What would you do if your head was lying?

[benito]

We have a very difficult head who is pumped up with pride at her own 'outstandingness'.

Yet, she is a liar. She as badly let down my son by never putting in place the help all experts said he needed and having to be persuaded forced every step of the way to take action - SA, SA+, Stat Ass.

I have had a serious falling out with her this week over her reprehensible response to receiving DS's finalised statement.

She has absolutely no clue about equality and inclusion duties - all optional extras to her - and I think she believes SEN help is something which she provides when it helps her SATS averages.

I've been pursuing her for disability policies for the last year and she hasn't had any in place. I asked again yesterday and I've been provided with something which is clearly backdated and has been put together to cover her arse.

There is a statutory obligation on schools to have a disability equality scheme. It is not just a policy but a process of engagement and involvement. There are also duties to file annual reports with GOvs and report to parents.

The fact that she's cobbled together this policy is undermined by the complete absence of any engagement with any disabled parents/cildren since we've been at the school and the lack of any reporting to parents.

What can you do when a head lies like this? I know I can go to the Gov Body but they are insipid little pet dogs and I'd get no joy there.

I just think if she'd done her job and implemented one of these schemes, and respected non-discrimination obligations, my son's life would not have been so crap over the last three years!

OMG - only 1 school in a 5 mile radius has over 20%. They're all single digit.

"Parents see SEN kids as holding back their own"

That is certainly the case where my ds was.

As for over 20% SEN children, thats a REALLY important fact. I have a friend who is an OFSTED inspector. She has given me a lot of support over the last 6 months. She says when they inspect they are suspicious of any school that has significantly less that 20% with SEN because it either means that they don't identify them, they push them out, or both.

At the old school my ds was at there was just him and one other child. That was it. I should have twigged it when we were originally choosing schools but it never occured to me.

Oooh, I have a friend who is an Ofsted Inspector too!

That's a lesson learnt isn't it? I do remember some horrible woman I met before the kids went to school who moaned about a school she'd seen and liked when she found out there were 'too many' kids on the SEN register. Her argument was that her little precious wouldn't get enough attention.

I was so naive - I didn't even know people could look that stuff up or would want to.

I knew this school was too 'corporate' and I was right.

But what are Ofsted playing at with these schools? As long as the paperwork is ok, they're fine.

My old school, which was very bad with SEN has 16% kids on the SEN register - my new school which I am far happier with has 30% - and the school with the best results has 36%! (But it's Catholic and I'm not....)

So yes, less than 20% is very suspicious....

Well, you live and learn don't you, you really do!

It confirms what I think about this poxy town anyway.

Anyone got any recommendations for good schools in SW area - Hants, Wilts, Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall. We're prepared to consider anywhere.

PM me if you have!!

Benito - the schools near you all having such low levels of SEN - have you added both columns together?the school action column and the school action+ / statemented column? It's both those columns together which should be at least 20%.

Benito - we lived in a very similar area and came to the conclusion that the schools where we lived were really poor at inclusion. We ended up moving 70 miles ( having spent 2 years searching). We had to be on a commuter lime to London for my husband which restricted our search. We moved further out but my husband gets a seat! The pace of life is slower and we feel like we've gone back in time by 50 years (but in a nice way!). My DD's differences don't matter to the other children or the parents. If you can - go for it!

Benito - will Pm you- just working out how!

Thanks newlife4us have just replied!

Indigo, no I wasn't adding the two. Our school is still only 16% though.

I've been gutted going in this morning. DS is ok about it, but I know he deserves better.

DH is worried about me just HE them until we find a school as it might take a while and he's worried we won't get DS1 back.

But I hate that place now. I can't stand their lying and willingness to just let down DS1 and yet their self-centred smugness about themselves. Or their feeling of being hard done to when you raise things they should be doing - by law!

I am sick of feeling like this. DS1 is coping as he is doing half days. I'm assuming that the school/LA will want him in full-time once the statement is in place. DS2 moans about it every day.

I need this crap to stop.

Home Edding sounds like a good solution to me

Maybe have a bit of a poke round the HE board for inspiration of how successful it can be.

We could do that until your school opens!

There's a timely thread elsewhere on MN asking Do you Know How recognisable some of you are on here?

All I'm saying is you have been quite detailed including the general area in which you live, plus the school system in your area...added to which you have called your schools head a liar as well as other damning comments,and stated that inclusivity and middle class are mutually exclusive where you live.

That's pretty strong stuff, and whilst you may be feeling very upset with the situation -is that really an excuse to call someone (who has no right of response here) a liar?

Oh wow!! I have just read this thread and gone on the league tables to find out the % of SN at Dd3's school it is 13%.

I think it really is time to consider a move.

And one round the corner is only 3.4% now that is scary.

Hi benito

I know exactly where you are coming from, I joined a committee set up by my sons old secondary school to develop a Disability Equality Duty (DED) policy. under the last government all public service providers including school have to have a DED policy in place by 2007 / 2008. This was part of the Disability Discrimination Acts especially the 2005 Act.

I was the so called "disabled parent" on the committee. The DED policies are supposed to recognise the disabilities of all who use the school facilities children parents, teachers staff, and visiting clubs etc. The definition of disability used to be on the old Teachernet web site, which the new government says may not represent the policies of the new government. Disabilities cost money to support.

Many Schools which prefer to improve their academic performace results do so at the expense of SEN provision. And the so called high achieving school tend to have a lower than average SEN population, as i found out when on this committee. The National Average is 20%, my sons high performing school has 7%
I did ask about what happened to the other 13% and then the committee meetings stopped.
To me is sounded like corruption in the secondary school selection procedures, especially as a so called low achieving school in the area had a 35% SEN population.

our youngest son has just started secondary school, a different one to his older brothers, and he is receiving a much better level of SEN support than his elder brothers ever got from the so called high achieving school, and he is making much better progress.