School not sharing info or answering questions. Advice needed (sorry-long!)

[shelsco]

Sorry have posted before but with different question! Just very confused and hoping someone can help.
Ds1 is in Year 10 and has a late diagnosis of dyslexia. Up until now he has managed well (although failure to meet targets in English and huge difficulties in French) but has recently has started running out of time. I think he probably has been running out of time for a while but he doesn't have many timed tests really so it hasn't been obvious. Specialist assessor who carried out assessment recommended 25% extra time. His cognitive scores fall in the bracket for the minimum of evidence (bottom 3%). The problem is the school won't accept any of the evidence we have. It all complies with JCQ guidance for this year but they have rejected it without explanation. They say they have investigated and found none, even though most is from their data and comments.
He has just completed his Core Science GCSE (3 papers) and was unable to access over 19 marks as he failed to complete the paper. His friends all finished with ages left. He has also just done an RE mock and he got a grade 2 grades below his class level as he lost 17 marks from not getting onto the last question. He does the rest of his GCSEs next year.
We were supposed to meet with the deputy to discuss outcome of the investigation looking for evidence but he didn't turn up and left someone who knew nothing about it to read out notes saying they didn't really think ds has a need. I wrote to the head as JCQ has an example of a child in almost exactly the same as my son where school feel there is not enough evidence because of a late diagnosis but child has extremely low processing scores. JCQ recommend trialling extra time to se if it makes a difference but school refuse. We've asked for a meeting to discuss the evidence rejected and to find out what they would accept but they won't offer us one or answer any of the questions we've asked. They just keep saying they must maintain the integrity of their centre. Apparently the school is well regarded for always submitting lots of evidence, more than is needed, so they will not consider submitting anything else, even though it would comply with the guidelines, as they feel it would affect their reputation. There is no doubt that ds cannot complete his papers without extra time and he won't pass some of the exams without it. What do you do if the school won't answer your questions, share information or meet with you or even discuss things? Can they just do what they want?

Go for a multi-pronged approach as it sounds as if school don't recognise the diagnosis tbh.

Apply for a statement today - I don't actually think in this instance you'll get one but it flags up to the LA you want this taken seriously and prompts an EP visit.

Write to the information officer at your local council asking for your sons pupil records as a subject access request. They have to give you the information within 15 days.

Write to the HT and copy it to the governors asking her to confirm that although she is fully aware and in receipt of evidence that demonstrates your child is legally entitled to additional support during exams you would like her to confirm in writing that the school is unwilling to make the reasonable adjustments needed following your meeting at the school on X date.

They would laugh me out of town if I applied for a statement. I know how hard it is to get a statement and there is no way ds would be considered as he has always achieved well until now. Can anyone ask for a statement? They definitely don't recognise the diagnosis, that's what the problem is. I asked them to have the assessment repeated if they were unsure but, of course they wouldn't due to the cost. Do we have a right to ask for a statement?
What do you mean by multi-pronged approach? Involving more agencies? Sorry to be so uninformed, I am really floundering!
Would past papers be included in son's pupil records? The school won't show me what they originally submitted (as a query rather than application) to JCQ and I suspect it is because they only submitted the scores and no supporting evidence.
School have been quite clever in covering themselves bochead. they have said they will continue to look for evidence (even though they have rejected all that has been submitted so far) and won't explain what they would accept. They have only met with us once (when we took in the results oft he screening scores and they suggested they thought our son had 'underperformed'. They didn't turn up to the only subsequent meeting arranged and are refusing to acknowledge requests for other meetings. They just ignore questions so if I ask them to acknowledge they are in receipt of evidence that complies with the guidelines they just write back saying they have to make sure they comply with the JCQ, so will continue to look. Really frustrating as I've asked really specific questions and they don't answer them! Will try and get in touch with the information officer at the council.

Ok so apparently our council don't have an Information Officer and nobody seems to know who you speak to if you need to make a subject access request from a school! I've been referred to three different people, two of whom are out of the office. Someone has promised to ring me back tomorrow. Mmmm, not holding my breath!

