LEA refused assessment.more advice needed please

[Madprest]

In the letter they require further information from school as well as a detailed assessment report from Ed Psych. Do they not ask school for info before making decision? And that the report from ed psych needed..this is what we want to find out if she as a learning disability. A meeting is suggested with us, school staff and an SEN and Disability Officer (even though they don't say who and when this is). As anybody been offered this and what it entails.
Could somebody tell me what the education take notice of regarding grades, is it teacher assesssments or test levels? I find that teacher assessment grades are much higher than her test level grades.

I was very surprised when I received her school records that there wasn't much info in them. Only got IEP's, School Reports, Attendance and one test that was done for SENCO in YR 2 (she is in YR 5 now). This was not sent to Education as they sent me all copies what school sent them. Nothing sent from SENCO whatsoever. School make me feel I am over reacting.
Thanks in advance for any help and advice.
(Apologies if this is all mumble...too much going on in my head)

What are her current levels? What were her levels?

What you listed is about all you'd expect in her school records.

If she has made progress in the last 2 years it's unlikely you'll be able to get a SA based on academic need.....

Lack of evidence can't be used as a reason to refuse. Contact IPSEA for advice.

Hi Indigo thanks for replying as you have many times before. Results are as follows :-
YR2 teach assess, Read-1B, Writing-1C, Maths-2C
YR2 tests, Read-1b, Writing-1C, Maths-2B
YR3 teach assess, Read-1A, Writing-1A, Maths-2C
YR3 tests, Read-2B, Writing-2C, Maths-2A
YR4 teach assess, Read-3B, Writing-2B, Maths 3C
YR4 tests, Read-2B, Writing-2B, Maths 2A
She is in YR 5 and only got teach assess for this year which are Read-3B,Writing-2A, Maths-3C

Just surprised Star that they haven't got that from school before making decision.

No way you'll get a SA on those figures.

Between end of Y2 and end of Y4 she has made 1 full level in reading, slightly more than 1 level in writing and slightly less in Maths.

As 1 full level as the expected amount of progress to make in those years, there's just nothing in there to suggest that she should be assessed.

Sorry.

Wrote in here for advice many times as I only found out she was on IEP's last year and she had been given them from Reception. We had no involvement whatsoever. Would have thought more info on her SN would have been there to be honest.

Don't take it personally. They probably didn't even look at the request. Many LA's have an unwritten policy of refusing all first requests simply to delay the day when they have to put up funds and with the hope of dropping a few children on the way.

They justify this by whinging about cuts etc. But they should be making their boss' lives difficult, not children's.

They may pretend you cannot request again for 6 months but actually you can right away. However, it would be best to prepare. Make a fuss about getting an EP in asap (pref within 6 weeks as then you can submit a request almost immediately knowing that the EP will have visited within the decision trimeframe). Then request in writing their critera for statutory assessment and when you put in your request use their exact wording.

Ensure you have a copy of the code of practice to hand and use the wording from that too.

I'm saying this of course making the assumption that your dd does indeed need a statement but not all children do. Having said that an awful lot more do need them that don't. It might be worth thinking hard about what needs to change in your dd's school day that will be written in a statement that the school cannot provide by themselves, and go about collecting evidence for it if you can.

SEN stuff isn't in their school records - it's in their SEN file. You have to ask for that separately :)

What are her IEPs for?

Star - if she is applying because she is concerned about her child's academic progress, but the child is making progress, the LEA are right to turn her down.

Thanks Star and Indigo. I did request Sen file. Star shall do that.

Yes. That is true. The levels seem within the realms of normal and progress is happening. No-one gets a statement to help them get anything more than an adequate education for which the definition is pretty dire if even defined.

Star last 3 years of IEP's are identical as in to be able to read and spell common words from Phase 4, to confidently complete simple addition/subtraction sentences and read daily at home.

Indigo its not just academic, she is struggling and often upset that work is too difficult. She is extremely quiet in school and often left to work on her own. In her own little world, if she behaved bad more help might get thrown at her. Begs me often to change school (which she couldn't cope with).

Hmm, they don't sound very SMART. What is the provision in place to help her reach those goals?

And, in what way do you feel a statement would be able to help her?

I know and understand you're having lots of problems with school, and that school are letting your child down.

I totally, totally get that.

But you're going to have to work with school to resolve this. She does not qualify for a statement at the moment. She just doesn't.

Why are you so certain she wouldn't cope with a new school?

How often have you spoken to the SENCO / teacher about her?

When's your next meeting scheduled for?

What are you doing at home for her?

Can you afford to do anything (like an EP report) privately?

Do school admit she has problems?

The best thing you can do is be a total PITA at school, make sure you're having IEP review meetings every half term. Make school work with you.

Or change school (and then work 'proactively' with her new school)

I think working on the IEPs would be a valuable start.

How often are they reviewed? Do you attend those review meetings?

If you don't mind puting the exact wording on here there are loads of people that can ensure they are improved to the extent that her failure to meet them will because the school hasn't helped rather than because your dd isn't capable.

For example, which common words exactly? Chose 10 perhaps (depending on how often the IEP review meetings are held. Then the provision and resource that is going to help her. 10 minutes daily with a TA doing 2 at a time. Record each first indpendent attempt of the day to measure whether she is getting closer and to keep a record of patterns in her mistakes so the CLASS TEACHER can identify where she is struggling or what is causing her difficulties. Is she making consistent mistakes that have to be put into her next IEP as a stand-alone target etc.?

Do something similar with maths. Define exactly what a simple subtraction looks like for example. Is it a number less than 10 subtracting just 1?

And you keep records. Keep a log of every time she asks you to change schools so that YOU can see whether she is asking more and more often or if as a result of her new IEPs she is asking less?

Indigo I asked school where she is compared to her peers and she wouldn't give me a straight answer she just said she as 3 groups and she is in the bottom group and flagged up as UA (under achieving). I make sure of IEP review and refused when last teacher tried to hand it over in playground and requested meeting and as for her coping with a new school, I know she will struggle because she is very shy.
Star what I wrote above are the exact wording she had on 6 IEP's. This years IEP is written differentaly for the first time and is as follows:- She needs to retain knowledge of x tables in order to use and apply these in other area of maths, She needs to use a more mature style of writing, connecting sentences with words other than 'and','because'and 'then'.
To know and be able to spe;; the majority of high frequency words for Key Stage 2. She did get 1-1 last year (after my meeting with HT) this as now been stoppped and is working in smaller groups. It is getting more often that she says she does not like school and wants to move. Sorry if I've missed any more answers.

so sorry should say spell* the majority.

Well you know where she is compared to her peers - a level 2b is the expected level for End of Y2, so she is 2 years behind where she should be. (which is not nearly enough to automatically qualify for a statement)

Make another meeting with the SENCO and Teacher. Bring in an IEP you have written. And start again.

How is she working with you at home? Do you ever manage to teach her something?

I think you really should consider either home schooling her, flexi schooling her, or moving school.

I wouldn't let the fact that she is shy deter me from moving school.

What IEP would I write as this is all new to me. Only seen SENCO once and was told not to compare her with my other 3 children.
She works on a maths mountain on computer with me and geet frustrated but I work through that, read everyday-even though she complains and wants to do as little as possible. Write stories and try to help improve spellings-remind her to break the words down as she often spells as she says them.

food for thought Indigo

Hi

I think you should ring the IPSEA for advice they are easiest to get hold of about 7ish.

Thanks very much wasuup.