Ignorant teacher

[Daisy8888]

My 14 year old ds was kept behind after English and was told his work was like that of a 7 year old!

My son is dyslexic and ADHD predominantly inattentive type.

My ds is of the opinion that he talked in the class so the teacher saying this was his own fault ... he will not stick up for himself, is very easy going and would not usually do anything remotely to get himself into trouble.

This week started off so well as the L.A. withdrew from Tribunal to do statutory assessment - Huge thanks to IPSEA, CAMHS and independant phychologist.

My son has issues with confidence, self esteem and I am really worried about his mental health at the moment.

Another of his teachers asked him why he had not got all the work written down, then tried to explain to him the importance of getting things written down - his writing speed is on the 2 percentile.

His support plan states such expected progress as ds will keep up with work set, ds will become more confident and fluent in written tasks, ds will experience success and believe he can achieve etc etc - no idea how they measure these.

Do I really have to send him back there tomorrow? I've written an email about the English teacher and now I'm worried what will happen to ds tomorrow, do schools safeguard, will he have an advocate. Chair of governors said they will let me know timescales by wed???

You need to contact the learning support team at the school and be very firm about their responsibility to inform all of his teachers about the nature of his SN, and that they need to make reasonable provision for those needs to be met in class. If writing is the issue, then he needs a scribe to take notes, or use of a laptop to ensure what he submits is legible, or the teacher should provide a transcription of what he needs to have written down.
Would a meeting with the SENCO and LS and his form tutor be helpful?
The teacher was completely wrong in linking talking in class to the presentation and understanding shown in hos work, that was truly ignorant.
If the school isn't up to coping, you could suggest that they contact the LEA inclusion team for support if they are struggling with enabling your DS to access the curriculum and make good progress. Because what's happening now is unacceptable.

Can you ask for a meeting with their SENCO/Learning Support Manager to discuss how they intend to make sure that all staff who have contact with your ds will be made aware of his difficulties and how to support them?

I would take this wider than individual teachers, approach whoever should be overseeing his support and make sure they put something in place to ensure he is properly supported in the interim until he get's his statement.

The same person should be involved with planning and implementing his support plan, so you can ask how they intend to help him meet those targets, ie what strategies and ask for the targets to be broken down into smaller, achievable chunks that can be properly supported and monitored.

As for sending him back tomorrow. I believe there are a lot of nasty bugs around at the moment. So perhaps he might not be well enough to go back until after you've had the meeting?

Thanks for your replies.

I wrote to the SENCO on 30 April 2012 and I'm still waiting for a reply. I only got the latest support plan as I asked the head teacher for it. I only saw last years support plan when it came with the copied documents from the L.A. It had written on it that DS had access to a laptop when he remembered to collect it! ha I thought it was a joke, he doesn't remember to do anything. The SENCO was going to attend as witness for LA before they withdrew from Tribunal.

I also still have a complaint in with The Information Commissioner relating to my request for school records which were late and incomplete. The governors have asked someone independant to come in and also investigate this matter. The SENCO has not filled in a form that CAMHS requested urgently 3 weeks ago, now denies getting it but I know they got an email off me telling them it was urgent and now this ....

oh dear as you can see relationships are strained.

You need to keep reminding them, and make sure you have a paper trail of emails and letters so that they can't say that anything was or wasn't said. They sound a disaster so far, keep pushing them.
You can contact the LEA inclusion team yourself with your concerns.

'The SENCO has not filled in a form that CAMHS requested urgently 3 weeks ago, now denies getting it'

That is the sort of thing I'm talking about, did CAMHS email the form? Did the SENCO respond to your urgent request?
Time to nail their feet to the floor, no wiggle room whatsoever.

CAMHS posted the form. I sent an email to the SENCO and the head teacher 3 Septemer. The email to the headteacher was in response to an email he sent me as the independant psychologist form needed completed. They asked me to confirm that I was happy for this assessment to go ahead. They did state in the email that the form was via the local authority so they obviously got confused and completed it :) I responded that I was happy and also reiterated that CAMHS form was urgent. In conclusion they must have received my ok as the form was at my independant phychologists by friday 7 Sept.

The specialist Doctor is now chasing this form on a daily basis.

The SENCO has not emailed me or contacted me about anything and she never has, it was me that was always phoning her up last year.

So the head is her line manager, go to or through him or her.
It is horrible that they are not doing their job and your son is the one suffering and being mistreated by uninformed and ignorant teachers.
Good thing he has you!

Thanks. It's just really sad when he is already very down about school life. Never mind, head up, shoulders back and prepare to battle ...

A huge HONK in support Daisy.
I felt really despondent at the end of last year when DS1s school report mentioned that if he paid more attention and listened to instruction he would do even better. He has dyspraxia FFS, and finds it very difficult to follow through instructions. Nothing to do with listening and paying more attention.
So it fills me with horror to read your situation, to know that it goes on, and on, and on.....
What I can never understand is how a teacher can teach a pupil, knowing what SEN they have, and not make themselves aware of likely manifestations of their dx.
This year I took the symptoms list from the dyspraxia foundation and sat and went through it with his new teacher - highlighting areas of concern.
TBH in your case, I wouldn't bother much with the SENco - just cc out of courtesy, but address to HT who seems to be better able at replying. I would also cc the governors, possibly the LEA inclusion team if appropriate. That way each party will know that the others have been informed and get the buck stopping at individuals desks.
Unfortunately I now believe that it is only shame/guilt at being outed to other professionals that seems to get anything done. Whatever happened to Every Child Matters?

Yes, of course (eureka moment) that makes perfect sense, I think you are spot on with your conclusion that it is only shame/guilt at being outed to other professionals ... thanks.

I've already cc'd chair of governors who replied directly for the first time ever. I will definitely contact the LA inclusion team first thing in the morning ... they've dealt with me quite a bit ... I think everyone in this area has :)

Your poor DS. No doubt he is very aware of the problems he has with work and didn't need it rubbed in.