is this discriminatio??

[reahead]

Sorry if you,v read this I posted it on SEN site before realising this site is educational!!

Our local primary school are offering after school booster classes for the year 6 children they think with extra support reach a level 5. However other children that the school feel even wit6h extra support will not recieve a level 5 are denied this opportunity.

Are these children not allowed the opportunity to improve thier attainment from thier starting point even though may not recieve a level 5? despite the fact they may however improve.

Seems to me the school have done this to reflect well when these results are published. The children not predicted to recieve a level 5 are mainly special educational needs so why are they not being given an equal opportunity along with their peers to improve thier attainment?

That is a bit unusual - normally it is for children who the school thinks might get a level 4 with extra support, but won't without it. However, I wouldn't say it is discriminatory - or at least no more so than offering booster groups to the lowest achieving children - which pretty much all schools do.

I would say this is poor, as it's not equal opportunities. My son was given a level 4 teachers assesment in primary,(no sats here in Wales). He was stuck on a special needs table for all of his primary years due to dyslexia, he has had to fight his way up the sets in secondary. Now top of set 2 in Maths,and it's looking good for set 1. Giving equal opportunities allows those who at least want to try a chance, and those children who are sidelined to come forward.

Thanks for your replies. School offer some catch up groups for some children that are risk of falling behind or in need of extra support when other children attend assembly. It isn't to achieve a specific level, just impove. However my son is statemented, no diagnosis but I believe APD and he isn't a candidate for these groups either as he is significantly behind his peers and deemed unsuitable.

Was just wondering really if a child is labelled as special needs are our schools expectation of thier attainment aimed to low.

Schools need results to get a decent ofsted.I teach at a school where we recently got good on a lot of categories but got sastisfactory overall as the sats results were not good enough.

Hence, the school focusses on the 'target' group ie.those just below the acquired level in order for them to obtain the level, therefore sats results go up, and hey presto you get a good ofsted.

My school had funding for after school 1-1 tuition(teachers werent doing it unpaid-30pounds an hour) for those just below the level.I heard one mum ask another teacher for her son to have tuition.She was turned down.Obviously the real reason was not given which was that her son's level was too low to be considered.
I personally feel it is terrible that these children are not being offered the same opportunities just because they may not reach a certain level.As you said, they can still improve.

Since having my own son with autism my view of the whole educational system has changed I must say.