[senco-forum] Writing to a head about rights to withdraw

Hi Mark  -- from Brendan -- you can guess what my advice is -- but  before 
that -- I am in the middle of a very similar case - Yr 8 in  high performing 
voluntary aided school -- similar in type of pupil cohort  to that of a grammer. 
Child is dyslexic -- bright but 4/5 years behind in all  literacy and language 
skills -- high ability in nonverbal / low avarage in  verbal (WISC 
abbreviated assessment). Parent requested an assessment when child  was in Yr 7 -- was 
refused -- but LA was persuaded to assess once an appeal  was lodged. Child now 
has a proposed statement and has been offered  substantial additional support 
and recognition of virtually all needs in the  statement. We are still 
negotiating for specialist tuition and direct ongoing  intervention by a SALT.

Withdrawal from MFL can be specified in the statement -- and the decision  
rests on wider advice than that of the Head or school staff -- and parents views 
 are significantly more influential within an assessment and statementing  
process. My advice is for the parent to act now before it is too late -- get a  
good statement specifying all needs and provision -- including specialist  
tuition -- before GCSE's are embarked upon. Parent should make an immediate  
request in writing to the LA for a statutory assessment and use the appeal  
process if refused an assessment or specific / quantified statemented  provision.

As you will know with your depth of experience -- it is more  neccessary to 
have statemented protected provision in a school lacking  expertise or 
understanding of the needs of SpLD type children -- than  even in a secondary modern 
with experience of all types of literacy and language  difficulties. Parent can 
take this action and continue to support  school staff and child's placement 
-- no need for parents and school to fall out  over a statement request -- it 
supports the school as well as the child. These  types of schools have limited 
experience and management back up for addressing  dyslaexia and literacy 
difficulties -- not blaming them -- the issues are  complex. But they should 
welcome the external advice and expertise that can be  triggered by having a 
statemented dyslexic student in the school. And this  child, with the tuition to 
match her learning style, may well assist them to top  the league tables. Brendan