school action and school action plus

sportmonkey666

Hello,

Please could somebody advise me if the school should of arranged a meeting with me to discuss my son being put on to school action?
It was only after I asked for copies of everything that the school had put in place to help my son over the past 2 years(to show his GP for referal to CAMHS) That it came to my attention that he has been on school action since sept 2010 and school action plus since march 2011.

I have read various pieces of information in regards to this but i'm not sure if this is something that HAS to be done.

Thanks

b_girl

I am a primary school teacher and at my school parents are included as much as possible in this area, having half-termly reviews of their child's needs. I don't know if that is just my school or considered the norm in all schools, but I would have expected them to have informed you when your son was put on SA and then SA+. I would ask the SENco at the school about this and ask to be included in the process whenever his IEP (individual education plan) is updated.

Hope that helps.

sportmonkey666

Thanks b_girl

I can not believe the things I have found out since I asked for the paperwork, I remember signing a paper during my sons parents evening when the teacher just said he had struggled to adjust to a different timetable, and he was approaching the teacher if he was frustrated but he was reacting badly if he didn't like the outcome. I just thought it was a thing that the school did during a parents evening.

System

i had no idea my teen was on A+ untill we applied for a statment

b_girl

I think that is a very unprofessional way for the school to go about it. I would ask to speak to someone for sure, if not the SENco then the head. It sounds like they have really kept you in the dark about your own son. Hope you get this issue sorted and don't let them fob you off.

onlyroz

I'm not sure if it was called "school action", but my son has been receiving extra help with his reading and I had to sign a form to state that I understood what sort of help he would be getting.

This site:

http://www.douglassilassolicitors.co.uk/UsefulInformation/SEN-EducationInfo/SchoolAction.html

Suggests that the parents must be informed.

jackyann

My understanding ( I recently retired form a post in the NHS that meant I had a lot to do with kids with extra learning needs) is that the parents of any child on one of these "lists" have to have regular meetings with a named teacher.
I suggest that you go on to your local authority website and navigate to information about children with extra learning needs or similar. There should be someone (often called an Education Advisor, but titles will vary) who you can contact and ask about local policies, what you should expect etc.

DorsetGirl_2

School action normally indicates a child that is getting extra help in school
School action+ is a child who is getting help from outside agencies, such as speech therapy or inclusion support.

Either way you as a parent should be informed of this and you should definitely be having termly meetings. Your son should have an IEP.

bobbyoscar

I'm a SENCO in a Primary setting and am shocked that your child has been placed on a Special Needs Register without your consent (and yes, you do have a legal right to say no).

Once your child has been identified as having Special Needs, a meeting should be called with yourself, SENCO and any other individuals the school feel should be there.You have a legal right to be invited.

At the meeting an IEP (Individual Education Plan) detailing targets, strategies, resources would be discussed with you. This is your opportunity to agree or disagree or to discuss and amend targets for your child. These meetings are held once a term when the present IEP is discussed and evaluated and new targets are set for the coming term.

I am appalled that there are still schools not paying any attention to the Code of Conduct and would be kicking up 'merry hell' over this.

School Action Plus also means that there has been Outside Agency Involvement. A process that should have sought your permission before proceeding.

I would suggest you contact the Special Needs Department of your LEA and inform them all this has taken place without your knowledge and that you wish to make a complaint. I would also be wording a letter to OFSTED because this school seems to feel that the rules don't apply to them!

sportmonkey666, if there's anything I can help you with, in the way of advice, don't hesitate to pm me.

milliebear00001

As stated, your son should hve an IEP - which you should have been asked to sign your agreement for. I don't understand how you were not aware of the SA and (especially) SA+ unless this piece of documentation (or your signature) has not been done?

sportmonkey666

Thanks everyone for the replies so far.

There has been so much that has happened over the past 2 years I will try to explain the best I can.

