Could someone look over my letter for me.

[MincePieFlavouredVoidka]

Dear XXXX,

I am contacting you regarding F's lunchtime arrangements.

Before F started it was agreed that he would have supervision at lunchtimes, at a ratio of 1:4. This is because he would find playtimes difficult due to his language delay and his poor social skills.

However it appears that this has not been put in place and so I am having to pick him up at 12.30 every day so his TA can have her lunch, and there is no one else to look after him between 12.30 and 1pm. The suggestion that I pick him up for lunch and then bring him back for the afternoon session is not workable as he wont return to school willingly, plus we live too far away to make the trip do-able in an hour. Therefore we cannot move towards F attending a full day.

Does that sound okay and does it make sense?

makes perfect sense hun. And straight to the point. (naughty naughty school by the way!!!)

It does make sense but I'd rather less accommodating tbh but then I always am .

I'd write that despite assurances that lunchtime supervision would be in place for F when he started school it has yet to be put in place it has failed to happen and as a result F is being disadvantaged.

According to the Equality Act F is entitled to the same opportunities as his peers and that so far hasn't happened.

You are writing to inform them that from Monday 20th November you will be expecting F to be accommodated in school for the whole of the school day and the school need to make arrangements to ensure the supervision is in place to facilitate this.

Whether that means a rearrangement of his TA's lunch hour or the need to assign specific staff to F for lunchtime purposes is obviously at the discretion of the school and any difficulties in this needs to be communicated to the LEA but you have been patient long enough and won't allow F to be disadvantaged any longer.

Firstly, what a palaver.

I think that I would go for " bring him back for the afternoon session is not acceptable" and stop there. Before continuing with the "therefore etc..."

Does he have a statement? If so and the agreement for lunchtime supervision is in there then you need to point out that they are not meeting their legal obligations (If he doesn't have a statement then maybe you need to apply for one?)

If it was me (because I'm like that!!) then I would also be giving them a timescale and saying that after x amount of time, say from the January term, you won't be available to collect your son and you expect them to have supervision, as agreed, in place. You don't need to give them a reason, just be non committal and start talking about the about the disability discrimination act; and your son's entitlement to full time education.

Obviously you would then have to stick to your threat and just leave him there at lunchtime - and obviously you are the person who will need to decide how distressing that is for your son.

He doesnt have a statement. He isnt at school full time but we are hoping to move towards that at some point soon, but I dont know how it can be done if he cant stay for playtime after lunch (he is eating there).

What they are saying is that because DS wont socialise even in a small group which was planned, they cannot accommodate him on a 1:1 basis, so he can either go into the playground by himself or I take him home. He is only 4 and I dont want to think of him distressed so I have been bringing him back.

That is hard, I know. But I know from experience (not for the same thing) that the school will probably just let you carry on doing it and not put any effort in to resolving the problem.

Can you meet up with them for discussions about what they are doing about helping him to socialise?

We have a meeting next wednesday, but I suppose I want to go the meeting having already raised it so they know its an issue.

They are making it really difficult for you mincepie.
I like insanity's suggestions. - you need to make it clear that it is the responsibility of the school to provide this help and that you expect them to do so.

I think that next week might be a bit of a tall order for the school, but from January sounds perfectly realisitic.

I think that although you have a meeting that this needs to be put in writing too. Its a good way to make sure all problems are recorded.

You have to be insistent that the school have to sort something out (DS has help at lunchtimes 4 days a week and it has been difficult to get the school to put it in place- but they have managed, so IME it CAN be done if the school try)

The school will let you carry on picking him up as long as you keep doing it.

Got/Had same problem with unstructured play at mine. DS is PT till 1.15. There has been issue after issue as he wont mix and then refuses to come in at the end. This works fine for me as its the time I pick him up anyway. So I have left it continue and left the HT and all the TAs chase and swap and mess about with lunches.

Now they are employing someone to stay with him but its taken months for them to realise it.

I have the same argument in that he will never make a full day while the lunchtime play is so hectic and he is not getting help to be social.

Stick with it :)

My ds didn't socialise and still doesn't 13 years later that doesn't mean the school don't have to accommodate him. They should be providing the support to keep ds happy and safe in school. If that means a TA following round trying to engage with him or fetching balls he has thrown that's what needs to be done.
Ds's TA used to have her lunchbreak before the official lunchbreak and another TA would cover ds then as ds was easier to handle in the classroom. The same happened at play times too.
Believe you and me the wheels turn very quickly when they have to. The school won't risk having ds unsupported and will pull out the stops and bend the LEA's ear at the same time
Have you applied for a statutory assessment yourself yet.

Hi MincePie,

re your comment:-
"He doesnt have a statement"

Therein lies the problem as well.

What school have proposed to you could be seen as illegal and could be perhaps seen as an informal exclusion. They'll be more than happy for you to pick him up indefinately; they don't have to deal with him then.

I would certainly consider applying for a statement asap. TBH even if there was a statement in place would they really want to help him?. I would look at other schools.

Use the wording that insanity suggests in her post.

At the moment we are trying to decide if MS is right or whether we need to think about moving him to a SS.

The TA is very supportive and I think the teacher is (from what I have seen of her) but its definitely not going as well as I had hoped. One of the other problems is that the SENCo that put together all his plans left over the summer and there seems to be some issues over what she promised.

We have this MAM on Wednesday so I am going to make my decisions after then.

He'll need a statement to get a place in special school anyway so I wouldn't delay on making a request for statutory assessment tbh.
A statement opens doors and gives you the right to make demands rather than having to put up with what crumbs of support the school sees fit to offer.

Definitely apply for an assessment that may lead to a Statement. The fact that you're providing care at lunchtime that should be provided by school shows your child has a need that is not being met by school.

You'll definitely need a statement to get into an SS school and the whole statementing process is designed to look holistically at your child's needs to determine whether MS / SS is the best option. That's not a decision that you alone can reach without the opinions of others and if you leave it to school they will be quite happy to string you along letting you provide lunchtime cover for as long as you are prepared to collude in this nonsense.

Best wishes

Hard though it may be, leaving him there for lunch times might just help you to fight your corner in the long run too. If it does all go badly as you expect if he is not supervised, at least it can be documented that he has these problems. It is just another bit of ammunition you can use for statementing. I agree though, get the ball rolling for a statement to be issued here asap.