Have practically rewritten Part 3 of DS proposed revised Statement of SEN as it is so vague. Will they think I am a loon?

[JakeBullet]

DS is in Y6 and it am at that awkward time of trying to find a suitable secondary school? DS is autistic with ADHD, Dyspraxia and Dyslexia.

So far his Statement has been adequate due to him being in a very good and very supportive junior school. However, it is very vague and IMHO is not enough for a mainstream secondary school. Words like "regular" and "frequent" appear far too often as do phrases like "opportunities for" and "strategies for" with no clarification about what these mean.

I have requested a meeting with SENCAN but am also sending the Statement back with my revisions and a covering letter.

Part of the issue is that the three nearest secondary schools have SENCOs who left me very underwhelmed when I visited. Despite the LA saying that special needs education CAN be offered in a mainstream secondary school I have not got that impression from the SENCOs. Comments such as he will struggle all the way through and unless he is pushing NC level 4 we will find it hard to meet his needs^ have been a regular theme. .

The school I am seriously considering has such a SENCO.....she had nothing positive to say about DS's Statement, no proactive response to how they could meet DS's needs. Yet it is the school that his school feeds into and as such many of his friends will be going there. It is also the smallest secondary school and has a good name for SEN among other parents.

Despite this the SENCO came across as a bit of a "wet blanket" and spent her time telling me that DS woukd have to do 1-2 pieces of homework a night. I explained that it took us all week to help him do two pieces a week. I asked if his homework could be done in a homework club and she said yes it could but that DS would have too much to do it all there. She went on to explain that he would face "sanctions" for not doing homework. When I explained that DS struggled because his medication had worn off by the end of the day she suggested he needed more medication after school.

I strongly believe having met this woman and others that DS's Statement has to be watertight if he is to cope in a MS setting at secondary level. He doesn't belong in a special school either as socially he is very good. When I visited the local special schools I just could not see DS fitting in there in terms of social skills.

I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place.

Are SENCAN going to understand? Parent partnership feel I need to consider other schools as this woman would be my main point of contact. I feel it will be okay if the Statement has no wriggle room.

Any advice.

Have you read the other thread about specifying support in statements?

I would be very reluctant to send my child to a school where the SENCO is being so negative, with that said lots of sencos say they can meet children's needs and will do as the statement only to accept the child and do nothing, so its pot luck really.

Sanctioning a child because for something that arises from his disability is illegal so SENCO at this school may need to watch what she is saying.

The words you describe in the statement are of no help, it must be specific and quantified.

To answer the question, no they will think that you are a ~PIAP - Pain in the Arse parent. Its a badge wear it with pride. If you dont look out for the needs of your child no one else will. Hold them to the law. Thats what its there for. Accept nothing less.

IME, they will pretend to think you are a loon, to undermine your confidence.

Every time I asked for a target to be SMART I was met with looks of complete disbelief at my idiocy. Yet this is the bread and butter of SEN support and the paperwork that accompanies it.