Social communication group with senco- is this school action?

[popgoestheweezel]

Ds is having social communication sessions in a group of 6 with the school senco once a week.
Does this qualify as 'school action' and if so, should he have an IEP?

Hi I would say it's School Action unless they're doing it for the whole class. They are having to do something different, extra interventtion therefore IMO it is. However, is SALT involved? if they are then that's School Action Plus. Re: the IEP. Everyone I speak to seems to have an IEP. our school seems to be reluctant to do them! They say they are currently assessing for an IEP for his literacy. But they do seem to be in action elsewhere. It's a paper trail for evidence for extra support should it be needed. School have to prove they have put things in place already and they can only ask for additional funding if this hasn't worked but they need evidence, and that's what the IEP provides so I'd push for one just in case (she says with still no IEP for DS1 :-( ).

Depends if he's doing it for his needs, or if he's a role model and doing it because he is skilled at communication. Different groups work in different ways.
If he has SC needs, then he should have an IEP or be listed as a Nature of Concern. How much has the school told you, and do you need a meeting with the SENCO to ask further questions?

It is just 6 of them and he is definitely not doing it as a role model (falls about laughing hysterically at the idea)
He has suspected SN and has seen the comm paed and now waiting to see CAMHS. The school have told us nothing (and been totally unhelpful) until I accidentally found out. I have another thread going that explains a bit more of the background (conversation with senco).

So, it is school action. I have looked on direct.gov and it says:
^"A school must tell you if they start giving extra or different help to your child because of their SEN. The basic level of extra help is known as School Action, and could be:

a different way of teaching certain things
some extra help from an adult
using particular equipment like a computer or special desk

Your child may need help through this step-by-step approach for only a short time, or for many years. Remember that you should be consulted at every step, and be told about your child's progress"^
So why haven't they told me? GRRR.

So, I guess potentially he already has an IEP that we don't know about either

You should be asked to sign an IEP at its beginning, and it should be reviewed at least termly. You should get a copy of the reviewed IEP, and the new one with SMART targets. That's the minimum, ideally you should be consulted and asked for your input as well, and he should be involved as appropriate.

We should be asked to sign the IEP yes, but we should have been 'consulted at every step' wrt school action and they haven't done that either.

'should be consulted'
not must.
Some schools aren't good at this and need a bit of direct action from the parents.

Downbytheriverside, direct.gov says:
"A school must tell you if they start giving extra or different help to your child because of their SEN."

The SEN toolkit also says it is a fundamental principle that "parents have a vital role to play in supporting their child?s education"

Schools can be very poor at communication over sn issues, those rules apply to a child who is on SA or SA+ If the school have him listed on the register as NOC it's different. he doesn't have a dx yet.
You need to email or have a meeting and nail them down to exactly where they are placing him on the needs register, what support they are giving and for how long, and if he is on SA. You also need to be quite forceful about your wish to be included at every step.

This is school action isn't it?
^"A school must tell you if they start giving extra or different help to your child because of their SEN. The basic level of extra help is known as School Action, and could be:
a different way of teaching certain things
some extra help from an adult
using particular equipment like a computer or special desk"^

NOC, is that nature of concern? what does that actually mean?

NOC means someone thinks their might be something up, so they are monitoring it and may try a few strategies and activities to clarify the situation.
Like trying an ASD friendly approach to learning, or trying out a SC group to see if it is an issue that can be resolved in a few weeks or will need longer-term intervention.
Go in and ask, be firm and very specific and you will have enough ammunition to decide if they are doing their best for your son. And how you can support them if they are, or guide them if they aren't.

their might be

bother

there might be

They know he has already been referred by the GP, seen the paed who has taken our concerns seriously and now is waiting to see CAMHS, so would you expect him to be NOC?

For SA they need to have worked out what they are going to do to help him, and to put that onto an IEP with targets that are appropriate, achievable, measurable and time-limited. So they may be thinking of him as SA or working towards it.
Either way, if you are starting on this journey, you need to be aware of what's going on and press the school for responses if you aren't getting anything from them. You also need to be prepared to challenge them if something is supposed to be happening on a regular basis and isn't, or if something they are trying isn't working.
Good luck.