Help any one

Advice on Special Needs and the 11 Plus Exams

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nicemum
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:16 pm

Help any one

Post by nicemum »

My son would be 8 in June - Yr 3 is on the school SEN program - school action plus, he was diagnosed as borderline ADHD - nothing specific. We have had assessments from the sch, psych etc and his ability in some areas are above his peers. He has a reading age of a 10 year old and he is the top set for his maths but struggles with his literacy - illegible handwritings, ill formed stories - ignores puntuation rules etc. he also does suffer from concentration lapses , i worry he would not be getting as much from school in terms of what he is been taught. he does series on class tests and do have low scores - last on was 9 out of 15. I am thinking of a private tutor to help brush up his skills. He is an intelligent boy and i would love he sits the 11+ exams for St Olave in kent and other schools. The council has turned down our application for a statement, he does get some help in school however at the last parents evening - his scores were Maths 3b, Literacy 2c and science 2b. I do think this are quite low scores. Any suggestions anyone - the council feel he is able and not behind so wont get him a statement. Sorry for the long story, my questions now - will private tutoring help him? What else can I do
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

Statements are not about 'being behind' but about needing extra support - try to get some advice on this from the SENCo.

ADHD children can and do survive (and do well) in GS - literacy is usuallky the weakest.
Sam's Mum
Posts: 181
Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:58 pm

Post by Sam's Mum »

Hello Nice Mum

Kent LEA don't like giving statements - their argument is that the funding is already in place in schools to deal with SEN - but you do have the right to appeal against the decision. I feel that they will only issue statements if everything else has been tried and failed.

I'm guessing that you have had many discussions with the school. How do they feel about your son's progress? Also, what kind of support is he receiving as a result of School Action Plus and what would you hope to achieve in addition to this by obtaining a statement?

With regard to handwriting, if it is really a problem have you considered him using a computer or laptop for extended writing tasks? Might be worth discussing this with the school. At my children's primary school they taught the poor handwriters to touch type.

With regards to tutoring, it may help as I think children sometimes need that one on one support when they are having difficulties. However, I think I would be inclined to discuss my concerns with the school first before going down this rather costly route. You may also find that extra tutoring on top of a whole day at school may just be too much for your son.

For children who have difficulty with structuring long pieces of writing it can help to provide them with some kind of writing frame. This might show them that a story needs a beginning a middle and an end, suggest how much they should write (number of paragraphs) and explain which part of the story goes into each section. I think this is a common problem, not just amongst children with SEN, but a bit more guidance from the teacher or classroom assistant might help. Just to break a long piece of writing down into smaller segments can make it seem a lot less daunting.

Hope some of this may help.
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Post by Guest55 »

It might be worth looking at this site for support if you want to appeal re statement:

http://www.sendist.gov.uk/
nicemum
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:16 pm

New year

Post by nicemum »

I have decided to go with the 1-1 tutoring for my DS, however, same problems as school with regards to poor concentration , spacing out and the relaxed attitude to learning. Begining to wonder if the 1-1 tutoring will help in the long run. We discuss his progress after every session; he is in tears most times when the tutor is given feedback. Dont know if this is helping ?. he might be just upset as he knows his progress is closely monitored unlike school where he gets away with it.

His hand writing is very poor and not legible at most times and would not want to correct his mistakes, seems not even bothered at all. We have been having episodes of stomach aches without any real issues when at school. not sure what this is . We've been to the GP, no problem found, not constipated or anything, i am wondering if something at school is triggering this. Not sure, have arranged to see class teacher to discuss as well as help with handwriting and attitude to learning.

I am at my wits end on what to do. comments from class teacher and 1-1 tutor is that he is a bright boy but is reluctant to work hard. He struggles with his literacy but enjoys maths etc. The senco worker are trying again to see if we can get any help - statement wise or other.

Any advice anyone?
lion63
Posts: 219
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:37 pm

Post by lion63 »

Hi, Nicemum,

Apologies if I have got this wrong but here are some thoughts,
nicemum wrote:I have decided to go with the 1-1 tutoring for my DS, however, same problems as school with regards to poor concentration , spacing out and the relaxed attitude to learning. Begining to wonder if the 1-1 tutoring will help in the long run. We discuss his progress after every session; he is in tears most times when the tutor is given feedback. Dont know if this is helping ?. he might be just upset as he knows his progress is closely monitored unlike school where he gets away with it.
How long has your son been with the tutor and has the tutor been highly recommended?
Does the tutor know he is borderline ADHD / know how to adapt or approach tutoring for ADHD?

