SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

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Jean.Brodie
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Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2012 6:55 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by Jean.Brodie »

Hi! ... I used to work as a SEN Teaching assistant and then as a Subject Teacher. General pastoral care is completely different from specialist SEN care. One individual member of SEN Staff can make all the difference.

Each SEN child is unique and needs a strong personal relationship with at least one member of SEN Staff. Asperger's pupils also vary a lot in their specific, individual needs. What works in a particular case is down to resources, skill and luck. I'm afraid it's much harder to predict than, say, with dyslexia.

So the parents neeed to have a meeting with SENCO, SEN Staff and, crucially, parents with 'similar' kids at each school. It's a lot of work but it may pay dividends.

Credit to DAO for being honest with Aspiemum.
ToadMum
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Location: Essex

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by ToadMum »

Jean.Brodie wrote:Hi! ... I used to work as a SEN Teaching assistant and then as a Subject Teacher. General pastoral care is completely different from specialist SEN care. One individual member of SEN Staff can make all the difference.

Each SEN child is unique and needs a strong personal relationship with at least one member of SEN Staff. Asperger's pupils also vary a lot in their specific, individual needs. What works in a particular case is down to resources, skill and luck. I'm afraid it's much harder to predict than, say, with dyslexia.

So the parents neeed to have a meeting with SENCO, SEN Staff and, crucially, parents with 'similar' kids at each school. It's a lot of work but it may pay dividends.

Credit to DAO for being honest with Aspiemum.
Yes...but slightly les credit to the HT for the open evening speech, really.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
llhj
Posts: 206
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 2:47 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by llhj »

Credit? No credit due. That is an appalling response and discriminatory. I am shocked that a professional would state that so openly, let alone think it. So much for an inclusive atmosphere.
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by loobylou »

Jerusha wrote:
Aspiemum wrote:They said my son would be bored in DAO as they have mixed ability classes and spend a whole year with revision to help those who didn't come through the selective route.
Could those who have experience with the school comment on this? DAO has always been my first preference but now I got a bit unsure. My son had high score at QE and now I'm wondering which to choose (although second round DAO results are yet to be seen).
I find it very sad from an 'unashamedly academic' school to state they can offer no challenges in the first year when they have 65 kids every year who got in through a highly competitive selection.
My experience - 2 children in DAO, one highly academic, one academic but less of a high flyer...
There is no setting in the first year. All children are taught in "mixed ability" classes - however some children are taken out for specific teaching - this was less than a handful in each year and seemed to be the weakest students.
There was a lot of consolidating in maths in the first year. My older child did report that she didn't feel she learned a lot in maths in year 7, my younger benefited from the consolidation - despite being very good at maths I think the teaching in his primary school had been a bit hit-or-miss and he was definitely helped by some more grounding. We took the attitude with dd that she was learning so much new content in so many new subjects that she might as well enjoy having a less challenging time in maths for a year. I know that some people requested more challenging homework for their children and were given them - we didn't request that.

It has made no difference to my children's results. The school gets a lot of 8s and 9s in maths (I don't know the exact numbers for this year but I believe last year >25% of the student cohort got a 9 in maths).
From year 8 they are set in maths - in year 8 and 9 there are 2 halves of the year so top set, second set etc in each of those halves.
In year 10/11 there is one top set then 2 or 3 "second" sets then 2 or 3 "third" sets.

Both my children are doing/have done very very well academically at DAO. I have not had a moment's concern about their academic or social progress at the school. I still - despite this thread - feel enormously lucky that they are getting such an amazing experience of school. My dd in particular has lots of friends at other schools and feels that her experiences are so much better, so much less pressured and so much more enjoyable, than those friends.
ebf3
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:31 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by ebf3 »

Just a little to add. Yes, mixed ability in DAO does require the child to be accepting of the needs of others (maths is slow in Y7 and English, which now remains mixed all the way to GCSE, is slow all the way.) My children had to adjust to this. The results are excellent, however, and the mixed ability approach does seem to work for the school. High achieving children on the autistic spectrum may well struggle to have the empathy required to cope with this, though.

