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Original poster

Adequate Progress - WTF

35 replies

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 16:57

Grrrrr........Grrrr.................

Just had DDs IEP meeting. I said I was very unhappy with her progress - I could not see that she had improved at all this year (or last). School of course said they were pleased with her progress (although the EP report said her progress was 'dissapointing')

So, I asked was she targeted to make 2 sub levels of progress, and was she on track to make them...

Well, turns out, that although end of last year I was told she was a 1a, they evaluated her in Sep as a 1C - she's making 'good progress' because she is on track to be a 1a by the end of this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bastards. They can play any games they want to :( She's in Year 3, so just moved up to aa junior school - so I can't do anything bout 'why she was a 1a in July and only a 1c in Sep'

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I hate the whole fucking lot of them.

And of course they can't give her any extra help because they are already doing everything they can for her.

OP posts:

HelensMelons · 24/01/2011 17:14

What are you going to do, is there anything?

My dd3 is apparently making progress as she has done one written homework that was legible.

Anyway,your situation sounds totally unsatisfactory?

Original poster

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 17:20

DDs homework is all unreadable because her spelling is so bad. She had obviuosly read it to her teacher, because the teacher had written what DD had meant to write all over it.

So I asked DD 'Did you read your homework out to teacher?' and she said 'Yes. But I don't know why - the teacher is meant to be a good reader'

EP report puts her 'core abilities' (cognitive ability?) in the 80th percentile - i.e. well above average.

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TotalChaos · 24/01/2011 17:27

Is this all verbal re levels or did they put anything down in writing? Sympathies, i wld be v unhappy with this situation

Original poster

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 17:37

I have last year as a 1a last year, but don't have it in writing that she is a 1c this year.

I am so powerless. I've already moved school. She is already under the SpLD team. There is nothing else I can do.

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rebl · 24/01/2011 18:14

I'm sorry, the whole system is crap. I'm in a mood tonight as well. I have to say I laughed at your dd's comment of the teacher is meant to be a good reader. I like that .

I don't have any advice I'm afraid, just support you.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2011 18:39

IEP is known on here as Individual Empty Promise.

What exactly is this school doing for your DD currently?.

Maybe a Statement application, if there is not one of these already in place, will put a rocket up their backside.

Original poster

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 18:45

I think I am going to apply for a statement. I'll ring ipsea tomorrow.

Thing is she has only been at this school 1 term - and they can 'prove' she is making 'adequate progress'.

What are school doing? Well currently she gets an hour a day small group phonics class, and a TA reads with her every day, and she is in a spelling group once a week, and a maths group once a week.

They say not only is there no more time in the day to do extra work with her, but they don't know what they would do with her if they could find time and teacher....

And the EP has no recommendations for them either....

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c0rn5i1k123 · 24/01/2011 18:47

how are they measuring her progress?

tryingtokeepintune · 24/01/2011 19:07

Is your EP employed by LA or a pte EP?

We paid for a private EP who looked through her records and then wrote a report that said ds was making limited response and then set out a list of recommendations eg. what lerning environment was best, etc. Perhaps that is the way to go?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2011 19:07

IPSEA's website is www.ipsea.org.uk. There is a model letter you can use to the LEA on their website.

They can be a right royal pain to get hold of on the phone. You may want to also or instead phone SOS;SEN.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2011 19:09

SOSSEN's phone number is 020 8538 3731

Original poster

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 19:20

It's a LEA EP, not private. And he has said her progress is disappointing - but he has no recommendations because he thinks school are already doing everything they should.

I refuse to pay hundreds of pounds for a private EP to tell me what I already know and to recommend 'coping strategies' and multi sensory learning' and all the other bollox.

I can get those recommendations for free on MN.

She will never qualify for a statement - but I will apply anyway.

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AttilaTheMeerkat · 24/01/2011 20:46

"She will never qualify for a statement - but I will apply anyway"

Good re applying for a statement. BTW do not assume she will never qualify for a statement because that is defeatist. You can and should appeal if the LEA say no.

Minx179 · 24/01/2011 21:52

Indigo - You might find some help here www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/tests_measurements.html

Working at the 80th percentile in one area, means nothing. What about the other areas?

What are school doing? Well currently she gets an hour a day small group phonics class, and a TA reads with her every day, and she is in a spelling group once a week, and a maths group once a week.

For what it's worth I don't think your daughter is getting the support she needs in school. She's there for 25 hours a week, you appear to be saying she is only getting approx 7 hours of additional support each week. Why do they not feel it is worth putting in a further 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours?

How many other children in her class are working at the same level as your DS?

Can they physically show you the progress she has made between Sep and now? How much of this progress is down to supported work and how much is down to her working on her own?

Why don't the school feel they can meet her needs?

If they can't meet her needs from within the school budget/resources then realistically shouldn't they be looking at a statement?

