What has SEN funding got to do with the Parents?

[kafkesque]

Everytime we have a meeting funding is mentioned. What has it got to do with us except putting us on a massive guilt trip? Having a child with special educational needs (SEN) can be very isolating both with school and the other parents so in effect the whole community.

Some children have a higher level of need than others and require more help and support so that they can make progress like mine. As long as they have met their needs and that it is 'suitable' and 'adequate' and therefore they've met their obligation is all I am concerned about.

There is no legally valid excuse for failing a child with SEN. The good news is that SEN is actually an issue highly regulated by law. The rights of parents with a child with SEN are now largely set out in the Education Act 1996 and supporting regulations also with the force of law.

There is also a Code of Practice to which Local Authorities must have regard and a considerable body of case law filling in the remaining gaps. Local authority policy should be about how the authority fulfils its statutory duties and achieves consistency of practice, not how it limits them.

I don’t want money mentioned in meetings any more.

As I posted on another thread:

The school decides how to spend its delegated SEN/AEN budget.

The school decides that DC with SEN (SA and SA+) will be provided with out-of-the-classroom, TA delivered, off-the-shelf interventions. Realistically DC can't be out of the classroom for longer than 5 hours a week. Therefore DC on SA and SA+ are entitled to up to 5 hours invention outside the classroom but they are not entitled to support in the classroom. Even written advice from external experts is ignored.

The school decides that DC who are on the G&T register but not on the SEN register and are not underachieving (and so 'should' get level 5 at KS2) have AEN and are entitled to up to 13.5 hours support. Of course, they don't need the interventions they have on offer and so this is taken to mean 1:1 tuition and in-class support. DC on the G&T register are subjectively identified by the school for academic performance, not nationally but in comparison to their classmates. No external advice is necessary.

Ironically, DC on the G&T register meet the new requirement for the first 6K/13.5 hours support expected before requesting top-up/statementing but DC with severe and persistent SEN do not, and under a system that says 'you need a statement to get support in the classroom', never can because DC need support in the classroom to get a statement!

So, if DC are going to achieve and make the school look good, identify them early and give them extra support. If DC have SEN, tough, they are likely to fail anyway so there is no point wasting effort for no reward visible in the league table.

This matters because DS2 received his first refusal for SA today. Not because he is making good progress. No argument there. But because he already has access to services it normally takes a statement to achieve. But the school, with the help of external experts should be able to achieve progress. I agree. He is visited termly by SALT, OT and specialist SLCN teacher. Trouble is the school ignore their advice and give him 5 hours of provision he does not need instead.

As things stood the LA could ultimately be held accountable as defendant in an appeal. How are schools held accountable? What court do we take them to before they start to act lawfully?

The problem with deliberately closing your eyes to an issue, although apparently morally commendable, means that you can't see what is happening under your nose iykwim

Unfortunately because we have funded our child's provision ourself, and continue to do so, despite it being on the statement, I cannot avoid specific financial conversations.

I have real difficulty trying to fight the YD's corner whilst feeling sympathetic for the school/class teacher over resource management (as I am a teacher). I try to keep firmly in mind that I am YD's advocate, and that the resource difficulties of his school are. not. my. problem.

But it's hard.