views and doesn't rely on other reports.

Thanks, I will.

Thanks for all your advise

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