[SENco-forum] RE: Support from BECTA

I knew you would know. It just makes me mad when LEA are complicit in the
first instance of not allocating what a child needs.  After months or years
of fighting parents are just relieved to hear that they have got a statement
and it can make them blind to how little is being offered or accepting it
because it seems so much more that the child has had in the past.

The LEA official asked us point blank why we were so adamant that our child
has a statement and the bottom line is that without one I wouldn't even be
facing an LEA official asking that question.  It does give the child and
parents a modicum of control.  The fact that Statements are costly is as
much due to LEA or other inter agency involvement/mismanagement that mostly
seems to revolve around who shouldn't pay.

I can see why LEA's would like to do away with the process.
I have had a 2 hour transfer meeting involving 12 people (???????) Head, EP,
LEA (2) existing/new LSA's, 2 SENco's, SpLD tutor, class tutor, both parents
(one the SEN Governor) and the child.  It took up the whole music room and
had a meditative moment as the EP turned to my daughter and asked her to
score out of 10 how she felt about her ability to learn, both prior and
after her additional support followed by where she would like to be next
year.  The extremely puzzled child picked the appropriate 2/3, 5/6 & 7/8.
Ommmm! He then pronounce the statement to be working and that we could get
on with transfer arrangements.

I could have managed this perfectly well in 1/2 an hour with the new school
SENco alone.

Thanks
Sharon Tringham

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A statement can be amended at any time at the LAs discretion...