step son update

[ethanryan]

hi i recently posted about my step son and the problems i was having with him.- see step son futher down this page.
my partner went to his parents evening tonight and found out that he is struggling with his school work. so maybe this is why he is a different child at the moment. my partner was annoyed because on his report it was all negative points and not once did they pick up on his good points. they said he has problems with his writing. he spoke to the teacher about getting him some extra help and they said they have something called SENCO. when asked how we get that started they said he cant till he is 6 and a half. is this right? i dont understand why they cant do it now as he is 6 in april. is it all to do with money? does anyone know much about it or have your children used senco.
also we think he may be dyslexic as all his uncles and dad is. he can spell words in his head but cant write them down and if he does they are all backwards. anyone any ideas of things we can do at home with him to help him out a bit

[holly3smith]

SENCO - special educational needs coordinator - its a job title - someone who sorts out help for children who may be identified as having special needs
Learning support & psychologists carry out assessments to establish if a child needs extra support in school. A score is worked out and sometimes a statement of special needs is given, this will state what the need is and how the local authority are going to address that need. Extra funding can be provided to the school if extra staff are needed for instance.

I work in education and have not heard of age limits for assessments. you can look up the Special Educational Needs Statementing Policy for more information, there are other things school can do, intervention group work or one to one work, IEP (individual education plan) which will target areas that you child struggles with - check with your local authority educational special needs department if you are not happy. Some schools have learning support workers who come in and work with children who are identified as needing help.
He is only 6 and could be a genuis by the time he is 9, I am sure if the school had grave concerns that they would address them now - you should maybe speak to the headteacher. I would also speak to the head about the contect of the report - you are right there must be some positive aspects about your child and these should be reflected in the report. I looked at your other posting about his behaviour - he is at an age where he needs positive role models and consistent boundaries, he will feel insecure without these and this may make him be destructive. remember he too is in a difficult situation, he has two homes and two families he needs to feel valued in both, being soft on him wont help he will play on this (behaviour is my area) he will learn what is acceptable in your home even if standards are different else where. try some of the activities on the bbc website, words and pictures etc for some

[froggequene]

a SENCO is a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, it's a member of staff working at the school who has a specific role working with children who have special educational needs.

They may have offered one of the following options, the school has two stages of support - 1. School Action & 2. School Action Plus. The third stage is a Statutory Assessment of Special Educational Needs which may lead to the child being Statemented which means he would be allocated additional support which the school would be legally obliged to put in place.

What the teacher may have been referring to is initiating a Statutory Assessment of his Special Educational Needs - if the school is telling you they have to wait until he turns 6, it's either school or Local Authority policy to wait or just pure laziness on their part.

Parents can also initiate a Statutory Assessment by calling their Local Authority & speaking to their Special Educational Needs section. They can also advise you on what help the SENCO should be providing your child with at the moment.

If you suspect your child is dyslexic, the school or yourselves can ask the Educational Psychology Department to assess him. The Educational Psychology Department can be contacted through your local Authority. Your Local Authority may also have a specialist dyslexia team you can speak to.

For independent advice & support on Special Educational Needs, contact your local parent partnership service & they'll be more then happy to talk you through anything I've mentioned here. http://www.parentpartnership.org.uk/

[ethanryan]

thankyou both. his dad went to see the headteacher 2 weeks ago and suggested he may be dyslexic, the head said she would have a chat with his class teacher and see what she thinks. when talkin to his teacher tonight his teacher knew nothing about the meeting with the head. we are going to the head for help but she is doing nothing to help us find out the problems, he has been saying he is been bullied and dont want to go but we believe he isnt been bullied and that because he is struggling and getting no help with his work. his mom hasnt noticed any problems because she never sits down with him and does any reading or writing with him. i have noticed his letters are backwards in the past but because his mom ot teachers didnt seem concerned i thought it was just a stage kids go through. he does struggle with things but we have always put it down to him not having any help from mom. he cant do things like count to 10. where as my 2 year old counts to 15. i know u shouldnt compare children but surely he should be able to do this by now.

[froggequene]

I don't wish to pry but I think you, his mother & father need to act as one unit when dealing with the school - Mum is being told one thing, Dad another & you appear to be receiving the information second hand and somewhere along the line none of this information is being passed along to the staff.

The three of you need to get together, discuss your concerns and then ask to speak to the SENCO at the school & voice your concerns.

You could also go ahead & contact the Educational Psychology department to ask them to assess him.

Again, contact the Parent Parentship in your local area - they'll be able to advise what's available & maybe support you in talking to the school if you want them to.

[daffy654]

My son has had a statement of special educational needs since he started school the September after he turned 4(his birthday is August so he was only just 4).The school saying they have to wait until your stepson is 6 and a half is rubbish.I would do as froggequene says and get his father and mother to initiate the process themselves with the education authority.

[froggequene]

One more thing, this is copy of the booklet we give out to parents, which you may find useful:
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/3755/Parents %20Guide.pdf

[Ice.Maiden]

Being statemented might not always be the right thing to do, because a child can feel "different", and then get bullied. It can also go against the child in later life. I'd suggest getting a paediatrician to run tests on your child to determine what problem/s exist, and then ask for some one-to-one time with your son and the Special Needs teacher at school. My own son was in this position, and is now doing extremely well, considering that he has autism with learning difficulties. He hasn't been statemented, but receives a lot of help and support. You'd also be able to claim Disability Living Allowance for your son, which varies, depending on circumstances. Best of luck.