Downsides to applying for a statement?

[IndigoBell]

Everyone here keeps telling me to apply for a statement, and I have a meeting with Parent Partnership tomorrow so that they can help me write the letter.

But I feel really terrible about this decision.

I assume DD won't get a statement. And all that will happen is I will stress myself for no reason.

But do you think I will also annoy school? I have a good relationship with school, and don't want to ruin it. If I am going to apply I will tell them - but not ask them.

Can there be bad side effects from applying for a statement which gets turned down? Did your relationship with school deteriorate?

Nah, I've decided to discuss her IEP with school instead.

She really, really won't get a statement. I can't find a single line in the SEN COP that means she would qualify.

I can however get school to improve the support she is given.

If they can't support her from 'within their own budget' then they are welcome to apply for a statement....

But they can. She really doesn't need more support - just better support. And they can do it.

They just need a little help with writing SMART IEP targets and measuring the effectiveness of the support they are giving her.

Indigo -

What do you think your schools incentive will be to put in 'better' support?

Adequate progress SEN COP para 4.31 and 6.51 - is your DD making adequate progress? Is she closing the attainment gap between herself and her peers, or is the existing gap being prevented from widening?

Adequate progress should be measured against the average band of children in her class. Not the expected level they expected from your DD when taking into account her LD's.

So if the average child in DD's class has made only one sub-level of progress this academic year then your DD progress could be said to be adequate, if the average has made 2 sub-levels progress then your DD is not making adequate progress and the gap is widening between your DD and her peers.

Minx - according to them she's made 2 sub levels of progress in reading this year, and 1 sub level in writing. And the same amount of progress last year.

I really think I'll struggle to get the LEA to accept that 1 sub level of progress a year is inadequate, especially when it's now just one subject she's struggling with.

The gap is def widening - but again only in one subject.

I don't know what to do :(

I'll just have to teach her to write myself :(

Those levels like 1B are teacher assessed, tend to be inflated (makes the teacher look better) and very flawed.

That's the bad news, the good news is that in two years time when all this inflation has been going on they tend to start to look a little ridiculous.

But you don't want to wait years - have you had a good EP's report? One that teases out exactly why she's underperforming. The good EP's are looking at auditory processing, short term memory etc etc and all of a sudden it's not 'just' dyslexia - it's 'complex' just like the COP calls for.

No, I haven't got a good EP report. Just an EP report from the SpLD team (ie a rubbish one)....

I know her writing grade is inflated. And suspect her reading grade is......

OK, before giving up, I'll talk to school again and see whether they think I can argue inadequate progress. Also whether they'll get her to see the other EP....

You have told the school you are thinking of applying, you don't need to discuss anything else with them, just apply.

That they are citing progress could suggest they won't support you in your application (I hope I'm wrong). Which could also suggest that you will have an uphill battle on your hands to have a SMART IEP/or measurable interventions put in place.

Agree with KATTT, sub levels are wholly subjective, it is convenient that she has achieved a sub-level at the end of each year - what is the evidence base?

Writing is not just 'one subject' it is cross curricular.

If you can possibly afford it, I'd get a decent EP's report. Even if you don't go for a statement (and it will be invaluable for that) it will a, give you ammunition in discussions with the school and b, give a list of programmes and suggestions which are targetted to your child. Without this you could try a hundred different ideas before hitting on the one that would be appropriate.

Katt, I have money for a private EP - but I have been spending it on therapies that work rather than reports.

All the EP reports I have seen have been rubbish, so I personally don't think it's a good investment to pay for one.

All the one's I've seen are full of generic rubbish (Read, Write, Inc, Toe by toe, word shark, memory games.....). DD has slow cognitive processing, poor working memory, poor auditory memory. I know all this. Nothing can be done in school for any of these problems. (Besides things I don't want like extra time and dictation software)

We've already done vision therapy and auditory integration training (none of which an EP will recommend - but both of which have helped.) Next on our list is retained reflex therapy, again which an EP won't recommend.....

What do you think a private EP will recommend that the SpLD one didn't?