Sometimes traditional methods of tutoring can destroy a child's confidence in that all mistakes or slow progress are seen as failure from the child's point of view. Reading your post just seems to indicate that your DS might be feeling a lot of pressure to perform.

I know you are trying to help him improve and have seeked professional tutoring. Maybe it is just an adjustment to having a tutor and needing to get used to the tutor as well as to tutoring. It could also be that the tutor/tutoring, though superb for another child, might not suit your son.
His hand writing is very poor and not legible at most times and would not want to correct his mistakes, seems not even bothered at all. We have been having episodes of stomach aches without any real issues when at school. not sure what this is . We've been to the GP, no problem found, not constipated or anything, i am wondering if something at school is triggering this. Not sure, have arranged to see class teacher to discuss as well as help with handwriting and attitude to learning.
The vague complaints are sure signs of stress that cannot be vocalised.
Your DS is a clever boy who knows he can do well but faced with 'pressure' on all sides, cannot see a way to deal with what he sees as a monumental task.

I am at my wits end on what to do. comments from class teacher and 1-1 tutor is that he is a bright boy but is reluctant to work hard. He struggles with his literacy but enjoys maths etc. The senco worker are trying again to see if we can get any help - statement wise or other.

Any advice anyone?
Sam's Mum said earlier that it may all be too much for him.
I agree in that your son, although more than capable in many areas, feels overwhelmed by the scrutiny of so many.

If you feel the tutor is an excellent one, I would carry on.

But I feel feedback, especially negative ones, should be privately discussed (by telephone perhaps) out of earshot of the child. This is important in the beginning of any new activity as the child is very susceptible to expectations of parent/teacher and what is actually an easy problem to solve with practice becomes a damning indictment of his overall abilities.

The right tutor will be able to work on his confidence as well by using the right techniques to cope with his concentration lapses, allow mini-breaks, teach by letting him shout out answers rather than sit solidly with pen on paper all throughout the lesson, walk about for part of a lesson doing mental maths etc etc.


You could do a lot of covert brainwashing for your son by expressing frequently and positively how many clever things he has tackled or written or solved in a day/week. Tell him that it seems difficult now but he will see the fruits of his labours soon as little by little, he gets to where he wants to go or where he needs to be which is not thousands of miles away.

Tell yourself that he has time to prepare for the 11+ and in your little chats with your DS, drop big hints that there is plenty of time to practise and learn new techniques. It is also good to recall childhood milestones - that way, the child can see how maturity and practice can help a person grow and develop. Life is one big learning curve. When he first walked,ran,cycled, showered by himself, used a pair of scissors,got something from a high shelf,answered the phone are good ones.

He needs to see that he can do anything and you, the tutor and the school are doing everything to help. He must also see that the help is not because there is something wrong with him but that it is because you guys think that he has so many unharnessed abilities. Break up the work into manageable chunks and applaud all efforts.

I know you are not placing any conditional demands on your boy, you just want him to do well for his sake but children often read it some other way.Good Luck to both of you.

(I am writing this as I have heard too many times too many people saying to too many boys, " You will only be a bin man at the rate you are going!")
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Post by Y »

Do you/have you sat in on the tutoring sessions? I would ask to sit in - a good tutor won't object, and should welcome the fact that if you learn alongside your child, you will be more able to support him yourself. I would be concerned at what might be going on in the sessions if your son is so unhappy at the end. If your son is happy at the end of a session where you have been present, then I would wonder if he a) needs your presence to feel comfortable or b) your presence has made the tutor more positive.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Post by yoyo123 »

Does the tutor know he has ADHD and that affects his concentration ?

Are they trying different ways of teaching, often choldren with ADHD respond very well to hands on kinaesthetic activities.


Do speak to the Senco, on what grounds were you asking for the statement? What additional help would this provide?

He is on School Action plus, which means that there is additional support apart from that which the school provides eg work with speech therapist, help from specialist teacher etc.


Have you contacted "Partnership with Parents? your senco or AEN department would be bale to gove you an address, they are independent and work with parents of children with SEN, filling in forms, attendiong meetings, advising etc.
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