Inclusion, is it really this exclusive?!

[Gingeete]

Our daughter is 3 and has Mild - moderate learning difficulties, her diagnosis has caused developmental delay, she isn't walking yet (but will), is only just starting to say words (has great potential to be very articulate) and may be prone to behavioural issues around food.

We have been seen by pre school specialist teacher at home for last few months and told she is likely to need a statement of education or EHP when it comes to school. Also being told it's very hard to get a statement and not guaranteed even with a diagnosis as she is showing potential. So confused.

We have decided to think worst case scenario and although there is a school out of catchment that we love it's unlikely to accept her without a statement.

We viewed our village school and were shown around by the Head this week. He started our appointment by saying if his school had to take Our daughter if they were named on the statement then it would be at the cost to the school for the first 12 hours of extra care she would require. He emphasised that would be TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE OTHER PUPILS. He showed us around the school and showed how the disabled toilets were used as girls changing rooms, told us his teachers would not be willing or able to help our daughter with toileting and he kept on about how his various classes were "high achievers".

I understand people have issues with special needs however this has been the first experience where I really felt our daughter was not welcome and would be an imposition on them. I did not meet other teachers so am unsure if this is the school ethos or just the head. I understand budgets are tight and the law is the law but I would feel so angry he at attempted to place the responsibility of finance issues on us. I feel uncomfortable that if my daughter does not get a statement we would have to send our daughter somewhere, where she would clearly be unwelcome.

I do fail to understand how a man of this level of ignorance and prejudice can be left to influence and shape the lives of other children.

Furious, sad, shocked and unsure whether to complain or what to do. Any other experiences?? Is this the taste of things to come?

sadly in my experience it is a taste of things to come. my ds also has a dx of mild learning difficulties and global developmental delay, he is 7.
he started ms primary with no dx. school were quick to identify that he wasnt meeting targets etc so referred to salt. salt discharged saying school needed to work on his listening and attention skills before they could offer therapy. a year later school re referred. again salt discharged saying ds couldnt cope or progress with therapy. at this point ds was in yr 2 and significantly behind with no additional support. his behaviour at home was awful as he simply couldnt cope with school, we were at breaking point as a family.
I went to the gp and ds was referred to a pead, ot and physio. he was dx straight away and they suggested he needed a statement. at this point school became very defensive, claiming ds was fine and that they didnt have the money to fund a statement.
I applied direct to la for a statement and school tried everything within their power to prevent ds from getting one.
fortunately the la agreed to issue a statement but sadly as it is not specific school are still not fully supporting ds. we are appealing the statement through sendist at the moment. it has been a very hard emotional time but I am pleased the end is now in sight.

my advice to you would be to apply for a statement and to make sure it is specific in terms of provision.
im sure you can apply now (before September) when they bring in the new EHCP.
IPSEA are fab for really good advice and have a helpline you can ring plus model letters you can use to request SA. good luck!

Definitely apply for a statement. My view having had ds at an outstanding school and then at a good one is that you can't really do much if the school isn't prepared to support your child, whatever the rights or wrongs if it. That head couldn't have been much clearer and I think you will save yourself a lot of stress if you can find another school that you like and that is more welcoming.

Somewhere on your council's website will be a table like this with NastyHead Primary's notional SEN budget on it.

His 'high-achieving' pupils are inadvertently stealing money which is meant to fund SEN. Like your dd's first 12 hours of support. You might want to print off a copy to enclose with your complaint.

Though, if you can get his views in writing, it might help to stop her being dumped unsupported in his school. And if she doesn't get a statement, but goes to his school, he might well assist with getting one, to facilitate her departure.

Tbh, I've got more time for heads who tell the truth about not wanting our dc. Many sweet-talking ones don't want them either, but they're better at playing the LA game, and at pretending to offer a useful education.

i think you should start the ball rolling now with a request for statutory assessment. There's a sample letter on the IPSEA website.

I've just moved my son at year 2 from an arsehole school to one with a better attitude. On paper and at initial interview they actually said all the right things about inclusion but in reality they were not prepared to (as they saw it) take time away from the 'normal' kids and provide anything different. If he couldn't keep up, tough, cos it's not like he was going to achieve anything anyway right? He's now doing much better in his new school who are willing to teach him and not leave him entirely to the TA (he had a full statement and 1:1 support but even that wasn't enough!). I would say find a school that has a good attitude. You have the law on your side but no one will make the school do what it should, there is no accountability. You will save yourself a lot of heartache finding the right school from day 1. They do exist. Contact parent groups and get recommendations. Otherwise be prepared to battle and police the provision day in day out for the next 7 years. Do get a statement if you can as at least then you can go to an indep tribunal to get the right support. Village schools generally don't get a big enough sen budget for even one high needs child but should be able to get extra funds from the council. But I personally would think twice. Being unwelcome in a school does take it's toll.

