School SEN code of practice

[Peaceflower]

AIBU to expect my dc's school to inform me if they suspect dc have a SEN?

My dd (now year 8) has been diagnosed with aspergers, and only because her secondary school recognized there was a problem. She is so school phobic that a clinical psychologist has said she is unable to attend school.

To cut a long story short, during the assessment process, I recognised that the signs/symptoms were repeated in my year 2 ds. I asked his primary school to support my GP's request for an Ed Psych to assess him.

I had a meeting with the SENCO and head teacher, and mentioned dd's problems and diagnosis. They were both defensive and said the didn't believe in labels, when I asked why they hadn't brought up the issues around my dd before. I said nothing had ever been said during the 7 years she was at the primary school. Their response was that she had been well supported. I asked again why I hadn't been alerted. At this point I was basically told to consider whether this was the right school for my ds, if I did not have faith in them to help him.

I said ds was willing to work with the school to make things easier. The response then was that they had known since Reception that ds had issues, and they had been helping him.

I asked again why this hadn't been raised before. Again, they trotted out their line about not labelling, etc, and that schools weren't allowed to refer children for assessment, as it was a health issue.

So, aibu to think schools should raise suspicions of sen to parents, and then they could decide or not whether to pursue assessment?

Of course YANBU. Only 15% of a child's time is spent in school. That represents 85% of lost opportunity for parent initiated and involved early intervention.

I'd also consider whether it was the right school for your children tbh.

They should but often don't or play them down unless its a case of a child's behaviour affecting the school, teachers or other pupils.
Aside from the difficulties I have had getting my children support at school I heard a couple of days ago about a boy in Reception. He runs away from the school at playtimes and requires support at lunchtimes, the school said to the parents that he should be assessed. When the paed asks the school what the difficulties are the school said that they were manageable and not that bad, then the paed discharges the child from his service. Some schools make it really difficult. Go to your GP and ask for a referral to the Paed for an assessment and tell him the background history. The reality is many parents have to battle to get their child help and the labeling thing is about having a signpost for the right help not a label.

"The school has a duty to inform the child?s parents that special educational
provision is being made for the child because the child has SEN.
See Section 317A , Education Act 1996" SEN Code of Practice page 52

"5:47 The SENCO should take the lead in the further assessment of the child?s particular
strengths and weaknesses; planning future support for the child in discussion with
colleagues; and monitoring and subsequently reviewing the action taken. The child?s class
teacher should remain responsible for working with the child on a daily basis and for
planning and delivering an individualised programme. Parents should always be consulted
and kept informed of the action taken to help the child, and of the outcome of this action."

In fact, read the whole of chapter 2 of the SEN COP.

YANBU

Thank you all. The head had the chagrin to say to me, "in the whole of my working life, I've only said to 5/6 parents they should consider moving to another school".

In conversation with a few close friends, 3 parents have already said they were told this!

I am definitely going to read up the SENCOP and quote it back to them.

You can add some things in too as I doubt they have read it

I moved school over this and other things. If you do have another option I'd take it - because you'll never be able to trust them now.

However I'd also make a formal complaint to the board of governers. This is not acceptable. You can also complain to the LEA.

I recently found out that our SENCO got a formal reprimand form the LEA, so it is worth fighting.

This behaviour is totally unacceptable.

I have now produced notes of the meeting and handed them in today. At the very least I hope it will show I'm not going to let this drop. It will also leave a paper trail for Ofsted.

I have also requested ds' student records to see what has actually been done for him.

I await the ripples/waves from school!

make sure your request specifies that you want to his SEN file! (or even say ALL records) I requested school records and agreed a date to look at them in school office - and guess what? the person who had the key to the cupboard with the SEN files wasn't in that day . I got to see it a few weeks later - but if I had my time again I'd ask for it in the first place!

that's a good tip, mad as.