School have made me an offer ....

[Minx179]

to effectively teach DS to the test!

We've been made the offer twice verbally in the last year, but last week I was approached in writing.

The offer is to take DS out of one subject and give him three hours of one to one personalised support in one particular subject and any coursework he is behind on in other subjects.

For the previous 2.5 yrs they have tried to tell me his needs are no worse than lots of other children etc in this particular subject.

As far as I'm aware he is not behind on much coursework. Not aware how much as the school aren't telling.

I've already made my decision but what do you think? Would you accept such an offer or not?

How would he feel about it?

Would he lose the other subject completely and would he be bothered?

Is the subjcet they are going to boost for a crucial one.

Sorry loads of questions but that is what I would be asking myself if it was me.

By the way I would be seriously p....d off that the school hadn't listened to me as I am sure you are.

If it were me, it would depend on what the test is to some extent. If it is a gcse, yes, I'd grab any extra help with both hands. Would your ds be unwilling to be withdrawn from lessons?

DS isn't particularly worried about dropping the subject they have suggested. From my perspective it is annoying that having done the subject for 2 years they are now suggesting he is going to have difficulties with the exam. Though they are still predicting an E, maybe a D at a push if he sits it.

The subject to be boosted is maths, so yes it could be considered cricial. DS was predicted a D at start of KS4. I queried this with school as his KS2/3 results suggested an F. They then lowered it to an 'asperational E*'.

On all his reports DS has alledgedly reached his asperational level E, until the most recent where he attained an F.

I have spoken to school on two occasions last year as DS had said that TA has taken him into the corridor for end of unit tests and told him helped with the answers; schools response was 'anything which helps a child to succeed'.

DS has Dyscalculia among many of his labels. He has had a maths tutor since yr2 now yr11. So while he would welcome dropping the subject suggested, he wouldn't want to be effectively doing 5-6 hours of maths a week.

I'm don't feel that boosting his exam results will benefit him in the long run either, as it will help to give a false indication of his abilities if we persuade him to go onto FE.

• asperational - a level a child can attain with a lot of hard work and no intervening problems.

If you trust school to do as promised i wld accept as if they can get him up to a c that cld help in future with job/course applications

Intereesting dilema Minx - What are you going to do???????

They'll lie and cheat and lie whatever you do. Very interesting they put this offer in writing.

I have no idea what you'll do - knowing a fair bit of the back story.

I know I don't want DS or DD to get a reader / writer or extra time in KS2 SATS. (Not sure if I'll be able to object or not - but I will let them know my thoughts :) )

GCSEs won't help your DS - or rather fake GCSE results won't. He has serious problems with all things academic. And if anybody is hiring him on the basis that he has GCSE English or Maths they'll be sorely disapointed.

I think you're going to turn it down :) Why should your school look even slightly better in the league tables when they have failed your DS so badly.

zzz - we're obviously lucky DS doesn't get homework in any subject.

Total - I don't trust the school one bit - head states they have been helpful 'they let me have a look at his Educational andCurricular Records when I asked!'- in response to a letter where I had said they was some dissonance between professionalism and honesty.

One of the subjects the school now have concerns about, is one where his subject teacher stated at the start of KS4 that 'DS is not an average child, he has no latent ability in the subject, no original ideas and awful writing'. I accessed these notes 9 months after they were written.

The dept HOD (who was sharing teaching in the subject) phoned me the week after DS's teacher had written the above, to tell me DS had been moved into GCSE gp as he was doing well and would cope. Head of school reiterated the same in a letter in the same week.

Five months later I spoke to DS's teacher who highlighted the problems DS was having, he was moved back to the accredited group.

Two weeks ago same subject HOD called DS an idiot 'because at 15 he should be able to do ...[task given]'

Yet it is only now that the school are stating they have concerns . So for two years they have know and done nothing. 4 months of school left and they want to become supportive

Indigo - Not sure they had spoken to the school head before putting in the offer.

Nothing was on the table when they originally told me he wouldn't be taking the exam; pushed out of the office before we could ask too many qestions, but I presume that prior to the offer three days later that they were originally going to be happy having him sat in the lesson doing the work but not the exam.

Emailed back questioning what subjects he is behind on how they would use the time etc, what they were predicting for the subject they had withdrawn him from etc.

Email from HOD saying thank you for your email we will put him in for the exam! offer appears to have been withdrawn! no explanation!

Put a letter in yesterday, prefereable to email, so still waiting a response. Funnily enough, head didn't seem pleased to see me.

So still awaiting response.

This is only my opinion..

You don't seem to trust the school, ds doesn't really want to spend that long on maths anyway.. Yes he will need a 'c' grade for a lot of job.. However it won't help much if he is taught to test as such in the world of work.

He can resit this exam in the future... When he'll only be concentrating on that one subject.

I'd be tempted to not go with it..