During his very first parents evening the teacher explained that he had no empathy towards others, that he got very frustrated if he couldn't do something,and she also mentioned his flapping(he had done this from a very young age)I did say that we thought the flapping was something he did when he was excited and that was a concern to me as his family i.e young cousins had begun to comment and i saw it as something that may attract unwanted attention for him as he grew older and really did not want him to get bullied and I also agreed with the frustration but as for the lack of empathy no he is a very kind caring little boy. At no point was School action mentioned and I signed a piece of paper which I assumed was what she had just spoke to me about after she said she could get someone in to assess him and advise me on the flapping if I liked and I agreed.

in march 2010 the teacher approached me and said that the assessment had taken place and the lady would return a couple of days later to discuss what she had seen and advise...2 weeks later the teacher asked me to come in as they where having difficulty getting in touch with the lady and she would explain the best she could what had been fed back to her, I was told that he would have picture cards because he was struggling with the transition between one activity to another etc and told he had autistic tendencies and he was on the high end of the autism spectrum I was shocked and heartbroken to say the least when I got home and looked at the written notes I had been given it said he was assessed by an Educational Psycologist

Eventually in june 2010 I was told the lady would be coming in to speak to me and when she arrived she was not in the best of moods demanding why i wanted to see her so I replied that she said she would speak to me about the asssessment and that she had said my son had autistic tendencies and that he was on the autism spectrum she asked me to point out where it said that on the notes and it didn't....we then sat down and she said if the school put into place what she had put in the notes that he would sail through school this filled me with a little more confidence and that she would be coming back into school in 6 months and she would look in on him.


After several incidents regarding my sons behaviour and noticing a change in him at home I approached his doctor who said he was happy with the way the school were handling it.

At the beginning of this year the headmaster contacted me saying that he would like to have my son assessed for aspergers would I come in and sign the form...I instantly said yes because I believed this could be the cause for his behaviour, during may he came home and said 2 ladies had been asking him questions I asked his teacher about this and he basically said the appointment was very short notice he was busy with SATS but someone else sat in- it happened but they might have to come in again but he will chase up the report?????

By july we still hadn't received a report we couldn't seem to ever get hold of the headmaster and the teacher wasn't very helpfull so I went to see the GP again explaining about the aspergers assessment the GP said it either happened or it didn't and that he couldn't refer our son to CAMHS until he had seen it so he sent a letter to the headmaster the school did not reply.

In october we had another parents evening and I asked his teacher AGAIN if he had the report he said no nothing and that was all! I then asked how aspergers can be mentioned and then nothing come of it?? and he said he would chase it up again.

Eventually by chance my partner managed to speak to the headmaster on the phone and he said there was no report, he didn't recieve a letter from the GP and lack of funds where also brought up now we where frustrated and confused, in nov I received a call from another lady who said she was dealing with it now and she said there would be a visit from SEND SERVICES a week later and they would be happy to speak to me after. it was the same ladies that came out in may but they had originally come to see another child and asked to see my son and yet again she had no clue what report we were chasing!!

During the meeting with SEND SERVICES the same things that had been mentioned by the teacher in reception class was being repeated autistic tendencies autism spectrum showing signs of ASD and I mentioned the assessment...they had no record- my sons teacher who was sitting in had no idea what I was talking about, the headmaster was called in and he said they never received a report the EP had retired.....I was devastated my head was just spinning there had been so many other things that had happened in regards to his behaviour in school and at home he had started to come home and be verbally aggressive towards his sister he said he hates her he doesn't want her anywhere near him thats not my beautifull boy he used to be so gentle towards her, he now flaps jumps and goes stiff with his fists clenched all of the time!

That was it I got researching(maybe I should of done it a lot sooner but unfortunatly I am a complete idiot and didn't)found out I could ask for everything that had been put in place to help him by speaking to the SENCO( I didn't know what or who this was until I had started to research) so I did this and said it was to show his GP,thats when I found out he was on school action and the school action + and the paper I had signed(as mentioned on the opening message) when he was in the original class (before he was moved out into the one he is in now due to his behaviour) says on the top review of individual education plan for school action and school action +(my own stupid fault for not reading it), there is no reference to the E.Ps report or notes there is no piece of paper which I signed with the teacher in reception class...there is a a had written review for SEN about his reading with no date or signature.


I have since visited his GP again and put everything right he has now been refered to CAMHS,I have sent a letter to the school requesting a meeting in jan but I just wanted to be sure about a few things before I do.

I carn't put in to words how I feel right now but what I do know is I have let my little boy down in a big way and I will never forgive myself for it.