Parent, Somerset
My stories
My School Story
My daughter struggled from reception back in 2020. SEnco explained her difficulties were just due to "covid" and she just needed to "get used to fact that schools were noisy places" every day she would cry and cling to me while staff pulled her away, during the day she would be given pictures to colour in most of the day as she could not engage in lessons. I asked about an EHCP the SEnco said no point as we didn't have enough evidence that she was struggling. She was not able to talk to staff or other children.
We continued into year 2, I finally applied myself for an EHCP and the SEnco called me to say I had "ruined everything as it would be rejected and we'd have to wait even longer" it was not rejected - she was funded for a 1:1 - the school took 5 months to appoint one - her 1:1 was not trained in autism and my daughter's struggles became worse. She was forced to sit SATs. Her hair was falling out and she had stopped growing.
They forced her into a new class away from her friends and teacher she knew - a TA informed me off the record that my daughter had spent the "transition" day into her new class screaming and sobbing. We removed her to home educate at the end of year 3 as felt it was the only way to prevent further harm to my daughter. Since we left the SEnco was removed from the school and we since found out she was not qualified nor a teacher. We took years to recover from our ordeal as a family.
We continued into year 2, I finally applied myself for an EHCP and the SEnco called me to say I had "ruined everything as it would be rejected and we'd have to wait even longer" it was not rejected - she was funded for a 1:1 - the school took 5 months to appoint one - her 1:1 was not trained in autism and my daughter's struggles became worse. She was forced to sit SATs. Her hair was falling out and she had stopped growing.
They forced her into a new class away from her friends and teacher she knew - a TA informed me off the record that my daughter had spent the "transition" day into her new class screaming and sobbing. We removed her to home educate at the end of year 3 as felt it was the only way to prevent further harm to my daughter. Since we left the SEnco was removed from the school and we since found out she was not qualified nor a teacher. We took years to recover from our ordeal as a family.
What happened next...
We now home educate and both my daughters are thriving, happy and growing as they deserve to. I would never entrust my children's wellbeing to the state school system ever again after what we went through. Children like mine need the flexibility and calm that home education offers, especially while the support offered in school is inadequate and at times harmful.
How I think schools could be better.
Stop implementing plans where the goal is to change the child. Focus on understanding and supporting needs and learning differences.