It is a rare school now who will push their SEN provision as being brilliant, or even good. All schools are struggling with funding, and SEN needs money, so is really feeling the pinch. I have friends currently looking for a place for a child with additional needs related to ASD - an utterly lovely child who just needs a bit of help to fit in. They are getting a fairly consistent story from many non-selective schools: no extra help would be provided - he would be better elsewhere. This is even from schools that I know have exactly the support he would need already in place! It is very disheartening. I think schools will actually do their best with the children who get a place, but an enthusiastic SENDCo beforehand is a lovely bonus.

In this case, though, I’d think very carefully about where to choose. It sounds as if a mixed ability structure might be an issue, and this can’t be mitigated by SEN support. Where non-selective schools might possibly withdraw more able children to have special lessons, this won’t happen at a selective school. You need one where the structure itself suits his needs as far as possible.
loobylou
Posts: 2032
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 5:04 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by loobylou »

Triggered by my feelings after reading this thread, I had a long chat with my friend last night - she lives in a completely different area of the country but works as a SENCO in a secondary school.
She tells me that the immediate response from their SLT/SENCO team in the last 3 years is to inform the parent that they are not best placed to meet their needs and why don't they try School X or Y. I asked her how she felt about it and whether she was offended - her response was that she knows the school will do the best by any child that attends, she knows she's respected by the SLT and this is purely a response to the current austerity. Ethically she has an issue with it because they often could meet the needs but she gets where her SLT are coming from and she says she doesn't directly lie but just keeps quiet unless she's asked a direct question. She says that all the local schools do the same thing so the parents literally don't have a clue where would be best for their child.
I remember as a school governor (primary) hearing from so many prospective parents that other local primaries had "recommended" our school as better for SEN (it was no better but our head would never have turned any one away). This was probably 8 years ago but it sounds as though it has got much more prevalent as austerity bites.
I don't know how useful this perspective is but I found it an interesting (and very sad) conversation.
Aspiemum
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Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:08 pm

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by Aspiemum »

Following on the original subject, I'd like to share with you my experience at the QE SEN-meeting today.
Based on these recent posts, I was expecting a similar attitude than at DAO, and I have to tell I was pleasantly surprised!
The Senco and Deputy Head at QE were very friendly, and although admitted they currently only have 1 kid with EHCP, they were far from dismissive. She reassured me that my son can get as much challenges as he wants at QE, and although he will also need to follow the rules, they will tolerate more from him. Also mentioned the possibility of further aids/helps e.g. providing him with laptop for the writing, etc. They didn't want to convince me in either way, but reassured that they would do their best to accommodate him, should I choose QE.
All in all, it was a good experience and now I'm more confused than ever....
Tomorrow: Latymer. To be continued.....
TDJ
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:39 am

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by TDJ »

Spoke to Latymer SEN.
She was very honest and I like that. She told me we do provide some kind of support but do not expect a TA support for the child for all subjects. Depending on the need of the child. We provide colored paper, Computer if the child is more comfortable using computers etc.

I prefer a school to be honest I know what to expect. I think its the same for all school. They have very little resources to help a child with Special needs as they need the funding.

The lady I spoke to was not overselling the school. She asked me the type of support my son gets in school for the time being and this will be assessed in the school.

They do not have a long SEN register
ToadMum
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Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:41 pm
Location: Essex

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by ToadMum »

Are these schools actually saying, whatever is specified in your EHCP, please don't necessarily expect us to provide it?
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.Groucho Marx
TDJ
Posts: 49
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:39 am

Re: SEN support in Latymer/QE/DAO/MHCHS

Post by TDJ »

She explained to me that she is the SENCO and she only has 1 assistant. They try to accommodate. I dont think school with provide everything that is listed. Read QE website they mention the type of disability they support, same with latymer and same with Mill Hill county and DAO.

In case of my son the school refused to give him the support as he was not lacking behind with the curriculum. I had to fight. Finally I did everything myself. I got him 1 to 1.
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