Dont know how to help ds

[Tiredmumno1]

Hi, i really am not sure what to do i will try to be brief if i miss any info just ask me.

My ds has been attending this mainstream school for approx a year and a half, he is statemented the school slashed his hours saying he didnt need that many and its not heard of here, she then tried blaming the ed auth for that. Anyway i dont feel all his hours are being used for him it seems they do a lot of group work and in ds's group are a couple of dc's that have sn of some sort but they are not statemented. So i feel they are using my ds's ta to help them, also i have seen her with other kids and not my son, the other day she spent most of the day taking it in turns with the entire class to make cakes.

It seems a bit like she is used as a ca more than a ta. However when i bring this up with the head she fobs me off and wont listen. I also caught my ds's class teacher talk to him pretty nasty, so again spoke to the head, at the end of that day she told ds off in front of me for bringing in a small toy, now i feel like they are picking on him and worry constantly about what to do.

How many hours does he have 1:1 in his statement?

What is the exact wording?

When did he get his statement?

Hello Tiredmum! I don't think the school can just decide like that to slash the hours; that can only be done if the statement has been revised. I think you may be right to suspect that they are basically taking the money and not coming up with the goods. Perhaps report to the LEA, or consult with your LEA case-worker? The dismissive/nasty behaviour they are displaying seems to me evidence that they know they are in the wrong

Sc13 If the statement doesn't specify number of hours they can do what they like.

Terms such as:

x will have access to a full-time 1:1

means simply that, - he has access to her. She is full-time. It doesn't say she is there to support x full time.

It can say 'some 1:1'

It can say 'approximately 8 hours 1:1', which means they fulfil their obligation if they provide 4 hours or even no hours.

It's a tricky area indeed. That is why you need to look at what the statement actually says.

You're absolutely right of course. Having just got a statement I am still dizzy with wonder that we got one at all

Ok i have read through it, it is in 6 parts, with how many hours per week specified at the end of each part, which add up to 19 and a half (he did get 27 and a half prior to moving) , only 2 parts state about group time and that adds up to 6 hours per week. The other parts end like (eg.) In a maintained mainstream setting the equivalent of 5 hours per week of teaching assistant support will be allocated to facilitate the activities as outlined above.

Is this what it should say, and ds has been statemented for approx 2 and a half years. And it was the lea that let slip it was the headteacher that had the hours cut.

'In a maintained mainstream setting the equivalent of 5 hours per week of teaching assistant support will be allocated to facilitate the activities as outlined above.'

Okay, now this could be the problem? What is 'the equivalent of 5 hours of teaching assistant support'? Is it sitting at a computer? Is it making the classroom a bit darker with posh new blinds to enable your ds to not be so distracted by the natural light?

The 'equivalent' support is usually referring to a fixed sum of money so you can ask a)what is the level of funding associated with those 5 hours and what is it spent on.

It should really say:

'In a maintained mainstream setting the equivalent of 5 hours per week of teaching assistant support will be allocated to facilitate the activities as outlined above.'

If they aren't hiding behind the term 'the equivelent', why do they mention it at all?

Now i am even more confused. Right here is one part of it.

To promote x's numeracy skills so that he develops early comparison and classification skills of size and shape and an understanding of number.

• the class teacher will devise a programme of carefully structured teaching activities for the development of numeracy skills. These activities will be delivered on a daily basis by a teaching assistant in short sessions throughout the day. Explanations will be accompanied by practical opportunities and there will be ample opportunity for revision, practice and application of newly learned skills.

Followed by the bit about the hours. Does that help

Yes, it is plainly saying that your ds needs to have 5 hours on these activities with a TA, but it doesn't say 1:1. It doesn't say that these 5 hours can't be used to meet other targets at the same time.

For example, 5 hours of numercy, and 5 hours of fine motor skills practise could be met in just one 5 hours slot by writing out sums perhaps.

Normal, decent schools however will take the wording to mean exactly what you think it means and you have a good case to complain on that basis. However the document is a legal one, and if technically it doesn't say 1:1 or 5 hours of contact time etc then the school might attempt to weedle out of it, thinking you might be on dodgy legal grounds to complain.

Probably though it isn't as complicated as that. Probably they are just trying it on and actually interpret the wording the same way as you but have no respect for the rules.

I would advise you to speak to IPSEA or SEN SOS or ACE and talk things through about what you should do next.

Thank you dels, even though he has been statemented for a good while now its so daunting. His last school were fab, i just dont think they have tried helping him as much as they say they have, i will try contacting who you mention

Collected ds today from school, the teacher barely looked at me, she didnt say anything but bye to ds. Feeling a bit as i really dont want this weird attitude everyday, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I think they are getting worse as they know i am placing him in a sn school in sept. Surely they wont keep this up til then

Ah, perhaps in the case they are spend their allocated money for your ds on general school improvements instead as by the time you've got through a complaints system he'll be gone.

Could this be it?

Is there any way of finding that out, i am so frustrated, i dont want to let them get away with it.