SENCO support?

[PeachyClair]

it's Sam's parents evening tomorrow. I have booked a double slot (she didn't seem too keen but ten minutes is way not enough).

What I need to know is, vcan I insist Sam sees a Senco? There is one, she is the other class Teacher in his year, but he never has had any SENCO based support (he did at his last school, but this headmistress said she'd be the one to decide whether he needed it).

He's not 'severe' enough for a statement (at last at school, wish there was a home version!)

He doesn't need a statement to be on the schools SN regester. The first 'level' is school action, then school action plus, and if these do not meet a childs needs they can be assessed for a statement of special educational needs. Only a small number of the children on the SN regester where I work have a statement

Do you know whether the SENCo actually does any class based support? I am a SENCo, but am also a full time teacher. My release time is to co-ordinate the subject - e.g. monitor IEPs, targets and progress, work with external agencies etc. I don't actually do any individual or group support.

Does Sam have an IEP? Do you know what level he is at e.g. School Action, School Action Plus?

Is there a Learning Assistant in the class?

Sorry, lots more questions than answers!

PC - I am not sure what is specific to each borough, but my understanding is that the SENCO is not there solely for statemented children, and in any case should be central to assessing what support any child may or may not need.
In Lambethh, there are differnt grades of support: 'school action', 'school action plus' and statement. All are suported by the SENCO. For e.g, We have had a meeting with the SENCO at the school ds wil start in January, and he has advised that he will piut ds on school action plus, so that when he needs a little extra help during his surgery years, it will be in place.

Ask for a meeting with the SENCO?

Sam as far as I am aware is not on any level of any help whatsoever. I have to frag him in crying each day yet nothing is done. There are no provisions for him, in fact absolutely no acknowledgement of his DX.

The things we want to implement (at the suggestion of BIBIC, to back up what we are doing at home) are

A visual timetable
The possibility for Sam to ask for time out when he is close to overloading (a book in the corner would be fine)
Support around a non-phonetics reading scheme we are trying

The chances of getting this are pretty minimal I believe. When I sent him to the school last June, he went with 'Dairy Free Diet' on his form. No comments were made, I assumed he was therefore getting that on school meals. Ha! Because we did not ahve a Paeds letter (note: we are only just getting to the top of the waiting list for Paeds now), they fed him what they liked.

If that is the level of support and interest I don't see what chance I have!

Sam does have issues a t school, they can't see it though. his attainment is well below his potential (about 2-3 years I guess, but he is aprticularly bright so is functioning only a year below the class level). he loses things a LOT- bags, jumpers, coats. He chooses to mix with the reception class, causing DS2 in Reception difficulties. he cannot share. He satrts fights but perceives himself as being badly bullied as he doesn't understand the interaction behind these things.

What is Sam's diagnosis, and where did it come from?

BTW - we have visual timetables in every classroom as it helps ALL children organise themselves.

Do you know if he was on the SN list at his last school? If so, and information should have been passed on to the SENCo at the new school.

Sorry PC - that message sounded really nosy. You don't need to tell me about Sam's dx. I am just interested in whether it came from the County Educational Psycholgist, Paed, Learning Support Team etc.

As others have said you don't need to have a statement before getting help from the SENCO. Ds1 is unlikely to need a statement in primary school but the school SENCO is still involved in his care. She even took the trouble to get to know him while he was still in his last weeks at pre-school.

If the Head won't agree to him seeing the SENCO then I think a letter to the governors is needed at the very least.

Sam's dx is Aspergers, it comes from the Paed in Somerset, but we now have to see a Welsh Paed to get things restarted. England and Wales are not necessarily integrated in this area.

He did have Senco support at his last school, I presume they sent everything across.

The doing things 'by the book' approach isn't necessarly the issue with the diet, it's more that they gave Sam a dary full diet for a term before telling us we needed a letter. Had he been allergic instead of intolerant, he would have perhaps been dead.

They have been aware of Sam's dx since he started but just don't seem too interested TBH. He isn't a huge problem for them, which unfortunately seems to be a bigger priority than whether he is chieving all he can. BIBIC felt he was particularly bright, yet his teacher says he is of low ability. She says he cannot do the things I know he can, but he needs a one on one approach, is shy in a crowd (eg class) and has low self confidence, presumably as a result of having difficulty making friends.

I would definitely check that they have received all the SEN info from his last school. From experience, it doesn't always come automatically and in the past, I have had to phone schools to chase it.

At the meeting with the class teacher, I would definitely go through again all the recommendations and findings from BIBIC and the Paed in Somerset. Just because the systems are different, does not make the information invalid. I think you are also entirely justified in asking to meet at a separate time with the SENCo, preferably with the class teacher present.

Let me know how you get on.

Thanks Littlefish. I will.

Can I ask which reading scheme you are using???

DS1's IEP has a target aimed at getting him to request a break. He's non-verbal and at a special school so they'll be more switched on with this sort of thing. Basically the way it works is that if he is finding something too difficult then he can request (or will be told) break- he is then taken out of the activity and allowed to sit on a chair (I think- not sure what happens then- I don't think he does an alternative acitivity of his choosing as he would probably request break all the time them ) and then he is returned to the activity after a suitable time period. I think the idea is that he is taught to take a break, but not escape things he doesn't like comletely iyswim.

I find it staggering btw that Wales isn't recongnising a dx made by a paed in Somerset! What on earth is all that about? It's hardly as if the diagnostic criteria change across the Severn Bridge.

Have you been in contact with the NAS education advocacy line/IPSEA? How are the BIBIC reports? I was able to use ours to argue for SALT specified on the statement.

