Please help me work out how what will be best for DD in year 7

[TheMoistWorldOfSeptimusQuench]

DD is due to start secondary in September.
She has problems with focus, concentration, and being organised / remembering what to do and how to do it. She has severe difficulties with numbers - not just being "bad at maths", but a kind of terrible confusion and panic at anything to do with numbers. For example, she can't tell the time, use a ruler or scales reliably, or deal with money and becomes quiet and withdrawn if we ask her to try. We were doing the 3 times table the other day, got as far as 3 x 3 is 9, then at 4 x 3 ("just try to add another 3 on sweetie!") her response was "er... 7?"

She has very poor confidence, and I suspect she is now depressed. I feel her performance is really adversely affected by how she's feeling at the time. She saw an Ed Psych a couple of years ago, and they agreed (she performed well on many of the areas of assessment and the EP said that there was no specific issue or condition as such).

I am seeing the GP on Friday to ask for a referral to CAHMs re the depression, but I know it will be ages before we see anyone.

So, all through primary, she has had to work in a group with 2 boys and a girl for maths and often literacy. The boys are disruptive and she feels she can't concentrate with them around; the girl often refuses to do things and wants DD to do them for her. So not a very helpful learning environment. When I've asked for her to removed from this group I've been told they can't, it's the only way of giving her the support that she needs.

Her teaching at primary has been inconsistent and frankly a bit crap. Her current teacher (also the Senco - oh joy) has a very negative attitude towards her (and me) and usually seems totally exasperated with her. Whenever I have asked for support or referrals, she seems to have made a point of either doing nothing, or something completely different to what I've asked.

With regard to the dreaded SATS, her teacher assessment level for literacy was 3, but in the tests she actually got what I'm told is a "high" 4 (Go DD!). She got no level in maths as she didn't even attempt to write anything on the test paper. Her school report is very negative and puts her at "below average" for most things, which I really don't believe she is (eg. history, which she loves, and I've seen her work next to others in the class and it looks pretty good to me).

So, she's due to start at the local "outstanding" secondary. They have offered - based on the information from primary - to put her in a "special" band. This is a group of 14 kids with a restricted curriculum and extra staff support. They will be in a room by themselves with staff coming to them, rather than the other way around. I've been told that despite the good results for literacy, this is the only way they can' meet her maths needs, so she'll just have to suck up less challenging literacy work, social sciences, languages etc. The 3 kids from her SN group at primary will also be in this band.

I feel that because confidence is such an issue for her, segregating her off with some disruptive kids and labeling her as in the "lowest" group is going to be counter productive. She has said, "I don't mind being in the bottom group because I'm always in the bottom group" , but I want to use the opportunity at the new school as a chance to give her things to succeed at, to give her a sense of aspiration and belief in herself. Is that too optimistic? At the moment, I'm thinking that letting her be in the mainstream, but organising private tuition for maths would be more helpful to her (extended family have offered to help fund this).

But I still have a nagging doubt that I should probably be accepting the potential support in the group. I just don't know. Can anyone advise me?

I'm sorry for the mammoth post - didn't want to leave anything relevant out.

Thanks

Sorry also for the confused and terribly worded title
Should have got DD to write it for me

It sounds like your Dd has been seriously failed by her primary school

Has anyone ever suggested assessing her to try to find out what is causing her issues? Where is she on the special needs register and has anyone ever mentioned a statutory assessment to you??

Sorry lots of questions. The secondary school have an obligation to meet her needs and to support her to reach her full potential. I would be pushing for her to be assessed and for her to be taught with her peers where possible with adult support if necessary.

This will probably require a statement and wont happen over night, you can apply yourself. Go on the IPSEA website for a sample letter and keep coming on here for advise.

You are your Dd's best and only advocate and you are the person who needs to take the lead on this, dont wait any longer for school staff to do anything!

Good luck

Thank you for reading and reply. No, no one has ever mentioned a statutory assessment, but just having had a quick read online, it sounds like a good idea. She saw the Ed Psych a couple of years ago, but the only thing that really brought up was the confidence issue.

So far, when I've asked about teaching in the mainstream at secondary but with additional support, I've just been told that's not possible. I guess I need to make more of a nuisance of myself (although I think that's been part of the problem in primary - I'm just dismissed and perceived as a problem). I will check out the statement letter and keep at it!

Do you know if she is on the special needs register??

If she has been seen by the Ed psych then she should be. You should have been getting IEP's with targets on.

What she really needs is a full assessment of her abilities, I dont suppose you would be in a position to pay for one?? It is the quickest way to find out where she is academically and developmentally. It wouldnt be cheap but you would have something in black and white.

Hmm. When an EP does tests with a Dc they are usually in a quiet room. 1-1 (maybe with someone observing). My DS had tests which he did very well with yet he has re-occuring difficulties in the areas she said he did well in while in the classroom and , the EP mentioned that there was a drop in one of his scores but she believed it was because he lost interest e.g. the bell had gone and everyone was filtering past the room. I would say the bell (loud unexpected noise) put him on edge and the children filtering past (back ground noise) were causing a distraction....but I'm not an educational psychologist.

My Ds is being nailed about his written work (which he has always struggled with) and he is losing out on the things he would do well at e.g. art, science, ICT because of this.

We have been told a statement is unlikely due to his test results but we have applied for one anyways. We have all of his work books from the past 2 years and also we have documented and photocopied his homework along with other things as evidence highlighting the difficulties.

You sound like a wonderful mum, and I'm sure you will get the help your Dd needs. Good luck.

Yes, she's on the SN register. The IEPs have had 3 targets per term. Some of those have been maths related, so we've only made limited progress with them. Sometimes the targets have been things she can already do and seems fine with!
We might be able to pay for an assessment - how do you go about getting it done?

Thanks silverlining I hope your DS gets the help he needs too.

Hmm you could google private ed psychs in your area and then come back on here to see if anyone has used them or ask a specific question about how to find an ed psych.

It is years since I did it for Dd1.

It is great that you have kept the school work, I would make some notes too about what she struggles with.

Good luck

Right, I will do that thank you for all your help. In fact, i've just realised I actually vaguely know an EP, so will ask her. I assume getting the school to do it would usually be a bit of a battle? Everything else seems to be!

The trouble with the school doing it is that you might have to prove she is not making progress first and with it being a new school that would take time.

Ah, I see. Thanks