School are failing ds big time, what can I do?

[sumum]

Bit of background, ds(7) year 3 has dx of ASD with ADHD medicated on equasym. dx of ASD is quite recent but had the other dx for more than a year.

Not surprisingly he has struggled at school, it has taken a lot of fighting to get him some extra help, he now has about 8 hours help a week and is on school action +.

At the last parents evening I was told he had made no progress this yeat AT ALL, he is even working in some areas below the level he was in infants
He is working at nc level 1. The class teacher wants to put him on P scales as he doesn't feel ds will make the necessary progress to keep up with his peers.

This was upsetting as I felt he was being written off and they were not really putting in any effort to educate him, so I spoke with inclusion support who said they would look into it.

Well inclusion support came yesterday and did some tests with ds and put his IQ at 121, 'well above average' so he does have the potential to keep up with his peers at school and school are just not teaching him right.

The inclusion teacher is going to talk to the class teacher to share finding and try and take things forward but what can I do?

Ds does not like going to school, I get lots of meltdowns over it and tbh this past year has been a write off, I could have just kept him home and saved the hassle.

Any ideas?

Sorry this is long and btw we live in an area that 'does not statement'

your area may say they do not statement but THEY HAVE TO!

Dont get the school to apply.......apply yourself for a statement
look at IPSEA website and then contact the school and tell them you need a copy of all IEPs and his school records and then tell them you are applying for a statement.
Start a log of EVERYTHING you are told and that is said between you and school and ask for a communication diary to be started to be filled in daily by the teacher and detailing any behaviours or issues.

It will be a long battle but you can get a statement and SHOULD have a statement.
You are going to have to take the lead in this and be your sons ambassador and voice or you will keep getting fobbed off by the school.

It does sound like your DS isn't succeeding with the provisions made under SA+ so there isn't really anywhere else to go other than getting more hours of suitable support under a statement. LAs can't just 'not do' statements. I'm sure that's what they say, anything not to have to spend money. If your DS has a fresh DX, and has made no progress in a year of 8 hours support, and has a good IQ etc, then he needs more support that is carefully tailored to his specific needs. And that is exactly what you should get with a Statement. It sounds like it'll be a battle in your LA. What are parent partnership services like? IPSEA and SOSSEN may be good places to get specialised support. Good luck, more advice coming I expect!

Your son needs a statement and he is currently being failed by school. School action plus is limited in what it can actually provide, importantly too it is not legally binding so it can also fall down. A Statement is however legally binding and will give your son far more support.

Statements are still being issued, the area in which you reside simply cannot say that they "don't statement". Absolute lies, don't fall for it. LEAs still have to issue statements although some do try and dodge their statutory responsibilities in such a manner as you have seen. Do not stand for it and make the application asap. Your son will continue to be failed otherwise.

You as well are your child's best - and only - advocate.

IPSEA's website www.ipsea.org.uk as Bonkerz has mentioned is a good place to start and I would make the statement application for your son asap rather than let school do it.

Thanks everyone, was thinking you might all say this.
I am going to ask for a meeting with head to discuss it.

Is home schooling an option?

Could you pay a private tutor to work with him during school hours?

Could you send him to school part time?

I think you have very good grounds for a statement and will probably win. But it'll take a long time and these are things you could do while you are waiting......

Also are there any alternative therapies you could try?

Tell him you're applying for a statement. Don't ask him about it.

Just a thought - the teacher may have suggested working on P scales because it would be easier to get a statement. That would take him 2 years behind average which may be the 'magic' words. Sorry if this is bullshit. Hope you get somewhere.

Thanks Indigo, the problem is we are in nottinghamshire and the policy here is family of schools funding. they keep saying ds ''is not as bad as xyz so won't get anymore funding''. they are blaming his lack of progress on behavouiral problems.

There are six kids with asd in his two year age band, so two in each class but as we know lots of kids with asd are different to each other and all six present in different ways. so I feel they can't just lump him with little 'jonny/jenny' who is doing well with their funding.

I have two other children at the school, both with additional needs, one on school action with good support and progressing great and another younger child with complex needs and masses of funding who is also doing great. So they can do, they are just not doing it for ds. My other children are looked after so I am feeling they are giving them a better service as they have to answer to social services and with ds it is only me fighting for him.

I am seriosly considering home schooling as an option but I am going tell them I will be asking for a SA unless they can pull more funding out of the hat pronto. also his class teacher is particullarly rubbish with him, the inclusion support teacher is trying to educate him, she said he was going to be 'very shocked' at the IQ results, but he has not mentioned anything to me about it so am not confident things are going to change.

