My experience is very close to 2boys. Some schools seem to have decided to draw the line on SEN delegated budgets (now that time has passed and so they have 'forgotten' that actually the overall budget includes SEN) and they seem to think that their 'can't pay - won't pay' attitude is morally justified as the policy itself is unfair. The arrogance is staggering because it openly flaunts the law.
To ask the question 'what must be the case?' for teaching staff to behave in this way (where the real people at the front-line of the battle are disabled DC and their beleaguered families), either, they are all (apart from a few good apples) morally bankrupt and rotten to the core or these kind of experiences are the new reality. Maybe we are feeling loss of power because ultimately appealing and having a water-tight statement means sweet FA if the school won't implement, LAs won't force them and legal recourse is pointless, expensive, stressful and time-consuming.
I spent an hour on the phone to IPSEA this morning. I have a meeting with the HT the SENCO and the LA this week. Despite the fact that we are on the run-up to Tribunal, the LA only managed (by attending meetings, writing short-term targets etc) to get the school to deliver all the support in the existing statement (it will be more following appeal) in mid-June. A week later the HT made his Statement to Tribunal detailing provision that had only been in place for a week. The detailed provision was stopped at the end of term a month later and never restarted in the new term in September. At the beginning of October the Senco gives me a proposed new IEP which officially removes all the short-term targets.
Courtesy of Data Access request to the LA I have copies of emails and notes of discussions where the HT and the Senco as good as claim that parents have delusional beliefs that have resulted in a statement being given purely due to parental pressure, that DS2 does not present with any issues and so the school is finding it hard to meet the statement requirements and, worse of all, that supporting DS2 is 'hampering his education'.
The recent report of 2nd opinion from the HFA clinic at GOSH recommends autism outreach and continuing SALT and OT. The school have spent the last year arguing they are not necessary - even though he had them in his previous school.
I want the LA to kick ass and I want an apology - preferably on the front page of the school homepage right next to the SEND offer.