SCN0344

Written evidence from Parental Submission 183

 

 

  1. The changes to SEN in 2014 have caused havoc and along with the new Education curriculum our children are at a serious disadvantage and slipping through the nets in the system, unless an EHCP is in place which means that all we as parents want is one in place or our children do not get the support needed.

 

  1. My daughter is year 10 and she started Secondary school as the changes took place, she had been on Action plus and had very little support but at least she was recognized as having needs that needed additional support, she was diagnosed with Auditory Processing disorder from [hospital] and a few years ago diagnosed with Autism  and is now academically since being in secondary school with not being able to access the curriculum sufficiently in her time at secondary school due to being taken off SEN on arrival at the school as the school has the say of who needs what and the criteria is not clearly cut,

 

  1. We have also found that SENCOS in Secondary school must be a teacher and not only look after the needs of all SEN but teach classes which is a hard task. They do not have enough training to meet the needs of young people and the SEN teaching assistants are being cut so not enough to cover the needs of those without an EHCP.

 

  1. Only after lots of fighting was she put back on SEN last year but hasn’t given any support other than a hover TA if in a class and yet her reading and comprehension is below average according to EP and those needs of one to one or additional support needs an ECHCP which we know isn’t accurate but due to the vague criteria now for SEN schools can get away with little or no support.

 

  1. The Education system for GCSE is now so exam based and will be hard for many of the SEN children to achieve due to it being based on memory and there isn’t anything that children who struggle with exams can achieve as the vocational subjects such as the ARTS are being axed in schools or also becoming based on exam only.

 

  1. The Education System is not meeting the needs and the need for an ECHCP is now increasing.

 

  1. Getting rid of the Action and Action plus has meant that there is an underestimation of needs and many children like my daughter have not benefitted from SEN support and she has not met her potential and been failed by the Education System despite having reports from top doctors, SALT, and EP advice.

 

  1. SENCO teachers need higher level training and should be only doing the role of a SENCO and not a role of a full-time teacher especially in a High school with over a thousand students on role.
  2. The [redacted] and [redacted] profiles vary according to the experience of the staff and are also very vague as there is not enough guideline’s in schools in what is needed.

 

  1. My daughter has been failed and I feel gutted that in a First World Country that this has been allowed to happen and from the support groups belong to, she is one of millions,

 

  1. If you want to see real numbers review how many children have been de registered from school and home schooled are SEN children, also look at the figures of how many are applying for ECHCP as that has increased.

 

  1. School is now a place of stress and anxiety for children and families who must fight schools for needs of their children to be met.

 

 

June 2018