AnonyMouse_35585 Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 Hi All We have a little girl at our setting who is due to start school in September. She has quite complex special needs and the Early Years Inclusion team are involved as well as paediatrician and educational psychologist. She has been with us for 2 years. Original thoughts were that she has ASD but today we were told they could not diagnose anything as they are not sure what she has although it is clear she has complex needs and will need lots of support. She has no speech and very little understanding. She is now learning Makaton and responding well to visual aids and PECs. We are waiting for her statement to come through (due tomorrow) and mum is hoping that she can get a place at a local special school which we all feel would be perfect for her and her needs. I am slightly concerned after speaking to her inclusion teacher today who has said we may only have 1 week of term left to do transition work with this little girl, possibly none. She said if we had none they would do a staggered start at the new school. I am really worried about this little girl as she will be going on a minibus to school, and she has a major meltdown going in her Grandmas car let alone a strange minibus. When we went on an outing at the setting on a minibus she had a meltdown and mum took her home. We have also found lots of different strategies and routines that work for her which I would like to share with the new setting but if there is no time for transition this can only be done on the transition sheet. She has also built up a great relationship with myself and my colleague and we have spent a long time working on a routine when she comes to pre-school and mum leaves. So it will be hard for her to understand that she has to bring her little brother to us and then go home to go on the bus to school! I suggested she stay with us for a couple of weeks after the summer to do a proper transition process but the inclusion teacher did not like this idea at all! Sorry for the long, waffling post I just feel everything is being rushed for this child which isn't fair on her.
Guest Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 Hi there Why so little time for transition? The summer term doesn't end until July. If you are pretty sure that she is getting a place at the special school then contact could be made or t with her local school in case the special placement doesn't happen, to ascertain when visits could be made, photos taken and made in to a book, chats to the teachers etc. May be they could come and visit her? I understand your concerns. Chat with the inclusion teacher to see if some of these thngs cold be put in place asap from when you find out about the new school. It could be that transition could be so short because the special school won't have decided all their places yet? Voice your concerns but with added solutions.
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 Is the inclusion teacher from the school? (why only a week?) Have you created a passport for her..this details all her likes and dislikes what she wants to play with and what she finds difficult etc...really helpful for transition. I assume that the school has arranged some visits with Mum too? I've done late transitions in september...sometimes there are concerns about money though!
AnonyMouse_35585 Posted June 18, 2013 Author Posted June 18, 2013 We haven't got her statement through yet so her name is still down to go to the local mainstream school. We have got to wait for the statement and then mum has to return it (if she is happy with it) and state which school she would like, then it will go back to a panel to make a decision and see if they have a space at that school. We have only got 3 weeks until the end of term after this week. Mum has visited once after xmas when she was making a choice regarding mainstream and special school. They said then that they had no spaces. The inclusion teacher is our area senco and has told us we can't do anything until a place is confirmed! I haven't heard of the passport thing finleysmaid. What is it like? I have got no experience of this so its all new to me too!
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 ill try and find the passport..cant put my finger on it at the mo! I assume that the sen school will only take her with a statement. How old is she? could you not keep her for a bit longer? she doesn't have to go to school until the term following her fifth birthday...this may give you time to sort out her transition.
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted June 18, 2013 Posted June 18, 2013 ive found one version ...we have a few! this one had photos in too..... My name is passport.docx 1
AnonyMouse_35585 Posted June 19, 2013 Author Posted June 19, 2013 Thank-you finleysmaid!! She is 4 in July. I asked to keep her for a bit longer to help with transition and the inclusion teacher was not keen on the idea at all!
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted June 19, 2013 Posted June 19, 2013 (edited) imo your inclusion officer needs to think about the children a bit more :angry: what do the parents want to do have they been asked ...at the end of the day it is THEIR decision no one elses.....empower them and give them the choice Edited June 19, 2013 by finleysmaid 3
Guest Posted June 19, 2013 Posted June 19, 2013 If shes only 4 in July she doesn't legally have to attend school for another year. I would speak to mum and see what she wants to do. I don't see why she cant stay with you for a little longer to make the transition as smooth as possible for her. This inclusion officer seems to be in the wrong job if she isn't putting the needs of the children first.
AnonyMouse_3307 Posted June 19, 2013 Posted June 19, 2013 If shes only 4 in July she doesn't legally have to attend school for another year. I would speak to mum and see what she wants to do. I don't see why she cant stay with you for a little longer to make the transition as smooth as possible for her. This inclusion officer seems to be in the wrong job if she isn't putting the needs of the children first. That's exactly what I was going to say...if mum wants to defer starting, in agreement with the school she has a place at, they will need to hold her place open. (Although NB this can only be for starting in Reception, not held over to Yr1). If the special school have no spaces then mum may have to go to appeal, but the child doesn't have to be in school until the term after her fifth birthday. Technically you could keep her, access the 15 hrs funding for her and do her EYFSP in your setting as she would only have to be in Yr 1 after Sept 2014. Why rush when she has such developmental delay - without a statement in reception there is no guarantee of additional support, larger ratios obviously and lots of new experiences which most children adapt to confidently but for her this may be a struggle. 4
AnonyMouse_15046 Posted June 19, 2013 Posted June 19, 2013 If the panel won't name the special school and the parents decide to appeal, this child's need would probably be best met in your setting while the appeal is under way. IPSEA offer fantastic advice to parents going through the tribunal process so please pass the link on to the parents. http://www.ipsea.org.uk/ The transition should be planned with the parents and with you because you are the people who know the child best. You may be quite powerless in the face of the inclusion teacher but the parents should ultimately call the shots so maybe you could devise an appropriate plan with them and then present it to the school. The child's needs are of paramount importance here, not the needs of the school or the staff. Email can be a great way to communicate in this type of negotiation, especially if the paed, parents and ed psych are all copied in on everything and you keep your knowledge of the child's needs at the centre of everything you say. 3
AnonyMouse_35585 Posted June 26, 2013 Author Posted June 26, 2013 Thanks for all your advice.Just a quick update.Mum received a copy of the statement last Wednesday and sent it back saying she agreed with it and stated which school she would like her daughter to go to.She then received a phone call yesterday to say that they have a place from September for the little girl!I have now emailed our area senco (who is the child's inclusion teacher) about starting the transition process ASAP with there only being 2 and a half weeks left of term.
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