I'm having similar trouble chasing down a name to attach to my subject access request - you don't think that's deliberate do you .

Do you really care about people laughing at you when your child's future is at stake?

It is true, you are unlikely to get one, but that isn't because he doesn't need one, only because quite frankly there is so little time available that will make it meaningful.

However, going through the process gives everyone a kick up the backside and makes them listen to you. You don't need an 'information officer', you can send your request to the HT for the school and any old bod in the council (one of the best ways is to do it through the councils complaints procedure, on an online form).

Thanks starlight. I did request it from the HT but have been ignored. They just don't acknowledge the request. I only care about being laughed at in the sense that I don't want it to mean that the whole situation is taken as a joke. I want to be realistic in my expectations or I will just be seen as an over the top parent, which will gain us nothing.

Bochead - Funny that, eh? I did get a call back from the council after I asked if that meant I couldn't actually apply for a subject access request for a school in this council. I got a call back within half an hour. A lady asked why I wanted the info and took notes about the school. She sounded like she was taking it seriously (!?). Said she would ring me next week as everyone in LEA who she needs to speak to are on holiday as it's half term. She sounded like she meant it but I'm not sure who to trust anymore.

Also rang my MP and spoke to his agent who said we need to email our concerns in a couple of paragraphs to him. Then he said he would go to LEA and put pressure on them to get another assessment done by an EP from their LEA so they can't imply it has been done by someone working for us! I'm a bit concerned though, as I have heard that, if an assessment is repeated, the results are sometimes better the second time as the child gets used to the type of test and scores better. Anyone know if that's true? I don't really see how he could process more quickly just because it was second time around but I have heard that somewhere. Also, what happens if a screening is done instead of a full assessment? Are the results likely to be the same? Sorry, more questions. I'm just worried that his scores will come out low but above the threshold for extra time that JCQ set. At the moment he is well below the threshold. Anyone got experience of dyslexia assessment being repeated or screening versus full assessment?

No-one will do anything or take anything seriously unless it is in writing and therefore will provide evidence that they have broken the law when they ignore you.

Why is not being seen as an over the too parent more important than sorting your child? (Sorry, not making a judgement just giving perspective. It is you, not them that will have to live with the consequence of their incompetence and apathy, don't join in with them.)

Yes, you're right starlight. All requests have been in writing by the way. Still ignored (four times).

We had an independent educational psychologist's report done on our daughter, when she was 17 - it showed she did not get much meaning from spoken or written language. (She'd already been assessed by a SLT, who found no language problem. Her decoding and spelling are fantastic.; but its just words flooding in for her, with little meaning. She has to read each sentence 2 - 3 times to work out what it means). The ed psy recommended 25% extra time in exams and Powerpoints from lessons available beforehand. Otherwise, she was a straight As student - which she only achieved because she worked 3 times harder than the others!

The school refused to give her extra time in 3 out of her 4 AS-levels; and her A2s - on the grounds, there should be a level playing field! I wrote to them that:

1. it was up to the exam board, not the school to decide what the level playing field was
2. subject teachers are experts in their subject; not child development as the ed psy was
3. it was disability discrimination

The school gave her the extra time!

Sounds quite similar to my ds in many ways. I've written to school but they apparently have to paint a picture of need and even though we have evidence that complies with the guidelines the school apparently have a good reputation for always submitting more than is required and feel it would tarnish their reputation to submit evidence of a different nature. You would have thought they would pride themselves on doing the right thing for their children, not providing evidence that 'beats' the other schools!
I did ring the exam board (as school told me they wouldn't accept independent reports). they told me they go along with what the school decides. I also wrote that it was disability discrimination and they wrote back and said I had to prove it was a disability because by law disability has to significantly affect everyday activities and they said if it did it would have been picked up before now. I also pointed out that teachers were not experts in apd or dyslexia but they just ignored that bit!! Glad it worked for you though. To be honest I was a bit shocked that our school were arrogant enough to assume they know better than the experts! At least it seems that the staff at your school have some shred of humanity!