I didn't want a reader for ds on his ks2 sats... School put one in anyway.. It hasn't done him any favours, but made the school look good... The school who had failed him so badly.

What maths does he actually need to learn for life? Can he read a timetable, estimate the cost of a shopping basket, understand that hire purchase deals are usually a rip-off no matter how good the numbers seem at first glance? Or will the proposed intervention give him these skills in the few months left?

If not, under no circumstances should you let the school try to pass him off as a child who can access GCSE level maths. They may not realise the implications of him appearing to be numerate when he actually needs some very intensive teaching in day to day, real life maths.

the best advice I ever got was from the private ASD expert (Professor) we consulted.

He said there was no point forcing an ASD child to struggle with a subject he had no empathy for. He said it would be uch better to encourage him in those subjects he was interested in.

We did that. Unfortunately one of the subjects he had real difficulty with was English. No problems with writing or spelling but mainly some of the GCSE questions were of the "How did Jill feel when Fred told her about..." variety. His ASD meant he didn't have a clue how Jill would have felt so couldn't express emotion or write about that - result E grade at English.

As English was a core National Cirriculum subject and as a C grade would be needed for entry to FE and HE we tutored him relentlessly in English. He retook and gained the necessary C grade. Other subjects he had no ability in e.g. French, we permitted him to drop.

I'm saying this because Maths is also a key subject where a C grade will be the entry to other courses so it's worth perservring with that even if he doesn't like it.

Focus help on where it matters most. Maths qaulification will benefit him more than Media Studies.

Maria - No he can't do the things you listed without being shown what is required first.

Wet - agree that Maths is important. Which is why DS has had a tutor in the subject for the last nine years, she has been a major influence in keeping him engaged with the subject. Schools have continually stated he has not got a problem, so he doesn't need intervention because even with help he wasn't going to help hit their targets

DS likes Maths with his tutor because she explains things. He hates maths in school because they don't explain things and they don't work at a level where children can understand and do the work (his words). I showed this to SENCO apparently 'he's very perceptive', took that to mean it's true.

He saw the LEA Ed Psych last summer who detailed the difficulties he faces in Maths/English and gave some good strategies -but school have ignored the report. Nor has it prompted them to redo his IEP which ran out in Sep 10, despite numerous requests and was probably only done to support the statement request they were forced to put in .

He said it would be much better to encourage him in those subjects he was interested in. Totally agree with him.

Unfortuantely DS has got to the stage where he would walk out of school tomorrow and not go back. He has lost interest in all his subjects, feels like he's failing everything. We have desperately tried to keep him engaged, encouraged, helped and supported him but feel we are perpetually losing.

Don't despair.

They wil get there when the support is right and they find an environment that suits them.

Mine got 3 GCSEs first time round - including the E. He repeated GCSE year in FE college and is now in the 3rd year of a Science degree.

The 2nd most valuable piece of advice ever (also from the Professor) was keep them in education as long as you can.

That's what we're doing.

Best wishes

Wet - We are desperately trying. In process of appealing Note in Lieu so we can get a 839A? in place so he can get support until 24. Though his Connexions Adviser has put one in place already, she got a bollocking for it. So not too sure it would actually remain in situ if we don't get the appeal.

It's heart warming to hear of somebody elses child who is now achieving despite the education system. Good luck to him and well done you.

Your professor talks a lot of sense.

Minx

I've never heard of a 839A

When they've agreed to assess and decide to issue a Note In Lieu it's in lieu of a Statement.

A Statement means that Connexions should remain involved with the child up to age 25. (If Connexions has not already been abolished in your area).

So it's definitely worth appealing the NIL to get a Statement.

Have you thought yet about what he will do post-16? There are some FE Colleges that specialise in ASD. They would teach him those life skills that you mentioned he lacked as well as permitting him another chance at GCSE if he needs it, or moving on to A level.

Wet - not been abolished yet, but they are having cut backs.
Meant S139A (knew I hadn't got it right). Takes over from a statement once they leave tertiary schooling. FE are funded differently so ideally he will need one to ensure the college are aware of his difficulties and the support he requires from the off.

DS is primarily Dyspraxic not ASD though he has some traits. We've three FE college's relatively local two are supposed to be good with SEN support, we've also got an agricultural/equine college nearby, variable reports of their SEN provision though.

Today he has agreed to go and look round a college for the first time, which is promising. Just hoping that when we go he'll notice the difference from school and find something that will reengage his interest in learning.

If he doesn't go to college he's seriously going to be in danger of becomming another NEET stat; don't even want to think down that route.

Thought mine had collected most pieces of paper by now but I've never come across this S139A thingy

Our local FE college offered excellent support via their in-house Learning Support Team. They sorted out all sorts of problems - brilliantly and provided additional tuition.

School is the very worst stage - if they can survive that it only gets better.

Best wishes