[senco-forum] Advice on direction to take with son

Staying 'down' or being put 'back' a year? You need to ask some questions.

1) The child has not made progress once. What evidence is there that
repeating the same work  taught in the same way will help? If your son
repeats a year, what extra support will be in place to ensure that history
does not repeat itself?

2) At what point in his educational 'career' will he return to be taught in
his normal age grouping? What conditions or future progress will lead to
that decision being made? If, for example, it is reading skills, what
reading test result or quotient will qualify him to return?

3) If he reaches the end of year five, he will have to sit SATs without the
benefit of Y6 teaching, and move to a secondary school from Y5 into Y7 with
a group of children he does not know. Do you feel that is desirable? If the
receiving secondary school accept that he stays back in the primary school
and does Y6 there ( highly unlikely, I feel), what year will he be in when
he transfers, and what are the implications for external examinations in Y10
and Y11?

4) If he is immature emotionally and socially, will keeping him with younger
children help?

The most effective option is to become such a pain in the neck to the school
and the authority that your son is given the support he actually needs, and
forget about being labelled a 'pushy' or problem parent. Those parents who
complain the most and loudest still get the greater share of resources. Get
the assessment to someone independent who understands test jargon and who
can read between the lines, before any decision is made. Challenge, argue,
demand.