Can anyone help me with what to expect at a review for statement please?

[slightlycrumpled]

Hi, we have had a letter home today asking for myself and DH to attend a preliminary review of DS2's statement and needs. AS this is his first statement I'm unsure at what to expect.

We are extremely happy with his progess and his one to one is fantastic. He has had surgery on his mouth that will hopefully start to improve his speech in about twelve months time, he will always need hearing aids and will probably go on to have learning difficulties as well as all of his medical problems.

I guess I don't want to go in there and say how fab everything is and then they take it away.

What should we expect?

Thanks

Is it like an annual review at his school? If so, I've had similar meetings where they basically look back at what it said in the statement and work out if the education he needs is being properly delivered. In other words, it's a formality so doesn't have to mean any bad news. That said, I think you should prepare some responses to any areas you think they might raise as tricky or not working out - that way you are expecting the best, but preparing for the worst. I only say this because I went into my first ever meeting with the school full of hope, then they came out with all these negatives and I was crushed because it had come out of the blue. For the next meetings I went to, I made sure to have a little note of points I wanted to put across (eg it's going well, and here are the reasons why) and also made sure I wasn't going in without preparing for any negatives. One piece of advice someone gave me though, which has come true, is that generally once the statement is written it doesn't get altered much unless something massive changes - I think most LEAs are too lazy to rewrite it! Good luck, and don't be afraid to say at the end that you wouldn't mind just going through the points you've written down. But giving praise to the school and the 1-to-1 will go down well I'm sure. People are only human, and like to hear praise.

you should say you think it's all fab and needs to continue at the same level it's currently being provided.

The outcome of statement reviews is frequently "no change" unless the educaitonl psychologist has been called - always a sign something is going to change!!

J's statement has changed about 6 times in 4 years...it changes every Annual Review (and at most of the Interim ones) and has only ever changed for the better! So it is possible to go in with ideas for how the Statement could be improved and to get those improvements. Agree with the others that saying "it's going well BECAUSE..." makes sense.

Have you been asked to submit a report? You should be asked to do this well before the review. Any professionals involved should too. These reports should be circulated 2 weeks before the review never happens!

Here are the questions that the reports and the meeting should cover
does the statement remain appropriate ?
Have your child's needs changed significantly ?
Is the provision still appropriate or would your child's needs be better met at another school ?
Should the statement should be amended and if so, why and how?
Are there any other significant recommendations?
Should the LA maintain, amend or cease to maintain the statement?

Good luck!

(the cynic in me is sayign the reports are late because we are busy seeing children on a conveyor belt but that's a whole other thread....)

Hi mogwai - I know - have replied on other thread!!! But actually, it's usually the school late in sending them in my case - the reports are dated in time school didn't want me to see the last ones any sooner than I needed to because one from an outside agency revealed that school had gone behind my back to request school move

Thanks for the replies.

Worryingly the ed psych is also attending. Tbh not a great deal has changed in his situation since the statement was put into place.

Thanks again for the advice.

I actually received the paperwork around 2 weeks before the review so that part worked correctly.

Have statement review next week but ours is the Y5 transistional review (think this is why the EP has shown up). Bearing in mind how the last transistional review went (treated like a mushroom i.e kept in the dark) I trust this shower of shite about as far as I can throw them!. The EP (who is from out of area as there is no full time EP to cover this particular area) is also attending. This person has never met my DS either.

Will be glad when its all over to be honest.

If anyone has any experience/tips on how to handle Y5 reviews I would appreciate any thoughts.

What schools often forget is that the parents have an awful lot of legal powers re: Statemented children.

J's school had spoken ('informally' ) to the local EBD school about moving him there, and this is why I'm guessing they kept hold of the reports until the last minute. But they were being silly because it's not up to them where he goes, nor is it up to the EBD school, nor is it up to the ed. psych. It's up to the LEA and the parents. The LEA MUST name the parents' school of choice unless it is unsuitable for the child's age or needs or unless the child's place there would compromise other children's efficient education. So J is staying where he is!

If a child has been assessed as OK for mainstream, it would normally take a re-assessment or a dramatic change of circumstances for a change to be made without parental consent.

I did freak after the most recent review because the school were so adamant that J should move and got the ed psych and behaviour team onside, but it will not be happening (the LEA have amended and re-issued his statement and added 5 hours on top of the 33 he already gets, for liaison time etc. as the school were whinging about having not enough time-and have named his current school )

Had they gone with the school's recommendation and tried to move him, I would have appealed to Tribunal which would have taken 6 months, during which they could not move him. I'd also have pointed out that nobody has ever queried appropriateness of mainstream before.

