back to school

[reallyconfusedmum]

my daughter was given a statement in the school holidays and has now started in year 7 at secondary school. Before she started i was assured that there would always be someone who i would be able to get hold of at the school should i need to, i have left messages with the school for this person to ring me since last Wednesday and still there has been no response... i know that at secondary school they need to be more independent but when she is coming home everyday upset because she was unable to write the homework task down properly and really doesn't know what she is ment to be doing from what she has managed to write down it is making our home life very difficult as we are just having meltdown after meltdown, (she is being assessed at camhs at the moment) I am reaching the point that i am just going to go to the school and sit there until somebody sees me, To top things off she has got no help what so ever in humanities and science where she is expected to produce a science fair project that for a child with a reading and writing age of 7 is going to be pretty hard to achieve. (even i was confused looking at the booklet about it) she is also expected to talk about her science fair project for 5 mins for a child with comunication issues this could feel like a life time.
sorry for the rant, i feel like im having a really hard time at the moment without any help from the school, Thank you to those of you who took the time to read my ramblings x

I feel your pain but unfortunately don't have any experience to share. I didn't want your post to go unanswered. I would set up a meeting with the head teacher to discuss what happened in the holidays and make a plan of action from there. Best of luck.

My son is only in year one so not sure if this will help

Email the school for attention of SENCO and head. Outline your concerns and that they have not provided contact they said they would. That your resquests are being ignored. What do they plan to do about this before you take it to the governers.
Request a home contact book for you to write your concerns in. Tell the school you expect it to be seen and signed every x days.
Continues to write to the school every two weeks / once a month. Then you have a paper trail of evidence if they said 'we never said that', 'you never told us'.
It has worked for me
Start as you mean to go on

Its hard and you shouldn't have to do this, but I just don't trust that schools care about our kids as much as we do.

thank you very much for you help x

Your dd should be receiving the help specified in the statement, if she isn't you need to be asking why not.

Email the person who is suppose to be your point of contact and keep a record of telephone conversations, date time and follow everything up in writing etc.

As for school 'projects' I have found these are more for the parents, than the kids. Ds had to design and make a Viking boat at age 7. The display of boats in the class room, was obviously a competition between parents!

after a meltdown this morning after being at school for 20 mins had a phone call to say she was scared that she hadn't done the homework which was given out yesterday as she did not write the information down properly, as she did not have enough time to do so. I ended up going to the school and asking to speak to her tutor yet again after being sat there for 30 mins the year head appeared to find out what the problem was. after a long discussion with him my daughter was finally brought to the interview room by another teacher my heart could of broken in two she was clearly distressed and had been crying a while. if i thought it would of done any good i would of took her home with me there and then,
i left the meeting with the agreement that my daughter will have the teachers to write her homework in her planner and that she will get a timeout card so when she feels things getting on top of her she can be allowed to leave the lesson,and that the year head will put into place a strategy sheet for all her teachers. i have of course asked for a copy so that i can keep an eye on things to.
since being back home i have photo copied her statement and have highlighted all the points that are not yet being sorted at school,( now i am having doubts weather to take it into school as i don't really want to seem like a pushy parent. )

Pushy parent, you are not, you are your DD's advocate and just doing your job as a parent. The Law states they HAVE TO implement the provision of a statement. If they do not, its a good as useless.

However you can ask nicely and ask for a meeting to clarify the points you have highlighted.

and then follow up the meeting and points agreed in writing.