Anyone any good experiences of schools/ LAs?

[debs40]

We all have good cause to moan about schools and LA but I'd be interested to hear of anyone's positive experiences with either - just to keep the spirits up on the trenches

ds2 is at a fantastic, ms village primary.
A proper love & cuddles type school & his teacher spends her evenings thinking of ways to help him.
LEA - OKish.

J's first school were amazing. For the first couple of years, they had a shocking, incompetent SENCO, which did cause a few rows as the HT listened to her, presuming she knew what she was talking about - she didn't, but overall they were just brilliant.

They put up with this virtually feral, violent, loud, defiant (in restrospect, scared ) 4 year old landing on them. OK, he had a Statement, but it wasn't full-time - they paid the extra - loads of ££££££££££ and never complained really. They'd never had anyone like him before and they worked so hard, trying everything they could and they moved him on so much! By the time he left, 3 years on, he was a totally different child and I have so much respect for all the teachers and TAs he had because he was so so difficult. The teachers worked with me and the other services involved and weren't fased by the ADHD/autism dxs, just sought more advice. Everyone in that school respected and cared about J (and me, and made sure to involve me rather than labelling me crap parent) and that meant a lot.

Wish he was still there wish it was an all-through school.

And the LA? Well, they've come round to my way of thinking (after a few skirmishes over the years) and now J has a close-to-perfect Statement with full-time 1:1, SALT, OT and social skills training. Am now but it has taken a lot of work and stress.

DS is at a decent ms - certainly foundation unit were a proper love and cuddles type place . not so sure about year 1, but DS seems to be learning well and happy, so let's see what parents' evening brings...

as for the LEA - least said soonest mended

Primary School -

DD's Secondary school - Deserves some sort of SEN 'most helpful' award!!

LEA - DOUBLE

It's good to hear some positive stuff about schools. I'm very pleased to hear people are getting good support.

I'm in Wilts and although I haven't put them to the test yet, no one seems to have much good about them. But then, that seems to be par for the course!!

debs, we lived on wilts/ oxon border and had the option of going either way for services. we chose oxford lol.

have had great experiences in renfrewshire, oxford, hampshire. hampshire v bad for ss though, but we don't access.

actually, all our support has been top notch. it takes time, but so far so good.

Ds is at an ASD unit attached to a mainstream school and the support he gets is second to none. Lots of communication between school and home. They know how to read him, know that some days he can be pushed further than others, are hugely sensitive to his difficulties and celebrate his successes with as much pride as me almost.
Dd is at a ms primary where they concentrate on making her feel safe and happy believing that then she will learn and achieve. It works, her IEPs concentrate on building her trust and confidence the academics aren't mentioned BUT she is thriving academically just because she is happy and cared for.
The LEA? seem to be wary of parents who know their stuff and do back down before tribunal so that's a positive I suppose.

I was thinking about this last night. I think the thing is, if you know the law/ entitlement round any of these things, be it schooling, Statementing, DLA, SS and can prove that your child meets whatever criteria there is, and can get professional evidence (usually from someone credible and who won't have to pay and will therefore be honest, like a paed or a psychiatrist), you can't really fail to get what is needed in the end. OK, for expensive provision, they'll kick and fight, but any Tribunal or council complaint will eventually rule in your favour if you have the evidence that what you're asking for is needed and that your child is entitled to it under the law.

School attitudes are probably the only exception to that.

So if we hold our nerves and just hold tight to the position that is right morally and by law, we should 99% of the time be able to win for our kids eventually. That's why all the SEN Code of Practice/ DLA legal criteria and all the various children's legal acts around SS/ SEN are on my favourites on my internet browser

The problem comes when parents are less informed than the professionals fighting against them, believe the lies they are told or are just too tired to fight anymore which is totally understandable and why it makes me so angry that the system just isn't fair in the first place!

We had a two year struggle with our LEA to get my daughter appropriate provision. This was not helped by the HT of her school telling ridiculous lies about how she was getting on there. This was a resource school, mainstream with a specialized unit.

I agree GMMS that most of us should be able to win in the end but what about the time it takes to get there and the devastating effect the stress has on everyone. What about my child in those 2 years in a totally useless placement? It was hard and expensive to obtain independent reports but that added so much to our case.

I have friends who went to tribunal then to the high court to win. They have just spent nearly £4000 in legal fees to get their son a special college place.

The whole system makes me despair.

I should add that we are happy with the special school she is now at.

I had a terrible fight to get my ds3's statement, but I did manage to get what he needs from the LA, I think givemesleep is right in that if you know the law and can use it to fight your dc's case then you do get there in the end. Getting the statement was certainly a steep learning curve for me. As was applying for dla. Ds34 goes to a special school who have been surprisingly good, and I have never had to struggle for anything, all I do is mention something and the school deals with it. They are truly fab.
Ds2's school are anothe matter entirely, they never do anything until the shit hits the fan as far as health and safety is concerned. If ds2 wasn't so aggressive he wouldn't get anything. They are rubbish at making reasonable adjustments for him until he plays up. He threw a chair during lunch last week, so they have removed him to a classroom to have lunch and think they have done the right thing because he can't hurt anyone there. They have created a 'pod' in the playground and have not made any moves to 're-integreate' him into the main playground with the other kids. Sigh. That is just an ongoing battle. They are now making efforts to understand autism though, but only because we forced their hand. Still, small steps...

Ahem...ds3 not ds34

Disclaimer: I do not knwo the law, but had alot of great help with statement from SOS:SEN and the nas.
Social services are crap, and are continuously shafting us. ARGGGH!
I can not work them out at all.
I am in the process of getting help from the nas now.

Agree, vjg, that it is very hard when there's a crap, lying HT involved and also about the effect and the cost (not financial, but emotional) of all these battles. Tis a crap, crap system.

Yep, SOSSEN, IPSEA and NAS are all very very helpful. Parent Partnership seems to vary from area to area. I'm always a bit about their impartiality and didn't think they knew the legal bit any better than me so saw them as a bit chocolate teapot-y.

DS2 goes to a lovely MS school. He attended nursery there last year, and although wasn't statemented then, they supplied a full time 1:1 for him. He also has the same 1:1 now for recption, which is in his statement.

However the SENCO was a complete cow, didn't want him to go there as they had never had a child with ASD. I had to threaten to take her to the board of directors for her to back down and agree. She has been fine since he started there though.

Quite good here, I think. (Hampshire)

DD1 started MS preschool in June 2008, and by September (2 weeks into term) they wanted to ask for extra help for her - we had no idea she had SNs. 2 weeks later she had 1:1 funding sorted.

DLA was awarded HRC first time.

I requested a statutory assessment on September 1st. The proposed statement came two days early, recommending special school, which all professionals said we wouldn't get.

We visited the special school on Friday, and they have already sent the paperwork to the LA accepting DD as suitable.

Portage & OT both visit the preschool termly to review and advise.

SALT? [BISCUIT]

So all in all, very well - but everything was done having scoured MN for info, so that has helped.

DS2 goes to a fantastic m/s primary which has a specialist class - he dips in and out of the m/s and specialist class depending on what's most appropriate. The school don't always get everything right, but they are prepared to listen to us and are as flexible as they possibly can be.

The LA were slow at getting his statement done, but have been very 'parent-friendly'. He has funding until 2014 for 21 hours a week 1:1 and the school makes up the rest (he gets full time 1:1). Lots of great outreach stuff going on outside school, but not enough within - teacher is good, but has far too many children on her books.
OT has been very patchy - they keep leaving -and as for SALT - non-existent really .