There is no such thing as a bad question
Below are a list of questions we are often asked. The answers may help you decide what to do next but, if you are still unsure, please do contact us.
In the first instance, you should contact the SENDIASS in the local authority in which you live. However keep in mind that your child’s school may work with one or both Local Authorities when supporting your child and accessing specialist support.
What are your specific concerns? Do you feel they are not picking things up as quickly as other children the same age? Are they struggling in a specific area of learning or development? The definition of SEN is that a child has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others the same age. But at the same time, it is true that all children learn at different speeds and schools are aware of how important it is to identify children who may be having difficulties with their learning.
We would suggest you arrange to meet with your child's class teacher to talk through your concerns. It is a good idea to ask for a meeting rather than just try to catch the teacher at the start or end of the school day when they are busy.
Ask to see evidence of the progress your child is making, what they are finding difficult and look at targets your child has achieved. Ask the teacher to explain what help your child may already be given and what supports them to learn. Discuss any changes to support that you think would help.
If you are still concerned after you have spoken to the class teacher, you could ask them to involve the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENDCO). They have responsibility for what happens on a day to day basis in the school for pupils with SEN and they also provide advice for other teachers in the school to help all pupils with SEN to make progress.
An approach the sendco might suggest is monitoring your child’s progress through an assess, plan, do, review cycle which should help identify their level of need and what works to support them to make progress. The SENDCO may also suggest starting a SEND Support plan or similar document to help record this cycle.
As your child already has identified Special Educational Needs, it is a good idea to ask to meet with your child's class teacher, pre school setting leader and/or the Special Educational Needs co-ordinator (SENDCO). You may already have a review meeting arranged to look at your child’s progress and support (as part of the Assess, Plan, do, review approach to supporting SEN). If not, you can ask for one to be set up.
Explain at the meeting why you think your child needs more help. Are you concerned that they are falling further behind in some or all of the subject areas, that they struggling with friends or showing you that they are unhappy at school?
Ask to review your child’s Support plan or to see evidence of the progress your child is making, such as an individual progress tracker. Look at targets your child has achieved and what supports them to learn. Discuss any changes to support that you think would help.
It may be that the school have already started a SEND Support plan (which brings all this information together and helps to make sure that the support being given, changes as your child’s needs change) if not it is a good idea to ask them if they can start this.
The majority of young people are supported at SEN Support with the school using its existing resources and expertise. If your child is not making progress, then perhaps they need more individual support, more targeted support or a different approach to helping them learn. The school could offer increased support or adapt the ways they are teaching them. It maybe that the school refer to an external specialist such as an Educational Psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist or specialist Advisory Teacher to help them give targeted support for your child.
The school should always be able to show you what support your child is getting and how they are monitoring their progress and who else is involved in planning their support, and how they are following their advice.
Central Bedfordshire Council have produced guidance called the Graduated Approach which gives clear information on identifying and supporting children with a wide range of needs. This might give you a clearer picture of what the school might do to help and what level of support your child might be entitled to.
Sometimes a child or young person is finding it difficult to manage a whole day at school. They may be feeling very anxious about school, they may find the environment too busy, noisy or overwhelming to manage, they may struggle to make sense or conform to the demands placed on them at school. This could mean that they are finding it increasingly difficult to control their emotions or behaviour, they may be reluctant to go to school or finding they are often getting in trouble. In these instances a school might suggest a reduced or part- time time-table.
As the parent or carer you must be part of this discussion and in agreement with the decision. There may be better alternatives. You don’t have to agree to a reduced time table and, if your child has an Education Health and Care plan you should contact your child’s SEN officer at the LA before making a decision.
In any case, a reduced time table should only be a short-term measure intended to help your child successfully return to school full time, as they are entitled to do.
The school must inform the local authority that your child is only attending part- time and the reduced time-table has to be reviewed regularly.
Sometimes if a child or young person is finding it difficult to manage a whole day at school, perhaps because they are struggling to follow the expectations and there are concerns about this leading to an exclusion or they are feeling anxious about school and are reluctant to attend, a school might suggest a part-time time-table.
You must be part of this decision and, before any decision is made you should be able to discuss things with school and others and a risk assessment should be carried out. There may be better alternatives. You don’t have to agree to a reduced time table and, if your child has an Education Health and Care plan you should contact your child’s SEN officer at the LA before making a decision. In any case, a reduced time table should only be a short-term measure intended to help your child successfully return to school full time, as they are entitled to do.
The school must inform the local authority that your child is only attending part- time and the reduced time-table has to be reviewed regularly.
An exclusion is when a headteacher decides that a child is not allowed to attend school. It may result from a series of incidents or from one very serious incident. There are specific procedures that the school are you must follow when a student is excluded
Central Bedfordshire Local Offer pages provide comprehensive information on the different types of exclusions and the rights of the young person and parent/career when an exclusion has been given.
https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/4/pupil_support/524/exclusion_from_school
Below are links to factsheets on the different types of exclusions
All schools are different and the best way to decide which school will best suit your child and meet their needs is to visit a range of schools to get a clearer picture of what is available.
Many schools will hold open evenings- usually in the Autumn term- and most are happy to arrange a guided visit to the school, if you are unable to attend a pre-scheduled event.
You can also ask to meet with the school SENDCO to discuss specific concerns you may have. It is a good idea to take along your child’s Support plan and to prepare 4-5 questions which are relevant to you.
It is also helpful to talk to other parents who live locally, though keep in mind that, because information about schools can very quickly of out of date, it is a good idea to talk to parents who have children in those schools currently.
If you are deciding which school to name in your child’s Education Health and Care Plan, the discussions you had when writing their EHCP with professionals who know your child well may give you some pointers as to the school which can best meet your child’s needs. Most children stay in the same local mainstream school they attended before they had the EHC Plan.
You can ring SENDIASS to talk things through. We hear from parents with children who have a wide range of SEN and are in different schools all across the county.
More information on Picking a School (Leaflet)
If your child is struggling to make progress or get on at school they might need more help. In the first instance you should speak to the school and ask what else they can do to help. If you then still have concerns you can consider making an Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHC needs assessment) request to the council. An EHC needs assessment will try to find out why your child is struggling at school and what they may need to help them. If your child’s level of need is considered high enough they may be given an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). An EHC plan is a legal document which tells a school or college exactly what they need to do to help support your child and may provide extra funding to do this.
For more information please click on the links below
If the council has decided not to complete an EHC needs assessment for your child they must put their reason in writing to you. They will offer you a chance to meet with them in person and tell you about your right to appeal the decision. It is a good idea to meet with the officer if possible, as this should give you more information and help you decide what to do next. Your child’s school should be included if possible.
If you would like more information on how to appeal the decision please click here
When your child is sent a draft or amended EHC plan from the council you will have 15 days to look through the plan and then tell the council if there are parts of it you are not happy with. In the first instance it is a good idea to speak to your child’s school or college and ask them if they agree with you or what they might think. You should then contact the Council SEND team or SEND Officer who sent you the plan. Tell them what part of the plan you disagree with and why. The SEND officer will listen to your views and try to reach an agreement with you. It may be the changes you would like cannot be made, in this case the Council SEND team will make your child’s EHC plan final, this gives you the right to appeal against the content of the EHC plan to the SEND tribunal.
For more information on making an appeal click here.
SUPPORT.
ADVICE.
HELP.
UNDERSTANDING.
KNOWLEDGE.