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[salsa]

I have to say my ds was completely overlooked at primary school...He is a quiet kid who tends to conform...the reports from the Dyscovery centre were enough to ensure he has has SENCO support through his grammar school...it hasn’t taken much...just to be able to use a laptop, extra support for his handwriting and to be able to be in a pe group that he could work at his level of skill. It has made such a difference to his confidence.

I am glad your son is getting support at his grammar school. We often get queries here at the forum from concerned parents who think that their children would not be able to cope or have the right support at a grammar school.

Salsa

[Amber]

I disagree - if they are qualified teachers with a PGCE they will have studied SEN - I think you may be criticising a particular school here ...

There was no SEN content whatsoever on my PGCE course in the 1980s. I also worked for a year in a special school for children with various cognitive impairments (mostly ASD) and only one of the staff there had any specialist qualification. The rest were mainstream trained and learning as they went along. While I agree that there is an issue with children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia etc, you just try having a severely disabled child who can't be accommodated in a mainstream school and then you will really see what under-resourcing looks like. And what it is to have to fight for even basic provision for your child.

[loobylou]

My dh did his PGCE in the early 90s and there was a very limited amount of SEN teaching on his course. However he has a detailed precis of the SEN requirements of every child in any of his classes (and can look at the longer version if he needs to) and has quite a lot of support if he needs it in helping to manage needs. This is in a comprehensive with significantly above-average proportion of children with SEN (as the school is perceived to be "nurturing"). However in reality the support has plummeted in the last 2 years with the removal of most of the TAs/LSAs due to inability to fund them and the result has caused quite a lot of teacher stress I think.

[DC17C]

I am glad your son is getting support at his grammar school. We often get queries here at the forum from concerned parents who think that their children would not be able to cope or have the right support at a grammar school.

Salsa

Thanks ...it was clear from his primary school that he was capable academically it was getting the dyspraxia diagnosis that explained some of his challenges with recording his working out and ideas...got to see how he gets on with gcses this year and what happens beyond ....Getting a diagnosis and understanding ones strengths and challenges does at least help one steer towards suitable careers...otherwise you can get stuck in a totally unsuitable career for a long time...something of which I have personal experience....

[mystery]

That's good. Kind of make sense that a selective school will be more likely to pay attention to this, despite limited resources, as they are not going to have the full range of needs that a primary school might have to contend with as it's quite likely that the children with more severe needs, unfortunately, are not likely to make it through the grammar selection process unless they have a statement / EHC plan ... and the percentage of children with statement / EHC plan is under 3% -- so maybe less than 1% of the potential grammar school population at a guess?

[Rob Clark]

Ditto Amber and Mystery's (and looby's DH) experience – PGCE in late 80s, no compulsory SEN content. I think there was an optional module, from memory…

Interestingly one of DD's best friends at university is doing a teacher training course which is half early years and half SEN-specific so maybe that indicates a greater awareness of the issues and the need for teachers trained in them, or am I being too hopeful?

[mystery]

Sorry stroudydad, we have gone a bit off topic.

Yes, rob clark I am sure awareness is much higher. But, if I am brutally honest, if I had had a module on Sen I am not sure I would have known anything more than through reading about it. And it is a very confusing topic with very grey edges. Particularly when you get to dyslexia with its many definitions depending which organisation's definition you read.

At least some other sens have an agreed definition, even if it is clear as mud.

In my probationary year, I remember clearly having at least four children with extra needs in my various year 9 classes. One could not read, several could read but turned up wth coloured overlays and disappeared from lessons without warning off to see the senco, another was extraordinarily badly behaved, one had a severe visual deficit.

I had total mixed ability classes and was supposed to teach these pupils all three sciences - no one had told me anything about them nor what to do. I went to see the senco and could not understand her.

It was, and still is, one of the best comps in that city. I am sure they must have moved forwards. But all those people I worked with are still of teaching age.

[DC17C]

This is another book Ive found helpful in supporting and understanding me and my children...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scattered-Mind ... Gabor+mate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Eccentric]

This is another book Ive found helpful in supporting and understanding me and my children...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scattered-Mind ... Gabor+mate" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would second the recommendation for this book.

[yoyo123]

My dh did his PGCE in the early 90s and there was a very limited amount of SEN teaching on his course. However he has a detailed precis of the SEN requirements of every child in any of his classes (and can look at the longer version if he needs to) and has quite a lot of support if he needs it in helping to manage needs. This is in a comprehensive with significantly above-average proportion of children with SEN (as the school is perceived to be "nurturing"). However in reality the support has plummeted in the last 2 years with the removal of most of the TAs/LSAs due to inability to fund them and the result has caused quite a lot of teacher stress I think.

My PGCE SEN session was one afternoon, in a huge hall with 2PGCE courses and 2 BEd courses. Next to useless to be honest.