[mumof3]

We're in the difficult position of having to choose a school for our oldest who will start next year, but Ryan will start the following year, so we need to make sure we're choosing a school that will be supportive of his needs. It's hard!! Our closest school isn't my first choice, but unless we move it's going to have to be the one we start with until we can move. We went round last week, but the headteacher wasn't there, so we're meeting with her next week to talk through some things, mainly how they'd support Ryan if we did choose the school and stick with it for all of our children.

Can someone help me with good questions to ask? I've got a few written down, and I am a primary teacher myself so have already thought of a lot of issues that will come up, but they're more things that we'll need to tell the school when he starts (things like when they walk in and sit down quietly for assembly, he'll need to be on the end of a line as he takes up a ton of room getting on/off the floor and they pack them in really tightly in a small hall....) so I just want to make sure I cover any questions that would be helpful.

if it helps- Ryan's a mild right side hemiparesis. Our main issues are balance/tripping over his toes, dressing/undressing and toileting (though I hope this won't be an issue when he starts!)

thank you! x

[N+J]

Oh, gosh - my son has just started school, so I should be able to help, but ...

Things have changed so much since when he was 3 - I am guessing Ryan is about this age now.

At 3 Samuel tripped up loads and has terrible balance. In the last couple of years both of these things have changed and improved massively!

I think I'd ask about the sort of help Ryan might get with things in the curriculum, like cutting and making things and writing. I'd also say that children with hemiplegia can often have reading/writing difficulties etc and difficulties with maths etc ... this is not always the case for everybody, but if it was how would they go about helping with these things?

What is the school playground like? Is it big and hectic are there adults around helping children who need help to stay involved and play together?

Is this too much? Are these the sort of answers you were looking for? I'm only wondering because if you are a teacher yourself you must have thought of these things. I am still wondering what I should be asking and Samuel has started school now, so I don't think I can be that helpful.

Nicola.

[mumof3]

thank you! that's very helpful!

I *think* he'll be ok with cutting and writing as he uses his right hand well when he has to. He just doesn't use it unless he does need 2 hands. He'll be 3 in Feb, so it's really encouraging to know some of our biggest issues right now might not be so bad when he starts school.

I'll ask about the support for curriculum issues if they come up. It worries me that the school uses TAs (higher level) for supply cover, so who then helps those who need it? This will be one of my questions!

Also if they have a learning mentor/pastoral support type person who does groups/sessions with children, as I worry about confidence, bullying, and general emotional stuff, especially if he's going to be so tired each day.

thanks again!

[N+J]

Yes - they do have a learning mentor at Samuel's school and I think she is very helpful with Samuel - plus they do lots of group things on friendship and bullying etc - and again, I feel that Samuel is going to benefit a lot from that at this time.

I have noticed that I was mostly worried about the physical stuff before he started, but now my concerns are more to do with friendship, behaviour and learning.

[mumof3]

I'm just like you were- I suppose it's because all we can see right now is the physical impact. We won't know about the friendships/learning/behaviour stuff until they get a bit older. So much of what Ryan does right now is 2yr old stuff, but if it sticks around for a few more years then we'll have to address it differently. I think I want to make sure we have a school that will be on top of any potential issues to intervene as soon as they can and not leave it til there's a bigger problem.

We went round a lovely school today. They have an amazing reception base that's separated from the school and is SO well resourced and very well staffed. It would be almost like an extended year at nursery, though they do go into the 'big school' for PE, assemblies, lunch.... would be perfect!! But when they get into year 1 they really push the learning. Nightly homework, ability grouping for maths and literacy.... I think they do it well in that the children are enjoying the learning, and they are very quick to give support where needed. I do worry about the homework, especially if he'll be too tired to do it some nights, but I'm in the school tomorrow for a dance group and plan to ask about how they'd manage it for him. The prospectus says the go through the work in class the next day, so I don't want him being singled out for not having it.

There's lots of steps too in the main part of the school, though I'm hoping that won't be an issue by then. They do lots of sport and drama and dance. My oldest would thrive there. Now we just need to see if we can move into the catchment before Jan!!

[N+J]

Hello again Jan,

I was in this dilemma too about a year ago. We got a statement for Samuel because we live in no catchment area at all, if that makes sense ... ie all the schools round here have catchment areas and we are not in any of them. We have no local school. So I really pushed for a statement just to ensure that Samuel could go to a decent school and not be shipped out to one far away that no one wants to go to.

The school we chose is 4 form entry. I like it because it gives him loads of choice in friendship and it means there a lots of kids who are different in many ways, so he doesn't feel the only different one (I know that sounds daft because every body is different!).

The school is renowned in our borough for being the best with SEN children. The SENCO was amazing when I spoke to her. She is also the assistant head. She was telling me things they'd do with Samuel in PE for his hemiplegia, like getting everyone to crawl. She said they would get everyone to do the same as then Samuel wouldn't feel different and it wouldn't harm the rest of the children either.

The school you saw today sounds similar to Samuel's in that the Reception has a large separate play area and loads of staff. The school is a training school and has lots of learning mentors and assistants. They don't want to put children off from learning too young so make it all learning through play, even later on in Yr 1 and 2 I think. Its an infant school and the junior school is round the corner. It also is very into music and art.

Is the sport in the school you saw competitive and elitist? I am only asking because one school I considered really was and I asked how Samuel would be included in the clubs and teams etc and the SENCO wafted her hand towards the door and said there are lots of clubs for children with disabilities in our borough. So I ruled her school out immediately. But sports are good, of course, if they are inclusive.

The homework thing, I would think wouldn't be a problem if your son has a statement or an IEP or something like that. Samuel's school lets me take him in an hour late every morning to do physio at the moment. I get the feeling that they would change things for him in certain areas if he was having trouble. And I think this is largely because he has a statement. Have you thought about getting a statement for Ryan? It is extra work for you and they will tell you not to bother and that Ryan won't get one ... But I am really glad that I just kept going with it all. It wasn't that much stress in the end and now Samuel is at school I feel that I've got a voice that will be heard, because of it. xx