The school dissuplied DS with 2 GCSEs - how to get them to keep the bargain?

[HisMum4now]

I am a bit upset after the meeting at school, so sorry if maybe I am not thinking straight.

DS is in Y9. He has a statement due to AS. Academically he is doing fine, keeping up with his peers in Maths and Science. Bit weaker in English and History, but within national average. It is GCSE options time. His school in doing 10, in which humanity, like history is compulsory. Only 2 options are free choice. As optional choice DS wanted to take ICT or graphic design -for fun as these are his preferred subjects.

Now the school told us that to accommodate the special exam arrangements (extra time) they need to free two subjects in the time table. They say that controlled assessments in one subject would be overrunning into another and it will be a mess which will impact on DS. So, they say, it is better to do 8 GCSEs instead of 10 and not to take history (which is compulsory for other pupils).

I am very upset about this. It doesn't feel right that the school is taken away opportunities and experiences away from him for the reason of their own convenience. History would be good for DS just for learning, to balance, expand his skills in the area where his is challenged.

In the meeting I negotiated hard. "In exchange" of accepting 8 GCSEs the school promised to use the time to give extra support by Learning Support Teacher with study skills and English to push him to higher level (IEP target)- that would take 1 hour. The other hour will be taken, by his social skills 1:1 sessions etc. Currently he is withdrawn from RE for this reason. But the school should do all of those extra provisions anyway because it is written in his statement. It doesn't have to be at the expense of the curriculum. The real reason they don't want 10 GCSE is they don't believe he will cope well with history- but this is only because they are not making the right provisions up until now. Dissuplying him from history means they don't have to do anything. They failed him and shift the responsibility on us to accept the losses.

They promised extra help, but there is no document. It was discussed in the annual review but I don't know whether it will be written anywhere. Certainly it will not change the statement. Even legally the SEN system is not designed to push pupils to their personal best. He is above national average in English now (level 6), so they can leave him to his own devices. Their promises - I had 5 meetings with the school last year and each time promises were made, notably that they will not dissuply him from history... So I am not sure what all the deal about extra support with English and study skills is worth, probably nothing.

I was thinking to get a meeting and get the HT to explain to DS why he will not take 10 GCSE, including his ICT, like everybody else. But they would dodge this to the LSA, so I need something on paper.

What can I do to make them to commit to the extra support? Keep their promise this time?

Does he need extra time in his exams?

I know he's entitled to it because he has a statement - but does he need it?

Yes, he does.
Th idea of some statement provisions was to develop the skills to do things faster and independently. But nothing has been done.

Actually thinking of it he maight be able to cope without extra time in maths in Y11. If the work on this he will improve on the speed in most disciplines.

Just watching with interest as he sounds a bit like my Y7 DS2. As a matter of interest, 8 'O' levels was the norm in my day and the thought of 10 subjects seems a bit excessive to me. Obviously that's a general point for all DC, it doesn't help if your DS is the only one doing 8. Couldn't you argue that it's negative discrimination?

Are there any subjects he is particularly good at?

I only ask because my friend's ds has just done a couple of his GCSEs a year early.

Could it be an option for him, perhaps to take at least one of them early in order to free up his exam schedule to allow for extra exam time? Could English possibly be an option?

Or have I completely misunderstood the problem? Apologies if I have - I've got terrible brain fog today.

This make me really

It's discrimination because he's not being disapplied because of his ability in the subject but because of his overall disabilities.

That would be my line to take in discussions with school.

It's for school to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate his extra time etc but what they are proposing is certainly not reasonable.

I really would dig in and insist he is permitted to take 10.

If anything does have to be droped it should be his weakest non-National Cirriculum subject (or something less important than ICT or history).

You could draw up your own timetable and present it to the HT showing that the 10 and the time out for SEN support can both be accommodated.

I also agree that they are going the wrong way about things and he shouldnt be penalised because of his SN. And they should keep promises made.....

What does DS feel about this? Does he mind losing history? 10 is a huge amount to study for and keep up with for any child. Are there subjects that he hates/struggles at that you could put to the wayside to take pressure off so he can concentrate on what he excels at best?

Should he wish to go college next then perhaps you could intergrate one of the ones omitted to he can have a go at them then if he needs them?

When did the last AR take place?. Can you call an emergency review?.

Would agree this is discriminatory on the part of the school.

Would try and talk to one of the charities out there like IPSEA or SOSSEN re this situation as further independent advice anyway should be sought.

Well, this discussion was the annual review. I am not sure how the review can help. Number of GCSEs is not part of the statement. There is nothing in the reports of any use, nothing to trigger a change in the statement. There is no evidence to recommend 8 GCSEs. I am not sure this proposal about 8 GCSEs will be documented - included in the report to the LEA. I don't have any control over what they write. They don't even send minutes.

I tried to include the English extra tuition and study skills in the IEP, but this will be updated in February, long after we would have agreed/signed off our request for the GCSE options. So basically we just have to take their empty promise.

I don't now what to ask for to get some guarantees.
Should I have another meeting with the head teacher and ask for what?

The annual review was called because I complained to the county about provisions. The headteacher changed. So I complained to the headteacher and then in writing to the LEA and to the governing body. Suddenly the SENCO worked over the week-end and produced a decent IEP. To be fair this is a new SENCO - she just started in the role in January and already made great progress. I am really impressed. She seem to want to have a good relationship with me and I certainly do too. She got the teachers to do what the previous SENCO could't do in 2 years. Real progress.
The two complains - to the county and governing body are now open - they wil answer in a week or two. So I have a lever. Now I can get the school to make the right decisions.

But how to achieve this tacticallt or procedurally?
But I am not clear. II just don't know what is best.

Now the school told us that to accommodate the special exam arrangements (extra time) they need to free two subjects in the time table. They say that controlled assessments in one subject would be overrunning into another and it will be a mess which will impact on DS.

This is what seems to be at the heart of the matter. The fact that your DS, with his extra time, will overrun into the next assessment.

Well that is perfectly manageable.

They just need to let him have his extra 25%?? while the others start their next assessment. As soon as DS has finished his first assessment he can start the next.

School should be abl to 'quarantine' him so that he doesn't get advance notice of what's in the next assessment before he sits it.

That is a reasonable adustment that school should be able to accommodate - it just seems they can't be bothered to put themselves out to do so.

You can ask for an early review of the IEP by the way - review dates are not set in stone.

I had a similar (not same) difficulty with DS's school. I was told by a teacher that the parent will always get their way in the end. He was right.

Hope he can fulfil his ability by taking the 10 subjects. You just need to be absolutely insistant and refuse to take 'NO' for answer - even if you think you are making yourslef a PITA. It doesn't matter.

Best wishes

If you and your son think he is capable of taking 10 GSCE's then I would be tempted to push for him to do ten.

You may find this site helpful, re adjustments schools can make regarding overlapping exams/controlled assessments. It is not unusual for this to occur as schools use a number of exam boards therefore there are contingencies that schools can take.

www.jcq.org.uk/search-results.cfm