SLT not accepting T.A safety concerns.

[notmrscookie]

In a special needs school Current class size 4 students 1 teacher 2 ta .W e have been told 2 new students joining in January both ehcp state 121
Both violent and both have injured staff and pupils in previous schools.
One currently taught in a class on their own with ta and teacher present at all times.
Both have had fun out of school transition activities with welfare person who feels they are both misunderstood.
When the class team asked for complete files but became unregulated on requests to complete class learning. This isn't something covered in transition time .it's thinks like horse riding and playing on playground.
We have been told they will only be adding one ta to class.Both files state and give examples of allegations the child have made against staff which were provided to be wrong.
What can we do to protect ourselves in the next few weeks before they start or is my time better spent job hunting?

Job hunting. If it wasn't for the ratio being so high I would think you in my school. But we now gave 9 to a class, teacher and 2 or 3 TA's I have 2 121s that don't get that, both violent. I'm exhausted and have started looking at other options.....

Are they transferring fro mainstream or another special?

If it's from mainstream then you know there is every chance they will respond very differently in your setting. I've taken so many children where their mainstream had been teaching them on their own because they were 'dangerous'. The vasy majority have been fine once they were in a setting that met their needs. I've just taken a child whose previous school wouldn't increase their timetable up from 30 minutes/ day and for those 30 minutes they were in their own room with 2 TAs. We has a couple of bumpy days initially, but a few weeks on the child is full time in a class of 8 with 4 adults and not having any incidents.

Injuries happen in M/S because staff are not as experienced at spotting escalation, or just can't because there are so many children, and not as confident at stepping in early and/or physically intervening.

Isn't your setting breaking the law by not providing 1 to 1 if the ECHPs state this? Or will one of the existing TAs be allocated as 1 to 1, with the remaining one supporting the existing 4 students (I'm assuming their ECHPs don't state 1 to 1)?

If you are a member of a union, I'd seek their advice about this. If you aren't, I'd probably join one, especially given the issues around false allegations. Join whichever union has a rep in your school.

I'd definitely question things if you believe the ECHPs will not be properly met.

But lots of schools are desperate for experienced TAs right now, so if you don't feel happy where you are, then it may be worth looking to see what's out there too. What's your notice period?

@Postapocalypticcowgirl

It's the LA's responsibility to deliver the provision in the EHCP and if they aren't funding the school appropriately to provide that then the accountability lies with them, not the school

I actually think all special schools are currently in this position -the LA expect miracles for very little funding

We also have pupils arriving from mainstream stating 1:1 but in a specialist setting they don't need that level of support -but in other cases the support needed can escalate due to the balance of needs across the class

Sometimes it can be very difficult to predict

@Postapocalypticcowgirl @helloisitmeyourelookingfor
I think it's a mixture of the 2 .The school will allocate a ta to one of the students if needed for paperwork but in practice it will be a class ta . We are a new class and all students prior to coming into this school were given 121 by mainstream or excluded for long periods of time .So the students struggle with no constant adult.

I am in a union .I have applied for a job elsewhere and have an interview I in a few weeks. Its over chance period so even if I get it .I will not be able to hand my notice in till start of term and have to work 4 weeks .
I git exceeding expectations on every category on my appraisal so promised a payrise which has yet to be confirmed so really need to look elsewhere.