1:1 help in class

[Funnyface1]

Hi, hoping for some advice.

My ds is 7. He has no formal diagnosis but was seriously delayed in lots of areas as a toddler and not speaking at all when he started nursery at 3.

Nursery were brilliant. Applied for funding, got a statement which later transitioned to an ehcp and he had full time 1:1 help in class and was accompanied during lunch and breaks.

This continued through reception and years one and two. In September he moved to a new school to begin year 3.

They have a very casual approach to special educational needs and have had very little interaction with me. When he started I was told he'd be 1:2 with a helper and another pupil. This became 1:3, then 1 teacher to a small group and only on mornings. When I tried to speak to them about what funding they are receiving for him and where it's going I was fobbed off and they said they use some funding to run small group therapies in the afternoons and he'll be part of any that are appropriate for him.

He now doesn't particularly have a helper, there are teaching assistants in his class who "keep an eye on him".

I'm just really disappointed because obviously I want to feel that he's getting all the help he needs and the other school were so good. They really cared about him, they talked to me everyday. They went out of their way to get him to where he is today.

This new school make me feel like a nuisance if I try to talk to them. They tell me he's doing fine and fob me off. They've been really cagey about the funding and won't give me a straight answer.

What can I do? How can he go from needing all that help last year to this? How can I find out what funding they are receiving for him? Surely it should be being spent on him.

He is doing so much better, I know that. But only because the other school worked so hard. I'm worried he will fall badly behind if this carries on.

Sorry this is so long and thanks for any replies.

What is specified in his EHCP in terms of support? Does it say he needs 1:1 and for how many hours a day?

The school must do whatever is laid out in his plan - it's a legal requirement. If they are not you can call an emergency meeting with the LA and School to discuss.

It gets harder when the EHCP is woolly. So if it's full of things like 'would benefit from small group work and some 1:1' or similar then School can then argue they are fulfilling that as 'would benefit' from could mean anything.

I think you need to review his plan, what the outcomes are and then if you are unclear how the school are supporting him to meet those outcomes ask for them to clarify.

Often there is no funding attached to an EHCP other than the notional £6k schools are supposed to have for each child with SEN.
My DS has full time 1:1, but to provide this the school had to secure additional funding from the High Needs Fund which is a separate pot of money the LA have. So the funding didn't automatically come with the plan - but because the plan says he has to have full time 1:1 then that School had to find a way to provide it.

Hope that makes a bit of sense.

Hi, thanks for the information, that's really helpful.

We had a meeting several months ago where his teacher and the school senco "updated" his ehcp.

I was told I would receive a copy of this through the post and you've made me realise that I haven't.

I'm going to ask his teacher tomorrow and try to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks again.

I don't think the school can amend an EHCP.
It can be updated annually but has to be done by the local authority after the annual review.

Do you have an independent advisory service you could contact in your area? Or maybe give Ipsea or SOSSEN a ring for some advice.

I just feel a bit ashamed of myself for not taking the time before now to learn exactly how this all works. The other school was so completely fantastic and did so much for him that I never had any issues to raise.

Thank you for your advice. There is a parent's evening on Wednesday (which I am furiously trying to book an appointment for, waiting for a call back from school) and I'm going to get some answers then. If I'm not happy I will look into getting help through the steps you've suggested.

This school really is so poor compared to the last

My neighbours boy who is 10 got an ehcp and it said for him to have 1:1 but they school have refused and said that it is only a guideline! Ridiculous

It's unlikely the teacher will fully understand how an EHCP is supposed to work (you might be lucky! But generally not).
The SENCO is probably better to talk to about it, but even then they can be a bit shaky on what's actually lawful versus what's LA policy (often verging on unlawful).

That being said, if your DS is coping and making progress, and not becoming distressed at home at having to cope at school, then School could well be right to scale back his support.
It really does depend on what's in his plan.

That's a very good point and the reason I haven't done much to rock the boat thus far. He is coping well. He was thriving academically at his old school due to so much extra focus but this led to him being a bit segregated from his peers. He wasn't developing as quickly with his social skills, was very young for his age and depended on the adults around him for lots of guidance.

He has essentially been thrown in the deep end at the new school and I can acknowledge that in some ways it's done him the world of good. His confidence is at an all time high, he's properly part of the class, he's listening to what's being said to the class as a whole rather than needing super strict guidance individually and he's made a lot of friendship's.

This is all brilliant and I know it has come at the right time for him and it's been the main reason that I've let them brush me off. I just want to be sure that we are striking the right balance between him developing his independence and making sure his academic learning is met.

The progress he has made in 4 years is astounding and he's proven he can learn. I don't want the help to stop just because they think he's doing "good enough". It's the immense amount of help that's gotten him to where he is and I think the fact that they've never seen how far behind he was isn't helping.

He also has impeccable behaviour so isn't a bother to them in any way.