Long story but sounds like a situation we had with our catchment school. We were trying to do a joknt placement - part time special school/part time mainstreamwith a vjew to full time ms.
In the end we gave up, ds is at ss fulltime and we are all far happier.

I am not suggesting that your dd needs special school Gingeete but just that this may not be the right place

Thanks for replies. It's heartening to know we aren't alone and there is a place to vent my frustration. Sorry to hear of anyone else struggling in the education system. As if we don't have enough to get our heads around and fight foR!

We have already spoken to IPSEA, last week actually,before I met the HeadTeacher. Will be speaking to them again soon with very specific queries!

I have also spoken to our daughters caseworker in statutory assessment and she advised me to wait until September to start process or it won't be accurate when our daughter does start school. She was very nice and helpful and made me feel a lot better about it all. I am collating letters from our daughters specialist consultants and people who specialise in her condition which shows it's general patterns influencing behaviours and abilities. Hoping this will support our application for statement.

Have done a lot of reading over the weekend about SEN funding in primary schools in our area and am now a bit more clued up and can kind of see head teachers viewpoint a bit clearer and am beginning to think that the national system of funding is creating a culture of institutional prejudice. If head teachers perceive to be being penalised for having SEN pupils they are likely to try and discourage them. It sucks.

Since our daughters diagnosis at 3 weeks we have only encountered people who want her to succeed and achieve. We have come up against quick staff turn over issues and overworked therapists but never actual prejudice. It hurts!

Please keep on posting your experiences, it's really really helpful to see the situations you have encountered and how you have responded.

Please don't delay applying for a statement. That's just a money saving / gatekeeping tactic, they know she will need support for her school life and just want to put off paying for it. You need the support in place for when she starts. When is she 4? You do not have to put her in school full time until the term after she is 5. You have various options. You can keep her at home on current provision until term after she is 5. You can let her go to school but only part time and so she has full time 1:1 when she is there (12 hours). You can put her in nursery until term after she is 5 (still get 15 free hours until then). You can ask LA to agree to defer school by a whole year ( you need clear written agreement she can start reception a year late not have to go into year one). You can try and get a statement by sept. You can also look at special schools, nurseries, units. Children quite often go to specialist placements until 5 or 6 then transition into mainstream. It is perfectly possible to assess a child at home, the EP and specialist teacher will know exactly the sort of problems she will face. Apply for a statutory assessment now, it will take at least 6 months and if you have to appeal any stages up to 18 months so there is no benefit to you in delaying. Look at SEN Code of Practice young children with obvious needs don't have to exhaust the graduated approach they can leapfrog straight to a statement. You may find schools more willing if the child comes with full statement and the whole day is covered with 1:1. You may want to look at which schools get the most sen money locally. The government changed the rules recently so you can usually find a list on council website often a report has gone to school forum or executive on school funding and sen, or you can just ask the council for a list.

I would echo the advice above to apply now, I hope I am wrong but the attitude of the head is probably the tip if the iceberg wait until you see the true colours of your SEN officers which will only become apparent over time and then decide if it is just this head or is a more endemic problem in your authority. In mine it's much more widespread than one head teacher.

I would also say apply now too for a statement and also go and see a lot of schools including special schools and in neighbouring LAs. It will really help you see where your child will fit.

I would be very cautious about appearing optimistic about your daughter's potential in front of any LA professionals. It is essential that you get a statement in place and appeal if the LA refuse to assess. Even with a statement the LEA only has to provide an 'appropriate' education it is your job to get her into the best school for her where she will reach her potential.

Good luck.

Am collecting evidence to show issues that our daughter will develop. There is a trajectory of behavioural issues which is well documented in academia. I have references from seminal papers on her disorder and have contacted the UKs leading Professor on her disorder to write a letter of support for here statement. I have been to lectures by him so thought I would drop him a line! No response yet but only sent it Friday.

Have complained about head teacher and specifically questioned if the prejudice we faced was from the individual himself or whether there is institutional prejudice created from the way SEN if funded.

I am definitely not positive towards any professionals to do with education. I am rarely positive in private.

Thanks for input.