What does happen in your childs school?

[macwoozy]

Just when do you realise a school is unsuitable? How do you know the next one is going to be any better?

These are questions I've asked myself lately because of one parent who has taken her child out of the unit(attached to a mainstream school). She has grave concerns about how the children are segregated too much from mainstream and that basically their emotional needs have not been taken care of, and from what she said they were not getting any respect. But unfortunately I've not been able to talk to her for any length of time to figure out whether she has real evidence to think like this. I'm not usually a hard person but I really need to see it for myself. It's not like I have an ample choice, it's either the unit, SN school or HE. And none of those are looking too promising!

How do you find this information out when your child will not talk about school? How can you really know what's going on?

I'm curious to know how anyone can gain this information unless they are physically there to see it.

I'm approaching a statement review so I'm feeling pretty nervous and I'm unsure as to how I really feel.

My ds school has an "open school" policy where parents can visit and stay any time. Is that the same at your school? If not, then I think Riven's idea to pop in is about the only option.

I suppose at the annual review, you could grill them about the IEP, and take a list of all the things that worry you, and make sure they answer them all to your satisfaction. You could then follow up by having an informal meeting with the teacher a month or two later to ascertain if everything is happening as they said it would.

Lastly, when I do go into school to join the class, I am always aware that the teacher could spend more time with my ds to make the teaching look falsely wonderful. I have asked a friend, whose son is in my ds class to keep an eye on my ds when she visits the class. Then she can report back to me. And I do the same for her. Is that something you could arrange?

I got them to let private SALT go in to observe. (she needed to anyway tbh as NHS one hadn't produced a plan of work for DS).

riven at your DD being left lying on the floor at the SN school.

If you've got a review coming up could you use that as an excuse to make an appointment to go in and see how ds is doing?

Yes I think I will do that. They have said that I can go in and chat if I have any concerns, but I don't like to be a nuisance, and anyway like twoisplenty mentioned, I'm not sure I'd get the full picture if I'm there. I would love to be a fly on the wall.

To be honest I've never been concerned about this particular school, in fact if anything I've been impressed with how much time and patience they've put in with helping my ds. It's just these comments from this parent has unnerved me somewhat, and I don't suppose it helps with the review coming up.

Thanks for your advice

My son has a home/school book. We write things that happen at home, (things of concern/things he's done at the weekend etc.) and they do the same. I know they could write anything but it's a good way of keeping track of what's going on. At his last school I missed an open-evening because Ds1 couldn't tell me and no-one thought to mention it! Also sometimes it's easier to explain things when you are writing to someone and have more time to think about it.