Adequate Progress - WTF

[IndigoBell]

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.

:(

oh ffs re: paed. I'd complain to PALS. not his decision to make. gp thoguht appropriate to refer on, she should have been seen (and then dismissed or not, as the case may be)

I see your point re: EP, but honestly it shouldn't make a difference at this point.

you write off for SA, and then the LEA have 6 weeks to respond to whetehr they are going to assess or not. your EP report shold be with you before the LEA has even decided whether to assess your dd or not.

after that decision (assuming yes), they send out forms which oyu have another 6 weeks to fill in. you can put down anyone you want consulted at this point on the forms. LEA have 6 weeks also to carry our their investigations. ime, the EP is consulted right at the end of this 6 weeks (ie 12 weeks form now, if you were to apply today, and if everythign went smoothly) - mostly so that the process can be delayed due to reports not in etc.

again, ime, the departments tend not to speak to each other much. our EP decided he wasn't going to reassess dd1 for SA. instead, he woudl rely on an informal observation he had made 4 months earlier. when I rang up my case officer about it, she was very surprised to learn this, and said she woudl speak to him. I had an appt made within 24 hours

Hi Indigo
We went down the paed route cos I feared local camhs would think mil's illness caused ds1's issues (it didn't help, but wasn't the main point).

But the camhs in the next borough along are truly excellent at diagnosing adhd, asd, mld, sld and pretty much every neuropsychiatric ailment (it's the same trust but a different team).

The trick is to be seen by a camhs 'psychiatry consultant' doctor not a camhs 'specialist' ie a social worker. Your GP can write requesting a medical / tier 3 opinion. Whilst camhs can refuse to give this, they're then on thin ice if your dd is misdiagnosed.

hth

Meaning of sub levels

a ? represents strong level;
b ? represents sound level;
c ? represents a weak level.

So they should be able to show/tell you how they have assessed that she has made progress and in what areas.

Where was she weak in Sept and how do they define 'sound' now?

Is this progress constant or is it something she achieved only once; on her own or with support?

If they are doing their assessments properly then surely they should be willing to give you this info.

Read around on TES assessment forum and it doesn't take you long to work out that assessing is a pain in the a* for teachers.

Essentailly sub levels are highly subjective; so what can/does she do that meets level 1 criteria?

nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/primary/assessment

at your pead, I'd write a letter of complaint.

We had this with DS the doctor didn't want to refer because it had to come from school. Dr also said she'd worked with Dyspraxic children and she didn't think DS had it. Pushed for appointment with paed, diagnosed with Dyspraxia.

It's a blocking strategy - push you from pillar to post, then before you know it your Dcs through the ed system, and the state has has to put in no extra support or funding.

Christ I'm cynical.

I dunno what to do.

The meeting has helped a bit. She now appears to actually be getting all of the support she was promised last term. The headteacher even went to the trouble of Reading with DD herself. I think her teacher feels in the spotlight and is starting to 'up her game'. So that at least is a start.

Via all the level stuff. I honestly think she is, and always was, a level 1b. So I think both the 1a and the 1c assesment were wrong. I'm happy with their evidence that she's a 1b now.

I wrote up the minutes of the meeting, complete with loads of action points, and telling them I was applying for a statement yesterday. I feel at least now I have a decent paper trail for our next meeting.

About the ADD assesment. She can be seen be CAMHS and the can dx ADHD - but only if she displays the symptoms at school as well as home.

Maybenext term when she's still a 1b and I'm still demanding they prove to me she's making practice they might see more issues....

Indigo - you remind me of myself. Always hoping that things will be better/will improve, the school are taking note, they are doing x,y,z. They don't.

I've learnt the school(s) are never on your side or your childs. As Spinkle pretty much said in your last thread unless the child will attain the necessary levels with support, intervention is not really in the schools interest.

Go for the statement on today's practice not on what may happen tomorrow. If your DS doesn't get the support prior to leaving primary, you are going to struggle to get anything in place at secondary.

I'm certainly in a strong position now to apply for a statement - as she has definitely made no progress for a year.

The danger of waiting a term is she might make it to a level 1a - and then I'll be in a weaker position.

So yes - I'll do it. But I will wait for the EP report - because it might affect the wording of my application, and that will also give school time to reply to yesterday's email.

I'm expecting EP report this week, or early next week. So I guess if I haven't received it by Wed then I'll submit anyway! :)

(Kick me up backside if I don't do so )

If your DS doesn't get the support prior to leaving primary, you are going to struggle to get anything in place at secondary. - There is no way I am sending DD to secondary school if she is as bad as she is now. If she will obviously be in the bottom stream I will not be sending her to secondary school. In fact I give them to end of next year (Y4). If she has not caught up to the minimum expected level (a 3c) by then - I will be removing her from the school system totally.

The danger of waiting a term is she might make it to a level 1a - and then I'll be in a weaker position.

Why? If she has moved from a 1b to 1a in the space of a year then it is still very little progress.

Don't get hung up on sub-levels. They are subjective; what may be classed as a piece of work warranting a 1c by one teacher may attain a 1a by another. Or 1a by one, is a 2c by another, even in the same school.

As I understand it, it will also depend on what strands they are marking the work against, for example using AF1 & 3 the child may attain x level but marking against AF 1, 5 and 6 they may attain a level y, one may show more progress than the other, which is why assessment shouldn't be based on only one or two pieces of work, but should be cumulative.

Indigo: if the school Connors questionnaire doesn't show her problems, you can get another setting to do it. Childminder, swimming coach, brownie leader, sunday school teacher etc.

Maria - thanks.

I've decided not to concentrate on getting a dx - but just assume she's got it and do all the things I would do as if she had a dx.

So we've started Omega Fish Oil, Reflexology and Retained Reflexes Therapy.

If they don't work, and we're still in this position in 6 months, then I'll start pushing for a dx again....