SEN candidates

Advice on Special Needs and the 11 Plus Exams

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isamum
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:33 am

SEN candidates

Post by isamum »

Are they been given any preferences during the whole process of applying for GS places?
stevew61
Posts: 1786
Joined: Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:54 pm
Location: caversham

Post by stevew61 »

Have a look here,

http://www.elevenplusexams.co.uk/forum/ ... m.php?f=40

My understanding is that reasonable adjustments or allowances are made. And a guideline is what allowances are made in the classroom day to day. Speak to the schools you are interested in, see how they respond, most schools seem helpful.

My DS2 currently receives no extra allowances in the classroom, which we are pleased about as he is coping and thriving. But will ask that he takes the exam in a smaller room, rather than a hall with a hundred boys, as he can become hypersensitive to sights and sounds.

steve
SSM
Posts: 646
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:09 pm

Post by SSM »

I think it depends on the area which you are in and if your child is actually on the SEN register.

For example we are in Kent and my son is dyslexic, he would only have been allowed extra time in the English writing exam, which is only looked at for Headteachers appeals, and would not have been allowed any extra time in VR, NVR or matths.

Your LEA should have someone that deals with SEN secondary school admissions and they would be the person to talk to.

[color=darkblue]Sorry, I thought I was looking at this under the SEN section, didn't realise it was in Surrey.[/color]
isamum
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:33 am

Post by isamum »

Yes I agree, this topic should g under SEN section.

I am asking that only now I realised that different counties (LEA authorities) are treating SEN kids differently.
sallyj
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:45 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by sallyj »

This is not a straightfoorward subject,as we have found to our cost.
Our son has Tourettes,which has never hugely impacted on his primary school life. He has known almost all his classmates since toddlerhood & they simply accept his tics with very little question. He is therefore relaxed amongst them.
However,as we are out of area for GS,he sat the 11 plus in a school he'd never visited(open evening was a week later !)with children & teachers he'd never met before. His tics went into overdrive,his concentration was shot trying to supress his tics & therefore disturb no-one else at such an important time. He missed by 2 marks !
Although we informed the school of his Tourettes before exam day & again just before the exam,no interest was shown in his condition at all. At the time I naively thought they were being 'inclusive',with hindsight I'm sure they simply weren't interested. We have since found that we could have asked for him to sit the exam alone,been given breaks where he could leave the room to allow him to stretch & tic if required & even a few extra minutes to allow for the distraction of the tics ! For those who will say that if he has such concentration problems is he really suited to a GS education,I would say,take a long hard look at his exemplory record at primary school. Once he is settled & adjusted to a situation,he relaxes & fits in well,& many 'ordinary' children find problems with a new situation too.
He did pass the entrance to another selective school with an 'exceptional' pass mark(thier words,not mine) but they wouldn't consider having him in thier school because of his Tourettes ! This exam was sat with dozens of current classmates,friends from cubs/football etc,so he was completely at ease.
Other schools-including non-selective-we have approached are mainly interested to know why a child with Tourettes doesn't have a Statement,as if this is a magic pass !
Anyone who has ever tried to have a statement for thier child knows only too well how much of a long slog through red tape this can be,with no guarranteed results. As our son has never given his primary a moment of trouble & is consistently top of his class & year,we had no reason whatsoever to ask for a statement.
So,are SEN candidates given special preference for GS ? Not unless the parents know exactly what to ask for. Forewarned is forearmed,so to parents of children with similar problems,especially those without a statement,if your child has yet to take the 11 plus,ask,ask,ask..........
Y
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 12:49 pm

Post by Y »

sallyj wrote:He did pass the entrance to another selective school with an 'exceptional' pass mark(thier words,not mine) but they wouldn't consider having him in thier school because of his Tourettes !
Surely this can't be legal under the Disability Discrimination Act?
sallyj
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:45 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by sallyj »

You're right,it's actually completely illegal under disability discrimination.
At the time I made no fuss,because at the end of the day I still have to find a suitable education for my child,& if I started 'muddying the waters' I was scared no school would deal with us. After all,education can be very closed ranks & I don't know which headteacher is on the golf course with another !!
I have since made enquiries with the Equalities & Human Rights Commision,but they work to very tight deadlines. You have to start proceedings within '6 months minus one day',so as this all happened last September,our window of opportunity is now closed.
It would also boil down to my word against the offending schools. At the open evening,I waited in line with my son to meet the head,introduced us & asked if they had had dealings with Tourettes before. The head refused to shake my hand,looked disgusted & brushed past us saying " we don't have children like that here" !!! I was referred to thier pastoral care manager. He is a retired primary school teacher who works on a part time basis. He was hidden away in a hall behind a screen. I went through what the head had told me, & was told that as they are so over subscribed,they can pick & choose who to admit. He did say that if I persisted in an application & actually got a place,that they would have my son excluded within a month. That each time he had a tic or twitch it would be deemed disruptive behaviour & therefore give them just cause for exclusion.
Considering the 'bun fight' to get children into the school I have no doubt I would be shot down in flames by its many supporters who would prefer thier children to be educated only within a 'perfect' peer group.
A little questioning of parents with other children with 'differences' has shown that this is standard practice for the school in question,& sadly as long as we accept it because we are scared of making waves,this over elitism will continue.
The senco at my sons current primary said he was ashamed to be part of a proffession which could treat children with such outright discrimination !
Am I angry ? Very,but also at myself for not standing up for my son. The best I can do now is hope to find a place at a school which welcomes him,cares for him & educates him,surely not too much to ask for ?!
SSM
Posts: 646
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:09 pm

Post by SSM »

sallyj

Reading your post, brought tears to my eyes. The way you were treated by the school was totally autrocious.

Keeping my finges crossed for you, for your appeals. Hopefully your DS will get a school that he can thrive in, and you can then stick two fingers up at the schools that turned him down.

Once you get your appeals and school place sorted, I think you should name and shame the school.

Wishing you the best of luck.
sallyj
Posts: 212
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:45 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Post by sallyj »

Dear SSM,Thankyou for your reply,though please don't shed any tears on our behalf ***
You actually made me laugh out loud with your 'two fingers' comment !
I would love to name & shame & scream how I feel from the rooftops,& I could rant on about this subject forever........
My mum was an SEN teacher for thirty years before her premature death in '88. Oh how I could do with her help now. She had a dream where every child was equal & all would be given the same opportunities regardless of disability. Sadly 21 years later we are still facing open discrimination xx
For now I will fight for my son,eat too much chocolate & continue to enjoy this wonderful forum & the amazing people who make it soooooo great xx
Sallyj xx
isamum
Posts: 72
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:33 am

Post by isamum »

sallyj - Ifeel for you as I have friend with son with the same conditon but they live in Canada and she is counting on the fact that most kids from her son's primary go onto the same secondary school in the area
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