a (probably very long) vent

[Guest guest]

Oooooh Sue boy can I relate, I fear some of this stuff is going on at Sara's

school. Sara's aide is to help start relationships but I don't see this

happening, geeesh I don't know if she was even told to. Hmmmmmm this reminds

me Heehee Im off to write another note

Kathy mom to Sara 8

[Guest guest]

Sue, Sure sounds like there needs to be some major inclusion training at that

school! SOON!

Keep them on their toes. Maybe some of the parents of other children with sp

needs will support you?

[Guest guest]

I am SO angry this morning, I have just walked out of school, something I

have never felt the need to to do before. I went in to do odd jobs for tims

teacher, a regular appointment on tuesdays. Tim was sat with another boy on

a table with a lady doing the learning support course that I did last year.

She was sitting by the other boy not between the two children and was

helping the other boy (call him G sounds better than other boy!). Tim and G

were doing handwriting, the aide was helping G to follow the words on the

board, tim was supposed to be writing over a sentence in his book, he wasn't

tho but got no input from the aide who was helping G other than to tell him

to get on with it. So he got a bit miffed, I was miffed but said nothing (I

was elsewhere and try to stay well clear of tim anyway). Tims aide

meanwhile, who I was under the impression is supposed to be tims aide and

help him when he needs it, is doing 1:1 with another SEN boy, which I

wouldn't have minded had tim been doing his work or been receiving support

from the other aide. The kids go in the quiet room so there is a break,

they come out 10 minutes later to write some stuff. G is moved onto the

other SEN table where there are 5 children and tim is left to sit alone with

his aide at a different table. tim has a paddy and I am by now incensed and

walk out so I don't hear tim who is by now out in the cloakroom having his

paddy. I did go back after a few minutes, tim is still in the cloakroom

screaming. His aide comes up and asks me if tim has had a lot of attention

from his grandparents this weekend (they have been staying) becoz he seems

to be doing a lot of attention seeking today. And I let rip. He is angry

and screaming becoz he is sat on a table all by himself with his aide. And

whats more its not the first time its happened in this class. He sits on a

table with G, tim and G are the two poorest kids acedemically in the class,

G has behaviour problems as well and tims behaviour this last week or so has

deteriorated, do we see a pattern here? Yes we bloody well do. Tim is a

lousy peer role model for G and G is equally lousy for Tim, BOTH children

need to be included with their peers, G is at times but not all of it and

Tim I have yet to see sitting with anyone other than G or his aide. And I

am angry, with a capital A. I have come home in tears I am so mad and I am

too angry to be pleasant to the staff who should damn well know better.

Tims aide meanwhile is totally taken aback by my outburst, I have been

outspoken before but I have never spoken in anger to her, I like her a lot,

I count her as a friend, which makes me angrier really that this has

hapened. There are only 7 SEN kids in the class and places for 8 at each

table, tim could easily sit at the same table as could G and tims aide too.

so tim wasted an entire session this morning and accomplished sod all. Then

to add insult to injury in a way as I walked thro the hall reception were

doing PE. A kid in there who has some undiagnosed special needs related to

behaviour and speech as well as learning was running round and round while

his aide stood and watched him, the other kids were jumping up and down on

circles, so why was he not being enouraged to jump on the spot and not run

round the room? When I have calmed down I am going to have to go back and

talk to people, not just becoz I am tims mum but also becoz I am the

governor responsible for special needs in school and something has gone

wrong this term. No school is perfect all the time and I am genrally very

happy with this one but I have come home today and seriously thougth about

putting tim into a special school becoz at least he'd be able to work with

his friends. sorry this is so long, there is loads more going thro my mind

but I won't make you all suffer for my temper, just pray I calm down before

I pick tim up at 3.30 tonight.

sue wong