Sam is struggling with phonetics and writing (he also has impaired vision.. he has a glasses prescription, but destroys them). We are teaching whole wrod recognition, plus writing words with scrabble letters so he learn all the spellings etc before he ahs to concentrate on the shape formation. Only just started it, suggested by BIBIC last week. Seems to make sense though.

Sam missed the first year of reading, as his past school didnt start until Yr1 and his current school started on day1. As he moved in June, he missed all the phonetic sounds etc.

Thanks! I'm trying to teach ds1 some whole word stuff so was interested.

Peachyclair,

Its appalling frankly that Sam is in this situation and as hard as it is you're going to have to kick up a fuss now.

The school accepted your son so they should help him with his educational needs.

He should be seeing a SENCO in any event - there is no firm support otherwise and your son is not getting any support at school at all. Small wonder therefore he cannot cope, poor chap.

I would agree with Littlefish you need to see the SENCO together with his class teacher. At the very least there should be an IEP in place.

It seems like the last school did not send all the details over (you cannot assume that they did I am sorry to say) and he's certainly not getting adequate support at this current school.

Was wondering who told you "he's not severe enough for a statement". Whoever told you this was wrong.

Unfortunately the onus is on you the parent to ask the LEA you reside in for Sam to be assessed. Have you actually applied to the LEA for a statement?. I would advise you to do this asap. Do not rely on school to do it - it needs to come from you.

IPSEA are very good in this regard and can advise generally on problems re SEN and school. Would suggest you call them and/or have a look at their website www.ipsea.org.uk.

I wish you well tomorrow. I'd have strong words with them re your son. You are his best advocate and no-one else will fight better for him.

TBH, I think it was me that assumed Sam was 'not bad enough for a atatement', though I built that up from pictures given me by paeds, etc. The thing is, although his first school couldn't coppe, this school doesn't see an issue although I feel Sam is being cheated out of achieving his possiblities. I'm a bit funny about this, because I was segregated into some sn classes (maths, sciences) at school, aced an Access Course last year and am at Uni now; DH was almost put into special school as a six year old, now designs electronic systems. We've kinda been there, almost.

Sam isn't too disruptive at school, but at home we struggle very much, and his brothers more so. I believe that putting a plan into school as well as home would enable so much more, but they only see what they see, IYKWIM. Plus, Welsh GP ? Social Services will NOT accept our English diagnosis, full stop.

I kinda assumed we would get no-one to back us for a statement?

Meerkatsunite is right. I don't know how it works in Wales, but in England, parents have the right to request that their child be considered for statutory assessment (statement). Once the LEA has received a request, as far as I remember, the school then completes a form with all results, IEP details, support currently in place and their view of the child's need. The LEA then talk to the parents, contact the school to arrange to come in, observe/work with the child, and then make a judgement about whether the child falls within the correct criteria for statutory assessment.

There is also an organisation called Parent Partnership who you might find it useful to contact.

Parent Partnership

Peachyclair,

If you were given the impression by various professionals over the years that Sam was not "severe" enough to warrant a statement then it is not altogether surprising you've come to think that way too.

I would apply to your LEA for Sam to be assessed with a view to getting a statement regardless of what's happened previously. The facts are he's in school without any real support to speak of and you feel he's being cheated.

AFAIK the same system applies to both England and Wales.

Your Welsh GP who will not accept this diagnosis from a paediatrician is frankly hopeless and I would look into changing GPs.

You're being fobbed off big time Peachyclair and the one whose going to be most affected by school's inaction is your son and by turn your family's home life.

I would urge you to contact both Parent Partnership (as Littlefish suggests) and IPSEA. These people have clout and are designed to help families get their children the educational help they deserve.

I wish you well with the Parents evening tonight.

Peachyclair,

BTW many years ago (back in the 70s) I was regarded as "educationally subnormal" (a lovely term NOT)and got put back a year in Infants so have some idea as to what you mean as regards your first paragraph.

At the meeting, we were told that they weren't sure Sam had AS, and if he did he's very mild really, so no SENCO.

Sam IS mild at school he brings the problems home.

She can't implement a visual timtable, because she didn't know what it was and didn't understand our description.

Don't they teach what they are at training school? She's not far qualified, about 25 I'd guess?

She did raise issues of concern (inc a violence incident that was quite severe and Sam attacked a girl in his class) that were all linked with Aspergers, but I don't think she actually knows what it is.

Peachyclair,

TBH this school and his teacher seemingly have no understanding of your son full stop.

Even I have some ideas what a visual timetable is and does and I'm not even a teacher!!!.

You are being fobbed off and the end result of all this inaction is that your son suffers and by turn yourselves also.

She doesn't know what a visual timetable is? Was this the SENCO that said this? The SENCO should know and if she didn't need to know it before she does now so she had better find out how to do one.

No, it wasn't the Senco, class teacher. They do have another Aspergers child, a girl, in the school who is in the Senco's class (they acknowledge that) and they had our childminders son, but refused to acknowledge him.

Anyone know the correst procedure for violent incidents btw? Apparently, Sam attacked this girl before half term (which was 2 weeks ago), parents raised it after half term and she was still badly marked. raised only casually last night.

Sam has been there 1 term. It took 2 terms before first school realised he had issues (he takes time to settle in enough to display his behaviours) then they rapidly couldn't cope, he was nigh on being excluded breaks and lunchtimes.
He nearly put one kid in hospital, the parents were raing a petition to get rid of him altogether and on two incidents he has put our youngest into casualty, nrear suffocated him on another, has strangled middles on enough to bruise twice, and set fire to his bedroom once after stealing matches in town.

Dh is tempted to sit back and watch the situation at school implode on them.