Eve's blog

My results were in e-vision today ...

Year
2005/6

Conferred award
BACHELOR OF ARTS WITH HONOURS

Award Title
LEARNING, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (ULTRAVERSITY)

Classification:

FIRST CLASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Earl Howe

"Even where a child has been statemented for special educational needs, local authorities will often fight tooth and nail against providing the support that is needed. I agreed wholeheartedly with the noble Baroness, Lady Thomas, on that topic.

Research by Brunel University involving 750 parents found that most of them viewed dealing with LEAs as a confrontational exercise and that the whole process was a source of extreme stress. Parents are stressed enough without that. We really should be worried by research findings such as those."

from Baroness Thomas of Winchester 20th July 2006 House of Lords

"While recognising the financial challenges faced by LEAs, parents often have to resort to expensive legal action to compel LEAs to meet additional costs. In fact, the whole statementing process seems to be designed to make life difficult for parents and to be infinitely less supportive than it should be towards those who are looking after what are often very difficult and disturbed children. Since there appears to be no contingency for reassessment, parents become desperate and often a battle with the local LEA ensues. Have the Government any plans to address this unsatisfactory situation?"

The SALT department don't know about the reinstated SALT by the LEA - is someone is telling porkies or are they just not communicating?

... my alarm went off and I laid there half asleep/half awake until the sounds of screaming penetrated my ears ...

Next thing J launched himself into the bedroom saying we'd put the wrong clothes out ... which was strange as it was a school day and his school uniform was out as usual. When I said that non-uniform day was Friday he had another meltdown.

"It's pirate day!"

To give him his due he had said this to me when I picked him up from school y'day - but I had filed it in the "That's interesting" section of my brain rather than the "Oh - yes - that needs something sorting" section.

Cue to ring parent of another child ...

"What's this about pirates?"
"It was in the letter"
"What letter?"
"The letter they brought home on Friday"
"Ahhh... OK what do they need?!"

You've guessed what's coming ... he needed a pirate outfit complete with bandana ... and no - the letter never reached us.

Which at 7:40am, with 20 minutes till we left the house, was not helped by other parent telling me they'd hired an outfit!

Not being entirely sure of what to do for a bandana I sent J to look it up on the internet while I gave my teeth a cursory brush - more screams as the computer is not allowed on on schooldays and he couldn't explain to D why he'd turned it on and that Mummy had told him to ... Thankfully all the curtains were closed when I shot downstairs to separate the parties .. it was not a pretty sight!

I sent J off to choose any T-shirt and shorts that would fit the bill - thankfully he was happy to do this. Meanwhile I emptied drawers and boxes of scrap material to no avail for something to use as a bandana ... then finally hit on the idea of using J's necker from cubs!

Just about to set off through the door when we realised J hadn't had his Ritalin ... after all that he was only 5 minutes late for Breakfast Club - a minor miracle!

Where's the valium?

It's amazing what a stiffly worded letter quoting the law will do ... SALT now back for J!!!!!

... I'm not surprised.

The LEA has refused to continue J's SALT and, because of some rather devious wording in the statement that we didn't spot, we are unlikely to have any avenue to appeal ... anyone know a good SEN lawyer?

Had a letter of apology from the school - name cleared but now on diazepam to get through the school gates ....

3 hours in Casualty with J (no bones broken thankfully) followed by an accusation by the Head of J's school that, as a foundation governor, I have undermined the school management.

To cut a long story short - the accusation is based on a letter sent by my husband to the school inspectors re the lack of implementation of the school homework policy, which has been erroneously attributed to me and then blown out of all proportion - it has been referred to the CoG and the diocese - which led to a visit at 9:00pm tonight by the CoG.

I am extremely disturbed that my character and integrity should be questioned in such a manner, based on unsubstantiated ‘facts’, which are themselves based on a communication made by my husband, in confidence, to the Ofsted team.

I have been so hurt by this that I need to come to a decision whether I wish to remain a part of a team that would so hastily believe that I could act in such a manner.

I feel that I am due an apology from those concerned, as this issue has added considerable stress to me at a time when I am already under considerable stress from home issues.

I have just penned a letter to the CoG and am now off to deliver it through his door .. I may be able to get some sleep tonight then.