Unapproachable School SENCO / reasons for transfer

[littlesteps01]

I've decided to transfer my child after the school SENCO out right refused to see me - not to reschedule, I mean completely. Instead, she insisted that I see his classroom teacher as I had missed the last parents meeting due to not being well - unfortunately I had to also keep my child away from school during this time as it was not possible for me to take him to school.
Despite this I still went along to meet with his teacher, who's always been positive about his progress but unfortunately never mentions the difficulties he has in the class room. I discovered the difficulties which he has through a SLT report. When I asked about these difficulties which mainly revolved around his attention, the response I got was that he'll eventually learn to adjudge himself over time.
There have been a few assessment done on my child in school, ie. education psychologist, and I've had no feed back from the school regarding this? is this normal?
Also, I had selected this school because they had promised a specialist unit for kids with speech and language difficulties, which would consist of once a week classes but instead have turned out to be few sessions. Again this is something I discovered in the SLT report. I feel as if I have been mis - sold.

We've just been offered another local school but unfortunately I am not sure whether to be completely honest with the new school for my reasons for changing or not? I dont want to create a hostile environment which is how it was at the last school.

What other excuses could I give for changing without going into the problems I had at the last school? I am really desperate for advice.

By the way the last school was closer to me then this new one - so this isn't even an option.

You don't need to give any reasons. You could decide to change schools because the school uniform colour clashes with your fridge magnets. It's irrelevant.

However, more than likely the head from the new school will ring just to get some background. I can't guarantee they will but all my heads have when we've had a local transfer. So they'll get some knowledge of the situation anyway. You can either decide on a fresh start which might mean the new school will make their own minds up or linger with the info from the old school. Alternatively, you can be up front and give your side which might enlighten the new school or confirm what they have been told. There's no easy answer there.

Eitherway Ed Psych should have sent you a copy of the report.

Thanks for your response Soapboxqueen. I have already been told by the new school that they will be in touch with my child's old school, so its almost certain. I've even offered to personally collect his personal record but they've insisted that it has to be school to school - I happy with this cause I didn't even want to see their front line staff.

I mean I've not done anything wrong with the old school I haven't even made a complaint. So, if I just say that we wanted a new start do you think that would be enough? I'd love to be honest but experience has told me institutions such as school often tend to stereotype.

I am really scared about making this change cause it takes my child a while to get used to a new place. But at the same time I know it needs to be done as I didn't have a good repport with his old school

I don't think you need to give any reasons for changing.

However, I would suggest you ask for copies of all your child's records so that you can see all the feedback on assessments, and indeed things like copies of the referrals which will show why the school was sufficiently concerned to ask for the assessments.

Tbh I think saying you just wanted a fresh start might be the only option. Not making a complaint at the previous school won't mean they'll be neutral in their discussions with the new school. Most of the chat will be 'off the record' and may include their perceptions of you which may not be accurate. Therefore saying you want a fresh start might at least alay some of their concerns or at least allow you to start over.

Schools (as other institutions) can stereotype people but that's because sometimes experience teaches you that they can be true.

Most of the time if a parent or family have been known to be difficult at a previous school, they will be difficult again. If a family or child have been known to make false accusations, they will do so again. That doesn't mean they all do, but it's enough to keep it in mind if nothing else.

However, most schools (and staff) also have their opinions on other schools in the area. Other schools will be known for dissuading families that 'don't fit', pushing out SEN children, declaring children unteachable when they aren't and generally being arseholes.

So even if the old school bitches about you royally, there's a chance the new school will know their form and act accordingly.

Even if both schools are best pals and the old school doesn't send a glowing report, over time they'll just assume that there was some clash of personalities or decide that they are such an amazing school they tamed the difficult parent where the old school couldn't

In the long run I wouldn't worry.

I like soaps evaluation!

I'd just say you needed a fresh start. Then ask for a copy of DS salt and EP reports to have a look at them. If school ask why you want them just say you haven't had a copy and are interested.
Yiu can do a subject acces request for his school file if needs be.

I think by stating you've not seen reports the new school will work out for themselves you weren't difficult - you can't be difficult over info you've never seen!

Thanks guys for your advice. I went to the new school yesterday and told them exactly that "we were looking for a new start". The assist head who interviewed us was a bit cynical about our new start, but didn't ask much after that.

I did contact his old school for the Ed psych report but apparently they didn't have anything other than his initial application from nursery and nursery report on file.

In fact the new school asked me to provide them with his speech and language therapy report which was conducted at his old school - even this wasn't on his file.

The sad fact is my child won't be able to get SL support at the new school without a statement. However, I was really pleased in term of how they were organised, my DS loved the new school. He got to see his new class and straight way got on with the other kids.

Towards the end of our tour, the nursery teacher, whose class was the last one we went to see said something buzzer to my DS, which left me in doubt afterwards, "I've heard so much about you".

Well there isn't much you can do about it if there is a lot of chat behind the scenes.

Contact the Ed Psych service directly for a copy of the report. Same for speech and language. If your ds needs speech and language therapy, it should becoming from that service so contact them about it. It's an NHS service anyway.