I am angry with the school but am getting used to this Statement thing being like a war - you can't get comfortable as a stay bullet might just hit you!

Slightly crumpled, sorry to worry you. EPs always come to J's reviews too, and not necessarily to say anything or do anything, just because he's a complex case. I don't think EP attendance is necessarily a sign of anything - maybe it's different in mogwai's area. As I say, reviews can result in better provision!
Would be worth getting any reports in advance from school because then you know what people are thinking before the meeting and can prepare your points of agreement/ disagreement.

Attila - key thing with Y5 reviews is to make sure someone from the proposed secondary is there so a long and structured transition can be planned. There should be numerous visits and lots of liaison before secondary begins. When they attend the Y6 review, it should be a case of firming up plans rather than beginning them. good luck

Thank you givemesleep.

I do feel as though I'm preparing for war!

I'm hoping that the EP's presence doesn't spell trouble for us. Thankfully it's parents evening next week before the review so will guage a bit about how they veiw things. On my letter it states that his 1;1 support will also be there.

I'm sure it's the same for most people on this board but the endless fighting for what should be a given is so tiring, and actually ten times more difficult than dealing with my child! I cannot stand the worrying.

Hi givemesleep,

re your comment:-

"A key thing with Y5 reviews is to make sure someone from the proposed secondary is there so a long and structured transition can be planned"

Well that's put a spanner in the works for a start as no-one from the secondary school will be there!!!. The SALT though will be, that will be interesting as we haven't seen her since the last AR. Specialist SLT referred us back to original SALT last summer and we have heard nothing since not surprisingly. I don't blame the SALT at all but the "system" she works under is an utter shambles.

Have also received info to the effect that the revised statement won't be written until September. Well they'd better let me have a decision re his support before then!.

Thanks for all the info, will let you know how it goes.

Attila

P.S I know exactly how you feel SC. I also have a hospital appt for me as well the day before the review.

Atilla, that sounds so complicated, agree system is shite. Good luck.

alightlycrumpled

Good luck to you as well next week, let us know how it all pans out.

sending you good luck vibes(((((slightlycrumpled))))))))

Attila

ATM, do you know which secondary school the LEA want to send your child to and do you agree?

Our transitional review in Y5 was a bit of a blood bath because we want a non-maintained school and obviously the LEA don't want to pay for this. We have had another Y6 review and this was slightly better with the LEA saying they 'may' provide the school we want but no transport as it is parental choice

Hi vjg13,

Re your question:-

"ATM, do you know which secondary school the LEA want to send your child to and do you agree?"

At present I do not know but we will name the local secondary school on his revised statement (assuming as well the statement is maintained at the current number of hours !!) because apart from its SN provision being good it is also only a 10 minute walk from our house. I think the LEA will agree to this.

I will hope for the best and prepare for the worst!!.

Sorry to read of all the shenangians you've had to date. Did you talk to IPSEA about the Y6 review outcome?. May be worth seeking independent advice from either them or SOS:SEN.

Can you ask the head teacher what he/she is going to suggest and that way you know before the review? It does sounds promising though.

We have legal support from the school we want my daughter to attend as we head towards a tribunal

Going in our favour at the moment is that the local special school is about to be rebuilt and their plan for Y7 is 1 year in a large mainstream school before moving back to the special school. Who would ever put a child in that postion?

I thought they had to amend the Statement within a certain amount of time after the review?

VJG, I'm guessing it's ££££££££££££ that's putting the spanner in the works?

We've got a proposed ammended statement it's getting the final one that they are dragging their feet on. We need this before we can go to tribunal.

Actually it's the cost of the transport and not the school place because thet agree she needs a special school place too.

Slightly better then. If they agree she needs the school place there, they have to pay for transport. It's only if they propose one that can meet her needs and then you name one further away that they don't. Or is that what is happening? Sorry, ill and confused!

Oh, they can be gits on issuing final ones, can't they. Mine did exactly the same to stop me from getting to Tribunal. They've only got till the 15th of February though - they must be issued by then if it's a Transition one.

They are naming a closer school, that's why we have a problem.

I'd forgotten the deadline was the 15th, I'm sure they will have a BS excuse ready!

If they try and make an excuse, they will get bollocked by the Local Government Ombudsman when you make your complaint about it, as some local council was recently, and fined, just for failing to meet that deadline.

They are arses.

Good luck vjg! I hope you get it sorted soon.