Losing my TA after Christmas- desperate

[InsidetheFactoryGeek]

TA worked 1-1 with a child with ASD.

Child is on P scales and in Y2. They aren't quite non-verbal but do not speak in sentences. I can generally understand them now.

TA started the morning with some sensory input and some time doing physio-type exercises. They would come back into the classroom and complete one, very simple task and then have some iPad time. This basically repeated throughout the day.

I am absolutely dreading losing the TA and cannot switch off. Things are pretty desperate in school anyway. SENCO suggested a tent (I nearly cried).

What am I going to do?!

[Hels20]

Sorry to highjack thread but we are going through process of applying for an EHCP for our primary school age boy. We are feeling distinctly unwanted by the school - DS’s issues are extreme low self esteem and anxiety to the extent he doesn’t do any work at school.

If the school has to spend £6k for the child and then provision is topped up - how do they find that money? No wonder they don’t want my son as it means less money for another child.

[FloatingthroughSpace]

hels in theory money towards meeting seen is included in schools budget, plus they get extra for things like pupil premium (which is why they are so keen for people to claim for free school meals even if they don't want to use them). However none of this money is ringfenced as far as I know so in these days of super squeezed budgets, yes it's hard.

[FloatingthroughSpace]

Sen not seen. Bloody phone thinks it's cleverer than me.

[HopeClearwater]

Hels20

There is no chance that you will get an EHCP for your son on the grounds of low self-esteem and anxiety, none at all. Has he no other diagnoses?

[Holidayshopping]

What funding and provision is listed on the EHC plan?

[Hels20]

Thanks floating. So school does get some money that is meant to be for SEN. The school hardly has any SEN children so I am not sure where it really goes - other than paying for a part time SENCO.

I am hopeful we will get a plan - can’t give further info without outing myself but his needs are quite complex - and both LA EP and our private EP do think he should get a plan...what level of support it will provide will be interesting....

With a child with SEN my eyes have been opened to how there really is no money anywhere in the schools. I can’t believe how budgets have been cut for our most vulnerable. I can see how intervening now with our children with appropriate support can put them on the right track for life - with no intervention, we are just storing up issues for later life - depressions, suicide, criminality, no ability to work.

I feel for all you teachers where there is no money.

[cantkeepawayforever]

Glad that I work in a school / area where support is still specified in EHCPs in hours (to the nearest 15 minutes), including how those hours are distributed between classroom time and e.g. lunchtime supervision.

Made the 'flu outbreak amongst staff quite 'interesting' - essentially putting every available even vaguely healthy person into the 'support' pot and working out whether we had enough hours of enough people to cover all the hours for all the children with full EHCPs ... but a whole load better than suddenly having 1:1 removed.

[Holidayshopping]

So school does get some money that is meant to be for SEN

There is a notional SEN budget which is calculated by a complex formula, but it isn’t ring fenced for SEN and some heads spend it on general class TAs. In today’s horrific budgets it may just be spent on running the school.

It is supposed to be up to £6000 per child on the SEN budget but it doesn’t actually work out like that and if you have more children on the SEN register, you don’t get any more money.