Questions about statements: what are they for?

[Katymac]

Is it about an individual child making progress?

Are they about maintaining average progress?

Or something else?

They are a legally binding document, which sets out a child's needs, and what measures are needed to address those needs.

They are required whenever a child has specific needs which cannot be met through standard captions in the classroom, eg extra help such as OT or SALT, or extra equipment.

Any other school scheme, such as school action or school action plus are not legally binding, and so while a child can ne on those schemes, no help is specifically ringfenced for that child, and I believe no extra funding comes via that scheme.

Sorry, standard adaptations in the classroom...

So how do you know if your child would need one?

How are 'need's' defined?

There are guidelines in the SEN COP. I think it is something along the.lines of if your child will probably need more help than standard to progress, then the LEA should carry out a Statutory Assessment, to decide whether extra help is needed, and at what level.

I have gone through all this from a learning disability pov, though (my dd is severely autistic). I don't know how many hoops you might need to jump through frpma purely physical disability pov, bit there are bound to be some.

You see in some subjects she is actually doing better than she was before - which is bizarre

So will that prevent her from getting the help she (quite obviously) needs

I think your assessment would be based on what equipment your dd would.need, tbh.

Maybe try starting a thread here and in special educational needs too, with something like "have you managed to get a statement for physical disability, without any learning disability" on the title. There must be people.out there who have.

Everything I know about is based on proving eg my dd CAN learn of given the right environment, and proving that right teaching methods are.essential, etc.

Have you spoken to IPSEA or SOS SEN!? they are very knowledgeable and might have info and insight for you (and will know how bloody minded you LEA is likely to be)

Thanks - that's a good idea

It just seems odd that with less sensory input work is better

DD can (& does) learn easily & well; it seems hard that this might not be to her advantage

& it all goes on the same form - how odd

However she does need someone to read for her & to accompany her & as for letting her lose with a cooker/Bunsen burner

Try talking to RNIB or equivalent too, to see what they say about visual.disability and statements.

It may sound obvious, but you might need to watch out that school don't claim that your dd's reader/scribe can be the class TA, as obviously then your.dd would not be getting.dedicated help most of the time.

RNIB would also know what's reasonable to expect from schools by way of readjustment of furniture, etc.

It is about ensuring that your child gets 'adequate' provision. If they need something that without they will not get this, then they need a statement to protect their rights to this in law.

Schools, LEA's may tell you that they will provide for them without, and if it doesn't cost anything and you have good willing teachers they will, otherwise you need to get a statement so that should budgets be cut etc. your child's provision won't be.

I don't really know what 'adequate provision' is; I mean as long as she keeps up with her peers is that good enough?

It depends where she was in relation to her peers before hand. However, education isn't just about educational performance, her self-estem can affect her access to the curriculum as well as problems using the tools her peers use.

I second getting some advice from RNIB.

you may find here useful, they also link to here which looks interesting.

She was middle to set for most things last year

This year (new school but post illnesses pre sight problem) much the same except art, PE & languages where she was very poor

Now she is doing much better (6c vs 4b-5c) in science/maths/geog same/slightly better in english/history & disastrously in art, & languages

PE is slightly different as winter was contact sports which she was a bit vary of (due to her dancing) but she has done better in gym (pre sight) and in athletics & ping-pong (but she has been supported for these)

I will look at those links thanks