School Action Plus Question ' New here...'

[ratflavouredjelly]

Hello. I've been brave enough to post in this section. My DS (6) is awaiting whether he receives a diagnosis or not. The school are putting him on SAP.

Could anyone tell me. Does this mean the school get extra funding so they can access outside sources i.e. SALT. Therefore, can I then ask them to provide 15 hours a week of one-to-one with that money?

DS is maverick, creative, eccentric, quirky, prone to emotional outbursts/meltowns/anxiety/lashing out/taking things v literally/suspicion and social/sensory difficulties. Although some days are completely NT days.

Many thanks!

My understanding is that it is upto the school how they spend their SEN budget.

From September they will have to provide the first £6000 of funding towards children with SN's before they can access additional funding from the LA.

In my experience it would be tricky to convince a school to give one to one funding for 15 hrs on SA+ but there are some on this board who have managed it.

If you do manage it, let me know how! I have struggled like mad since September to get 3hrs a week for Dd3. She has been seen by a SALT though and OT's.

Good luck

Sorry should have said Hi and welcome to the board

SA+ meams that the school are involving outside agencies eg EP, SALT, OT etc. generally they will assess or go on schools concerns. the school can follow their recommendations, although bare in mind these recommendations are usually based on the schools budget, so they may be less than what your dc needs.
I would be suprised if any LA prof would recommend 15hrs 1:1 without a statement tbh.
good luck!

You don't say which diagnosis you are anticipating, but if the need is enough during his school day to warrant 1:1 for the 15 hours and the school also agree, i would be applying for a statement - especially since the 15 hours of 1:1 is necessary in order for your dc to progress at school.
Do the school have concerns? They can involve an EP to assess by asking the LA - the wait is usually 8 weeks depending on which area you live in. Or you could go private. This will all help at statement level. You dont say whether your son sees a SALT or needs one, but its really just a question of getting the relevant reports in and you don't need them to be in to simply request the statement process start for your son.
Speak to the LA rep for the school - the SENCO will have interractions with this person and get the school on board first.

As i said above, its based on need - so if your son needs that 15 hours - regardless of where the funding etc comes from, his needs should be in a statement.

Thanks all. This area is so helpful. Am now starting to get my head around it and add pro-actively and fight for my DS. I'll post more on background this evening - when I have headspace and .

Hello rat,

Just take one step at a time. The people here are extremely knowledgeable about how the system is supposed to work and how it really works. I'm afraid the two rarely compare.

The best thing you could do right now is start a log/diary, detailing every conversation you have with the school about your ds, or any professional. Date, time, person and where you can, direct quote, whether it is a promise of something or a refusal of something with a reason. Also record every phonecall you have made but been unable to get through as well as any phone messages you leave.

It may/may not surprise you, but they will probably be doing this at their end too.

In terms of what you can or can't ask for, really, as a parent, it is unlikely the school will take guidance on how they spend their un-ringfenced SEN budget from a parent. If you think your ds needs 15 hours of support you'll need to provide evidence. People on this board can help with this if you need it.

Technically SA+ means only that an outside agency is involved. The school need not do anything and are not legally required to. Morally perhaps but not by law.

No even if the child clearly would not make progress with the additional 10?

Isn't that an incentive to schools to avoid identification of struggling children who are otherwise not a problem to the class teacher?

Especially as that money, if not given to the child isn't ringfenced so could be spent on glossy brochures or CPD in Barcelona.

Absolutely Polter. But the system 'likes' hours because they can be quantified in financial terms. Letting a year 3 child join a Year 4-6 lunchtime chess club to give them a place with structure to go to rather than the playground is of no interest to anyone because it doesn't come with funds and is just annoying to implement - often.

Here here polter but in reality I dont think that is going to happen.

I think my Dd3 is a perfect example of that, she is in the most amazingly inclusive school where the majority of staff are totally on board and willing to understand every child as an individual but....

This last term has been an almighty disaster resulting in Dd3 being very unhappy. I asked for her to be supoorted one to one so that the "adults" in the group could get a handle on what they were doing to upset her so much.

I cannot see how it will be possible for her to transition into secondary without a statement to ensure legally that she is supported.

Am I lacking in trust ?? Maybe but with good reason I think.

My son is on SA+. He gets 10 mins 1-1 a day.

My Dd3 gets 3 hrs a week one to one from a TA during Literacy.

Only Dd3 maintains that she doesnt and the TA accidentally told me that she works with "her" group during Literacy and Dd3 isnt in "her"group!!!

I havent yet shared that info with anybody because it implies that either the HT the Literacy teacher has been lying to my face for at least 5 weeks !! Which makes me both very and very

Ds is on SA+ and he gets 12 hours a week 1-1 or small group work. School gets input from SALT, OT and the Autism Advisory Teacher is due a visit this month as well.

Ds is on SA+ and he gets 12 hours a week 1-1 or small group work. School gets input from SALT, OT and the Autism Advisory Teacher is due a visit this month as well.

Yes Ineed but you know they won't think they are doing anything wrong.

The class teacher or a 'professional on the ground' will have made a decision that your dd doesn't need that support for whatever reason or that she'll benefit from the TA being there even if doing something else.

Did you see those threads where a bunch of teachers spent a good deal of time arguing that it is THEIR decision how to use a child's statement provision regardless of what is written in the statement and that any parent who complains is being selfish as there are other children that need support etc.

It is genuinely felt to be perfectly reasonable to do this.