It is all such a battle, I do a lot for the school (pta and such) and don't want a bad relationship with them but I am now getting beyond angry.

I think about homeschooling DD daily as school don't teach her anything.

The thing that stops me is she likes school and would view it as a punishment to be taken out, and I work so DH would have to teach her not me.

But in the end if school is failing your DS (and they certainly are) what other options do you have?

sumum..... I know the county well (I work in it!) and they make it virtually impossible to get a statement BUT if you get parent partnership involved and push and push and push...........

The school may be really struggling too..... we certainly struggle to get funding and woe betide us if a child makes progress after they've had funding..... progress means the family takes the money away!

Be a pain and push and push..........

neverput - I do understand the school are struggling, I really do, and I am sympathetic. However if my ds fails in primary he will not cope with senior and will then be destined for a life on the dole when I know he is capable and could have a job.

I don't think another school in this area is the answer because as you have pointed out nottm is known for this and all schools will be the same. I would consider moving to another nearby county if I have to but I don't really know what they are like(apart from they can't be as bad as nottm)

I would also consider private ed or home ed/tutors but I would like to see if he can get his needs met and achieve in mainstream first.

If I ask for a SA they will be forced to look at ds's provision(I think?) even if he stands no chance of getting a statement.

I know I need to be strong and stand up to the head but he is very intimidating and is not honest and is not an advocate for sn kids.

And can I ask neverput - have you put a sock in a toaster?

I have never put a sock in a toaster as far as I know...... It was something Eddie Izzard said in one of his shows and my OH will trot it out as good advice every now and then.......!

Not every school in the county struggles with SN children....... the one I work in has a great senco and the teachers try really hard to read up and get training. My DS is in the process of getting a dx for ASD and his school have been fab.

If the nearby county you are thinking of begins with L then it is much better on the statement front...... loads of suppost in place, lots of 1 2 1 support etc. I live in it but chose to send DS to school in the county I work in because of the holiday differences.

Hmm .... my daughter lives in the L county so that could be an option, but we are closer to the D county at the moment. I would hate to move though - too much clutter

if you are talking about LEICESTERSHIRE then i would disagree with it being easy to get statements etc. It took me 3 years to get statement for my ASD son and thats with 2 MS excluding him and him ending up in a pupil referral unit for a year all before he was 7!

No, not leicestershire... lincolnshire. I'm only going on the number of 1 2 1 TA s I know in Lincs. They support children who, in notts, have difficulty getting 10 hours a weeks support.

think I am going to live with my dd,(in lincs)- wonder what she will say

I agree with all above ie. try and get a statement. I think IPSEA are very busy but worth a try and have good info on website. I know lots of people who get SENS lawyers involved (at a price) we have used a SENS advisor at £200/day. You can cherry pick what you ask them to do ie. attend tribunal only or review draft statement only to cut down cost. You must look after your own health as it is long haul. I have used parent partnership recently and they have clinched a win/win situation for me, but when it comes to getting a statement/tribunals etc. ie. not internal disputes with school, have been told they are in back pocket of LEA and to not say too much to them.
I don't know what anyone else thinks about this. Hope this helps.

Lots of councils have blanket policies and mine is obsessed with 'equity' of provision - so much so they gave my son the opposite of what had been recommended because they thought it was unfair he should get more than other similar children (who probably also needed more but whose parents hadn't applied for a statement). However, the law says each child must be assessed according to their individual needs and when you get to tribunal they are only interested in that one child. Therefore you just have to go the statement and tribunal route. Lots and lots of LA policies are probably unlawful - they see their job as spreading the money as far as it can - when the law actually says they must assess the needs of each child and once they have decided a child has needs, they have to meet them whether they have the resources or not. So don't be put off by policy - just assume you will have to take it to a tribunal to get a fair hearing and know that that is not as scary as it sounds and in fact it is actually quite enjoyable to have a day when you get to talk about your child to people who actually have to listen. Comparisons should not come into it. My LA found themselves in a pretty tough situation to have to defend why they had not given my son what had been recommended a year earlier. The Tribunal will be interested in progress so if your child is not making appropriate progress then they have to do more or defend why they didn't

well have briefly spoken to the head to arrange a meeting to discuss ds, it will be friday.
I have also spoken to inclusion services who think my asking for a SA is the way forward, so will be doing this before friday.

I am sure the head thinks I just want to discuss the choice of teacher for next year so he is in for a surprise

I feel so much better now I have a plan, LA here I come!!