Getting in the last word

[Alan 45]

We've just come back from our sons annual review now I don't think I've mentioned this on here before but my son has Cerable Pawlsy and this affects his motor skills and his legs and he has a statement of educational needs which states he has 25 hours of assistance in class and in his first year at senior school he was given this but this year they opted to get rid of over half of the LSA's (learning study assistants ) this ment that there was only one per class and it just so happened the school accepted some kids with severe learning difficulties who were in my sons tutor group , this ment that my son would not get the assistance he should have and his grades slipped back a little due to this now my son with all his problems is a very bright boy and has the potential to go far given the assistance.

We have been on at the school all year to give him what's in his statement and nothing more which we have been given lip service over.

As I've already Said we went to his annual review today and they talked about how well he had done and the teachers were all pleased with his efforts and they were enfisising how well he's done which amounts to below average.

Well then they asked us if we had anything to add well at these big meetings there is always these of sen department taking notes for the review

As soon as we were asked about what we thought I shot her down with this

Well the school might think it's good to praise under achievement but I don't , Paul could have done much better had he got the same level of support he got in his first year but he didn't and I made the point that my son had done fantastically well considering the school had let him down , and I thought the sen learders pen was going to catch fire she was scribbling so fast and the look on her face changed from pleasent to disgust when I mentioned that having an lsa in the classroom was far different from one to one assistance and that my son could be much more than average.

The senco looked very embarrest lol

[Guest]

The school will be paid for some of your sons statement and also for that of the other children in his class. I'd write direct to the school and ask where this money is actually spent.

We've got the opposite problem with one of our kids who is at year 6 level maths in year 4. Because of this they've effectively given up and stopped teaching all they do is tell her to sit and read on her own in the library. She's so bored that she no longer wants to go to school and constantly argues with the teacher.

[Alan 45]

The school will be paid for some of your sons statement and also for that of the other children in his class. I'd write direct to the school and ask where this money is actually spent.We've got the opposite problem with one of our kids who is at year 6 level maths in year 4. Because of this they've effectively given up and stopped teaching all they do is tell her to sit and read on her own in the library. She's so bored that she no longer wants to go to school and constantly argues with the teacher.

We've already mentioned that but we get the all your sons needs are taken out of it first and if there is anything left it goes towards the rest of the school funding , thing is this school has the label of a performing arts college and most of there funding goes on that , you can tell when you look around the school all the achievements are in that area, I'm yet to see one thing in the school that is an accomplishment in academics , the school are giving the basics to the academics side and spending the rest on the performing arts , I've told them before that less than 1% of the students even interested in the performing arts will ever achieve anything close to to what they want.

I'm not the only one who has complained about this but it falls on deaf ears , there will be a head joining in September and I will be making an appointment to see him ASAP seeing as I've heard he wants to take the school away from the performing arts as I've been told he thinks it's elitist

It must be horrible for your daughter being left all alone like that at such a young age , no wonder she's having ago at teachers she's frustrated I hope you get that sorted mate it's so unfair

[Guest]

Not like my eldest Daughter.

She was at a grammar school and all reports from previous years were very good and we were well pleased. We we have not had to kick bums with any of our 4 children as we know their capability and what level we expected form them.

But Karen must have been 16 and off we went to her school for the open evening where we had had talks with each of her form teacher. So we waited and where soon next.

Yes we have come to see how Karen is getting on. Oh she said maths is poor I am afraid and that is not all she has gone backwards in her English and cooking is not very good at all. So we said well that is surprising and we came away shattered.

Then just as we were leaving the form teacher rushed across and said are you Mr and Mrs Stewart. Yes. So said she sorry there are two Karens and I got them mixed up

Phew !

Laurie

[Guest]

I had all the same problems as my son also suffers from cerebayl palsey and is also epileptic we had problems at start but then got him into secondry school and thankfully they were great , it is annoying thu as had problems with tschools asyears before my daughter has learning problems and at every meeting id chase up for them to do tests etc. was promised that from primary to secondry these would be done, they never were despite complaints etc and now shes 20 it affects here big time and feel does stem back from this

[Alan 45]

I had all the same problems as my son also suffers from cerebayl palsey and is also epileptic we had problems at start but then got him into secondry school and thankfully they were great , it is annoying thu as had problems with tschools asyears before my daughter has learning problems and at every meeting id chase up for them to do tests etc. was promised that from primary to secondry these would be done, they never were despite complaints etc and now shes 20 it affects here big time and feel does stem back from this

I know what you mean mate , schools don't want to do the tests as that means they have to go out of there way to give the help that child needs , there good at accepting the money for the child but as soon as they get a statement they have to do more , I think there needs to be a change of attitude in schools and they should focus more on the kids education than moaning about a cut in their pensions

[eddiesolo]

When I worked at school I was a ETA (educational teaching assistant) and it drove me mad that I was the one in charge of the lower 2 sets, the groups that need a qualified teacher, the other two sets got on with their work and it would have been far easier for me to supervise them...but no.

Also my son was put on a chart in primary school and yet we never found out until we went to the parents evening!

Hope you get sorted Al, you never stop worrying about your kids and it sounds like you will fight tooth and nail to get the best for them...good man.

Si

[Alan 45]

When I worked at school I was a ETA (educational teaching assistant) and it drove me mad that I was the one in charge of the lower 2 sets, the groups that need a qualified teacher, the other two sets got on with their work and it would have been far easier for me to supervise them...but no.Also my son was put on a chart in primary school and yet we never found out until we went to the parents evening!

Hope you get sorted Al, you never stop worrying about your kids and it sounds like you will fight tooth and nail to get the best for them...good man.

Si

Cheers mate , I will fight for what is right not just for my son but for all the kids , the problem with schools is they are autonomous and driven by money it's very rare a school spends their funding on academics , education is where it should be spent not on fancy titles to draw in extra funding that's why we are lagging behind in Europe academically.

Do you know how this school teaches history ? I'll tell you by showing Hollywood films , I asked one teacher once if they chose teacher on the basis of who had the biggest DVD collection.

So you worked as an assistant sounds like you know what I mean when I say common sence has been removed and legislation has replaced it

[Alan 45]

When I worked at school I was a ETA (educational teaching assistant) and it drove me mad that I was the one in charge of the lower 2 sets, the groups that need a qualified teacher, the other two sets got on with their work and it would have been far easier for me to supervise them...but no.Also my son was put on a chart in primary school and yet we never found out until we went to the parents evening!

Hope you get sorted Al, you never stop worrying about your kids and it sounds like you will fight tooth and nail to get the best for them...good man.

Si

Cheers mate , I will fight for what is right not just for my son but for all the kids , the problem with schools is they are autonomous and driven by money it's very rare a school spends their funding on academics , education is where it should be spent not on fancy titles to draw in extra funding that's why we are lagging behind in Europe academically.

Do you know how this school teaches history ? I'll tell you by showing Hollywood films , I asked one teacher once if they chose teacher on the basis of who had the biggest DVD collection.

So you worked as an assistant sounds like you know what I mean when I say common sence has been removed and legislation has replaced it