Hello to you all
I just like to say that our child is is a special needs school she has had 3 different one to one support who we call
Teachers, assistants, support staff, one to one support, call them what you like but they are just MUMS that do a job that you or i could do better
All these technical words mean nothing we do the job better but my wife and others are just called mums
From what we have seen these so called helpers well lets call them support staff!
Are just MUMS wanting to earn a little money ok that’s fine by me
But then they go on all these so-called training courses?
Then they want to step up the ladder and to get a better job at the school ?
So they forget about our child so they get a new one to one
To train so they to can better them selves?
Our child is now on her 4th one to one
And every year the same thing her old one to one starts a new job at the school
I just thought that some of you would like to know what goes on behind closed doors
Because we take our child to and from school
When these schools know that we are having a visit with a social worker or we are not happy with something
Then you see what all parents see they are all over you and your child
Look closer! We are bitter because we see what goes on and all those other children who are supposed to have help but do they?
I think that we get so frustrated because are child doesn’t seem to be learning anything our child is 12 now and still can`t write or read
drawings are all circles And lines every year we get the same response our child is doing very well in school
I have seen the work of the other pupils in the class and believe me when I tell you if I could put the work they all do in a scale of 1 to 10 I would put them
around the 8 mark our child 3 to 4 we have a school review every year
and the same year after year our Childs is coming along fine
By roger

I think you are being a bit harsh on the support staff.
Yes, many of them are mums, but it is a skill in itself to raise a family, so they arrive in the job with lots of relevant experience.
The problem is with the system itself which pays them quite poorly, or tries to negotiate short term contracts to cut costs. You can't blame people then for wanting to climb the ladder, or for lacking loyalty to the system.
If you really feel the special school system is failing yur child, why don't you consider mainstream instead? My daughter has a full time support worker at mainstream. She is very physically disabled but has the ability to learn.
I have learned myself that bitterness, whilst understandable, is a waste of energy and time. I know that the system can grind you down at times.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

hello louise
what it is louise our child is unable to learn
plus we and our child has no loyalty from staff if you have gone through what we have and we still are going through you would understand
our child is passed on from one to the other and
no they don`t CARE! staff don`t even tell us what is going on we have found out our selves
what would you do if your childs support that you thought he or she was supposed to have was working with other children not yours which we have found out about our childs ono to one what would you do ?????
sit back and take it!
as to your child if it was happening your child would tell you
as our child would not know how to tell us which is very sad
we have had many Incidents at school
our child has came home with Bruises and broken bones that teachers and support staff had not informed
us about
and yes we had to take our child to hospital school did not care
and then we had the social Services knocking at our door as if it is all our fault
this is why we are so very bitter
maybe one day our child will have someone who is interested in our child not they bank book
thank you for writing louise i do take your point at heart
but i have been like a mouse all my life
but now i want to roar !!
we have thought of mainstream but we know in our hearts it would not work our child is 12 now and can not read or write
teachers and staff have been telling us now for some 8 years she will learn we arev still waiting and to be honest we don`t think she will ever
you no louise what she learns say on a monday its gone on tuesday!
take care
bye roger

Roger

My partner teaches at a special school and has come across many parents who thought that their "child is unable to learn" and to date the Children have proved their parents to be incorrect, I trust and pray that your child in time is able to prove you wrong and that your child finds a caring staff who can support and encourage your child. You must not make the error of comparison, no two children are the same each child has their own gifts Churchill could not read properly at the age of 12 and he did ok in later life for himself, have faith in your child and your faith will be repaid in the years to come, I know its easy to say when its not ones own child nor am I having to go through what you are however hopefully you will find everything will start to come together sooner rather than later.
Kindest regards MSW

Hi Roger,

It sounds a very lonely tough battle. Have you had any support from your local parent partnership or got a statement of special needs that would spell out what should be happening every lesson?.

i found the comment from lindsay from scope about having access to adult help at all times very useful.

Maybe you also need some support with communication as a laptop or communicator could help. The written word is not as important as it used to be with the advances in technology. I wish you and your family good luck.
imp