Report about Hertfordshire's dire education provision for ASD

[StarlightMcKenzie]

harc-online.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/A-survey-of-the-education-of-children-with-autism-in-Hertfordshire1.pdf

About blimmin time.

Political History: HARC (Local NAS Branch) backed Herts LA for ages and Herts gave them funding. They brought in bodyguard figures to protect anyone from the council when invited to talk, from angry parents. They supported the council in stupid claims that you can't measure social skills and their internal reviews found their own provision outstanding.

The NAS (local) agreed to rubber stamp LA provision with NAS kitemark for £40k with the idea that 9 or so generic special schools could receive this and then work as 'hubs' providing outreach to their local schools making all state provision arguably NAS-approved.

Not such a bad idea if you truly had children at the heart of your plans and not simply tribunal wins.

When Freeschools became a proper option, HARC put in a proposal to set up their own school and expected CC to support it. They refused to and afaik have been pretty underhand in their rejection.

It would seem that the local branch have now retaliated with their own surveys and research to find justification in their proposal for a school on the basis that Herts is, after all, crap!

That's as I understand things anyhow, but interested in anyone else's views or just general gossip really.

This just brings home to me how lucky DS2 has been. It was a Herts school SENCO that spotted the possibility that he might have ASD (we didn't realise because the ADHD was so bad it was masking everything else). Assessment and diagnosis done in Herts (at Harper House). Herts primary school went out of their way to accommodate his needs. He is now at a Herts secondary school who have provided a six-week transition programme at the end of Y6, two specialist intervention programmes now he is in Y7, a weekly meeting with an LSA to assess how his needs are being met, a friendship club every lunchtime, a walking bus to and from the games field, and a support group for parents.

However, I am not naïve enough to think that every child with ASD in Herts is receiving this sort of provision.

I'm one of the lucky ones too TBOG.

A SALT at a toddler group noticed DS. I thought he was fine as he was (and still is) an only.

In the space of 3 years, he had CDC/CDAC, SALT input , portage, early access into one of the very few nurseries that did extra work for SN children, statemented by 4 and into a MLD school before he was 5.

He's now 11 and at a fabulous SN secondary that threatened to fight me if I took him out! I had some worries about putting him into a school that had a large focus on outdoor activities but within 3 weeks they had worked out what he liked and he is thriving.

Yet I see other parents fighting to get a smidgin of the help/support I got for Toad. Children that would be so much better supported in SN schools but cannot get a Statement until they are deemed to be 'failing'.

Perhaps it is because your children are a bit older!?

There was no portage when my child was diagnosed, and people who had been working in Herts forever said they'd never heard of it.

“Hertfordshire’s ship of inclusion is a leaky one and many of our children are drowning.”

I quite like this quote. Excellent quotes from around half way through.

That's really interesting. I heard recently that Herts are trying to shove autistic children into a pupil referral unit aimed primarily at pupils at risk of school exclusion, claiming that it has links with the local NAS. Apparently the NAS was less than impressed and pointed out the only link is that they rent some space there.

Also Herts has taken to using a certain solicitors' firm that boasts about how it will help LAs get rid of ABA programmes.

It also transpires (from the recommendations in the report) that the agreement to kitemark Herts special schools hasn't happened.

I'm guessing that their support of the Council was based on their believing Herts lies and then, seeing for themselves how crap their provision is.

It has taken YEARS, and they haven't kitemarked even one.

Pretty damning report. Ds is older and one of those who nearly drowned, and is now back at sea. Its a bit of a lottery as to which children get adequate support. There are some good people on the front line.

My experience is that the good people at the front line, receive a lot of training aimed at making them less good for a higher agenda.