I have been researching DDs problems for the past 3 years.....

Ok, I've done it!

I've sent in my letter for SA and asked school for a new IEP meeting.

Something good will come out of it.....

Thanks everyone.

Well done indigo I think its the right thing to do, will at least push the school into thinking a bit harder about the IEP

Well Indigo. I know that you have been battling with yourself whether to apply or not.

Indigo - I disagree with much that you say - but putting that aside.

You need to build a case and put your case to the school, then possibly the LA then possibly a tribunal. To build a case you need evidence.

Right now, by what I read here, the school has all the 'evidence' and one of your problems is lack of evidence.

EP's report count as evidence. Someone with letters after their name saying your child's needs are x or y, that they've done this recognised test and the child has a reading age of x etc etc etc all of this will help counter the school saying 'adequate progress'.

Evidence from a third party also makes it easier to argue a point without it becoming a row.

Thanks Katt.

I have the SpLD EP report which says all of that.

I just thought the report was rubbish because it didn't make any recommendations (besides continue with everything school are doing because they are doing all the right things), and didn't tell me anything I didn't know. But technically the report wasn't rubbish.

I would have been extremely disappointed if I'd paid money for it though.

I have her levels, which are the evidence I need. The EP report says her cognitive abilities, and reading age and all of that.

At the moment my problem is I haven't had the guts to apply :)

Now, until I get a response, I don't know what my next problem will be.....

I don't even know if the school is going to say adequate progress or not. Up until now we have had a very good relationship...... I think they are supporting my application.

Dd's progress, I feel has been somewhat inflated (and I hate to have to say that, because I too feel the school have been very supportive and relations are good), but how can a child have been working at 3b in Y4 now be working at 2a in Y6? I know not, but have always been told she's doing ok and making progress, so tried not to worry too much. Meanwhile, all my instincts were telling me different because her reading and writing at home have always been a major issue. So, we applied for SA in Y5. We were refused. Ok - didn't appeal (should have), and gave them a chance for strategies to work. No joy. Applied again in Sept (dd now in Y6). Refused again. This time we appealed and they changed their minds before tribunal. We now have our statement and are in the process of negotiation over wording and provision as we don't fully agree with it all. I doubt it will all be settled by September when dd is due to start secondary and atm we're not even sure of whether they will agree to our preference (specialist unit), even though it is maintained (in which case, it will be even more important to get the statement worded appropriately so the provision is still made if she ends up in mainstream).

I think you need to respond to your instincts (glad you've applied now). No doubt, they will try to turn you down, but it is important that you have evidence to prove your point and the bigger the gap between your dd and her peers becomes, the more her self-esteem is likely to be affected, which is the situation we now find ourselves in. Our main reasons (apart from lack of progress) were the the discrepencies between dd's expected and actual levels of attainment, and also the increasing levels of low self-esteem because of it. We now have a dx of dyspraxia, but this was not known when SA was agreed. I think it is worth paying for assessments if you can as they are very useful as evidence and should make recommendations as to what your dd needs to make progress. It hasn't been easy for us as you know, but school did their best, but eventually (Y6), the progress issue could no longer be 'swept under the carpet'. Dd has lost so much confidence now that she is actually regressing. It is heartbreaking. The SA process is there to help, even if it is hard to get them to agree with you. You do know your dd better than any of them and if you feel that by the time she is in Y6, she is unlikely to have progressed adequately according to her abilities and in comparrison with the ability of the average child her age, then, now is the time to try and get things moving for her in terms of 'adequate' provision.

Just one other thing. Make sure the paper trail is really good.

If you doubt it, provide school with a diary to note down what they do, when and who does it - it should go to school and back with child every day.

Not only will that help you to know that whatever they promise is actually happening, it may also help in the future when you're trying to argue for a statement (can't remember the exact wording but you have to prove slow progress despite meaningful and adequate intervention.)

School should have a progress tracker for your dd of some sort. That was how we could easily prove very slow progress and an ever widening gap. We found it when we asked for dd's school records.

Hooray. Well done.