School SENCO

[claw3]

Just had an interesting conversation with ds's learning mentor.

She asked me how did i get on when we went to bibic on 3rd December 2009. I told her i had supplied the school with a copy of the report and asked had she not seen it. To which she replied no. She also told me she hasnt seen copies of any reports and asked if i could give her copies so she could read. (ds doesnt have an IEP)

Now ds has a card that he uses when he feels 'overwhelmed' so that he can go and 'talk' to his learning mentor. He was given this card because he was getting very confused at playtime and claiming that other children were hitting him, when they were not (teachers were witnessing this)

SALT report for example highlights that ds has no concept of 'before or after' - 'confused by instructions and explainations' - 'problems with sequencing' - output in general involves simple sentence structures, often with muddled ideas within them' - 'difficulty relating a narrative' 'difficulty if questions involved any kind of inferring or deducing of info'

Surely, she should have this info?

As most you know i am constantly complaining about the school, and the school seem to think im nutter, now i know why!

Should i complan about the SENCO or just supply copies of all correspondence and reports to the head and learning mentor?

claw3

This whole incident is a sad indictment of the school. Its the latest in the long line of crap they've shown towards you and DS. He has no IEP (in this case it certainly would be an Individual Empty Promise) either.

Who did you originally send this report to?.
My guess is that the reports were never passed by them to the SENCO in the first place. Very poor if this did indeed happen.

I hope you are thinking of moving your DS to a different school as this one is clearly and utterly hopeless when it comes to working with your DS. If they can muck this uup what else are they incapable of?.

Attila, all reports were given directly to SENCO, it really seems like it is SENCO who is not passing the info on.

SENCO has had SALT report since November 2009 and still hasnt written an IEP. She drafted an IEP for me to sign in November, which wasnt worth the paper it was written and i refused to sign it. For example all the concerns were social and communication, yet the help was to support ds in literacy and numeracy and target to learn to count to 10 and to spell 10 words. Even though literacy and numeracy wasnt listed as a concern!

Learning mentor and head teacher have been attending meetings and looking at me as if i am mad! I was assuming that SENCO had given them up dated information.

What is the usual procedure, when new difficulties are identified in a report?

and is there a time limit before SENCO should inform staff?

Claw, the Senco has "a duty to share all relevant info with any member of the school staff involved with or who may come in to contact with your child during the time spent in school"

This was (i think??) in our Lea sen code of practice. I had the opposite problem as there is a ta at school (not ds2's ta) who is a playground gossip & i had to request that she did not have access to ds2's medical info & reports.

The school were happy to oblige & not involve her in ds2's care BUT his SENCO pointed out that she was duty bound to share info with staff members involved with ds & had i not requested she would of been involved in planning meetings & had access to a limited amount of info.

I would definatly go to the head & share your concerns at the lack of communication within her team is obviously having a negative effect on your ds's wellbeing whilst in school.

"because he was getting very confused at playtime and claiming that other children were hitting him, when they were not (teachers were witnessing this)"

I was very disturbed to read that Claw.

My son complained of similar bullying and his school pooh-poohed the idea that he was actually being bullied - until he came home with a broken nose.

Don't believe everything (anything) school tells you.

Alternatively it could be that children are inadvertently brushing past him and he misconstues that as being hit - a common problem with ASD and their over-sensitivity (both mental and physical).

but i would be sceptical about what school tell you

Claw, this whole thing is absolutely ridiculous and has been for months.If I were you. I'd be considering legal action by this stage.I can't understand why you are still entrusting these peopel with your child i really can't.

Reports are often not passed on to those that matter,so if in doubt, do it yourself. Have you thoguht of compiling a communication passport and putting in all the info you think is important?

Have SNAP/ParentPartnership supported you at all.

It is an absolute fucking disgrace, it really is.

Anon, thanks your comments are very helpful.

Wetaugust, the school have told me of some incidents occurring that did actually involve him being hit and at other times ds has run over to a teacher claiming that the little girl who has been stood holding the teachers hand, has just hit him. He has no concept of time, so the little girl might well have hit him or brushed past him the day before or even the month before. He is obviously a very confused little boy. When reporting incidents he gets the names of the children involved confused ie all girls who he doesnt know the name of are called 'Charlotte' even the little girl stood holding the teachers hand (thats not her name)

He stopped reporting ANY incidents in November and the self harming behaviour begun. I have tried explaining to the school that just because he has stopped reporting it, doesnt mean that he has doesnt 'feel' it anymore, its not something that he can just switch off and overcome.

Moondog, i know, i have a meeting on the 1st Feb with the school and it really is make or break time. If i dont get what i want from this meeting, he wont be going back.

I feel up until receiving the SALT report i would have had trouble getting help for him in any school. Ds is intelligent, passive and tries desperately hard to fit it, he is not behind academically, so i can see why the school are having trouble identifying his behaviour with a disorder. But they now have it in black and white from an expert and she has identified his needs.

I am having trouble with SNAP and parent partnership, as i live in one borough and ds goes to school in another. So one is saying its based on where he goes to school and the other is saying its where you live, who should provide the support. Im currently waiting for someone to get back to me.

I did think about a passport, but ds can read very well and i thought it might upset him. He would also want to know why.