Don't believe she will never qualify for a statement.

Good luck

Original poster

IndigoBell · 24/01/2011 22:46

Minx - school say they are meeting her needs and she is making progress - because they assessed her at a 1c in sep and are saying she is a 1b now.

Thing is I was told she was a 1c end of year 1 and a 1b in march last year.

So, yes I desperately want her to have more 1:1.

I am going to email school tomorrow and tell them I'm applying for a statement because she has been on school action plus for a year and in that time she has not made any progress at all.

I have just been drafting my letter to school now.....

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Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/01/2011 07:44

Has anyone here managed to get a statement solely on the fact that their child has made no progress in a year? Without there being any other problems?

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silverfrog · 25/01/2011 08:07

the solid evidence we used for our statement (and subsequent naming of a school which the LA did not want to name) was that dd1 had made no progress for a year in her (specialised) pre-school, but had made lots of progress at home.

not quite the same thing, I suppose.

is there anything which you know she can do, but that the school are failing ot get ehr to do? where she is better at home/brownies/the swimming pool - proof that it is the school that is failing her, in other words?

we did have to contend with lots of "well, children are different across different settings, and naturally she is more comfortable at home" type shit, but that is mostly bluster. the main thrust of our argument was that it was only school which was failing to meet her needs (not that she doesn't have issues still, clearly), and that if she was elsewhere, she was making good progress.

silverfrog · 25/01/2011 08:10

oh, btw, the specialist pre-school kept saying "adequate progress" too.

based on social factors, mainly, like the fact she wasn't being disruptive in class, or that she was starting to use the play equipment.

we argued that while this was important, it was not the be all and end all, and that school was supposed to be about education (whilst obviously also relaxed and enjoyable).

the crux of it came when we could prove things that they didn't even know dd1 knew, despite covering the same topics at school (very basic, alphabet/number recognition etc)

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/01/2011 09:49

No, she isn't making progress elsewhere. She can't do stuff at home but not at school.

My whole argument is that she has made no progress at school despite receiving significant amounts of support.

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silverfrog · 25/01/2011 10:07

was thinking about this n the school run -

I htink your lac of dx should be a plus point for you here.

there is no reason for the school to say "but it is to be expected that she is X levels behind due to Y"

given the lack of dx (or hint from the school that you should be seeking one), then your dd should be working within normal parameters for her age/peer group.

the lack of progress is (should be!) all you need.

we were up against the shitty thinking of "well, no-one knows what she is capable of, after all she is sevrely ASD", implication being we were deluded fools for thinking dd1 could achieve more.

wheres your dd has no reason to not be working within the normal range. obviously the same is true to some extent for all children (that we have no idea what they are capable of/where their boundaries lie), but wihtout any dx to hide behind, it owuld be harder for your school to argue that it si ok for your dd to be failing so badly.

newlife4us · 25/01/2011 10:30

Gosh this sounds familiar - lies, lies and more lies! Low grades in Sept and high in July - they've made progress! Back down in Sept back up in July - progress again! But in real terms no progress at all.

Could you speak to your GP and ask for a develomental assessment by a Community Paedoatrician - this will probably show issues on paper. Do apply for a statement.

The school won't if they're not disruptive - they're just forgotten.

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/01/2011 10:44

GP did refer her but the Paed has refused to see her :(

Actually yesterday we got a formal dx - of dyslexia. So Silver I think you're right. There's no way they can say 'because she has dyslexia she shouldn't make progress'.

I spoke to PP and they think I should go for it - although they think I should wait for the EP report which I should get this week or next week. They reckon I have about a 50/50 chance.

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silverfrog · 25/01/2011 10:48

if the EP report is due soon, then don't wait.

send your letter startign it all now. there iwll be time for the EP report to arrive.

iirc, the LA have 6 weeks ot respond to your request (god, how quickly you forget! sorry, but the info is all on IPSEA site), so no point waiting now for EP report - you are jst building in another couple of weeks delay, iywsim?

silverfrog · 25/01/2011 10:49

hang on - so your GP referred her to a paed, because of suspicions about some developmental issues, and th epaed refused? without even seeing her?

on what basis?

surely that can't be allowed?!

if they saw her and dismissed due to no concern, then that is one thing (although still clearly wrong!) but to refuse to see a patient who has been referred? I don't think that's allowed...

Original poster

IndigoBell · 25/01/2011 11:14

The paed refused to see her because I asked for her to be assessed for ADD-PI - and they said that is the role of CAMHS not them.

Which really annoyed me. ADD is not a mental health problem....

Anyway I only found out that yesterday so am still deciding what to do. School have now said they don't think she has ADD. So there is no way we'll get a dx of ADD, unless school change their mind. So I think I'll leave it.

I think I should wait for the EP report. I don't want the EP to find out I'm requesting SA and his report to suddenly change....

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