why would school frown at specialist support?

[Lesley25]

Hmmm, interesting conversation with LA woman today. She said the ms my ds (asd) is moving to have questioned the asd specialist hours and "we might be putting too much pressure" on them to fulfil this...

My understanding was that the asd specialist hours is bought in from the school according to how much money has been given to the school to cover those hours. So why would the school take a "sharp intake of breath"?!

I'm currently going to tribunal and papers have to be in from the LA by next tuesday - hence the rapid phone calls from them trying to get me to "downgrade" my asd specialist hours to "give the school and my son " the best possible start to a relationship..

Have i got my thinking wrong? would the school really not want the asd specialist support to help the very young TA?

Because it's a specialist service, which has to be paid for. It means that they actually have to pay money for the advice, rather than keeping the money to pay for their costs in having your DS there.

But what would be their additional costs in having my ds there - he has a full 1:1 statement which i'm assuming would completely pay for the TA.
What other costs would be associated in having my ds at the school over and above an nt child, that isn't covered in the statement (and thus funding hasn't been allocated for that service).

Sorry, its all rather new to me.

If the school has been given £13k, say, to fund a child's statement, but it includes £3k, say, of 'specialist advice', and they can avoid the specialist advice, then they not only save the cost of the advice, but the time of the person who would have to accept the advice, take recommendations and implement it.

For a MS school to get specialist advice for one child is quite a burden on the already stretched workload, especially if the statement only provides for 1:1 support in school hours - that 1:1 support would have to be covered while the TA is getting the advice of the advisor, bringing additional costs.

For, say, a specialist school, who may get advice that can be tailored for 5 or 6 children, then the cost is more spread and there is more flexibility in the staffing to allow for that advice to be utilised.

M/s schools have to pay the first £6000 of any statement now. As you say that would probably go first towards the TA and the specialist hours would come out of the top up from the LA

So if the statement costs £13k school would pay £6k and LA top up with £7k

The specialist service is usually centrally funded by LA unless they buy it in.

Have you seen it in writing the school has questioned this level of support or has the LA just said invented this to back up its own arguments because the service can't provide the number of hours you are requesting?

Speaking from experience class teachers are reluctant to give up time with visiting specialists - although that doesn't usually include the TAs.

Haven't seen it in writing, the la contact just called me about this twice in 24 hours. Saying also we would have to go back to the infamous panel... And how other children with the same support have actually less hours.. But I caught her out there (and she knew it) as I knew the mums (part of a support group) who all told me today how they actually had more hours (I know it's based on need) then my ds. The la contact knew I would find that out today so changed tac and said it "wouldn't help our relationship". I just smell a rat here.

Sorry the school definately buy the support in

Can you contact school SENCO yourself and ask to chat about her concerns about hours chances are school haven't said anything.

Tell them that it woukd be unethical of you, the LA or the school to put your adult 'relationships' above the needs of a small vulnerable child.

Ffs

Saying it "wouldn't help our relationship" sounds horribly like a threat, to me. One to put in writing, I think.

Ah yes! Definately put that in writing....