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There's a new item on Breaking News on our Home Page about Boarding School Allowance. Did you know that a new certificate of entitlement is required if you are claiming Boarding School Allowance? Go to Breaking News to find out all the information. Jackie

do not know if you can help but I do not know where to go or if I am being an over anxious mum!

My daughter went up to senior school nearly 2 years ago, and because I was worried that she was lagging behind, and her junior school said not to worry, I paid for her to go privately to an educational psychicologist, who said she was average to below average, and that her short term memory in particular was poor. Yet her reading and writing skills were that of a 16 year old (she was 10 at the time)and good to above average.

I felt justified in sending her there and passed a copy of this report on to her new school, with this persons comments for what my daughter would need from the school.

Yet instead of going forward she seems to be standing still or worse still going backwards. I have just had this years report, and for one subject alone, last year she had a grade 7 and was well ahead, yet this year she has slipped back to a grade 3. The school do not seem to have implemented any of the things that were recommmended to them, and I am frustrated with asking what is going on.

Her report said she is inconsistent and unsatisfactory in some subjects yet in others she is excellent. Comments like 'she needs to listen carefully to what she is told', and 'I find myself repeating things', I don't think she is all innocent, and is a chatterbox, but she assures me that 2 teachers in particular , when she says 'I do not understand' loose their patience with her, and said I have explained twice now stop making excuses and get on with it, she quite often comes home in tears, saying she did not understand and feels she has been picked on, and is getting a name as a lazy trouble maker, (I wonder if some of it is boredom) when I feel she is just struggling to remember, what she has just been told.

I have parents evening on Tuesday so any help in what I should be asking/saying would be gratefully received. As my daughter has 16 subject teachers, her tutor, her head of year, and her head teacher all available for me to see, yet I am only allowed to make an appointment with just 8 of them.

Kim feel free to add this to any other board if you feel somebody else could help me, or may like to know the answer to my problem in case it could help some one else.

many thanks

Hi Marie

Over anxious Mum? I disagree. I would have said a caring and very responsible Mum who is asking some very good questions.

On parents evening you may like to consider doing the follwing:

Arrive promptly at the start of the evening and approach the Head of Year when you see she has a space. Ask if she has a spare appointment for that evening. If she hasnt, ask her to make a note of your name and say you would like to arrange to come into school to see her.

When you do see her I would suggest that you ask her for a report from the subject teachers you havent been able to get appointments for - may be worth having a list with you to help the process. Express your concerns about your daughters progress and ask for her comments - remind her about the information you provided at the start of the school year.

Ask if there is anybody else the Head of Year feels may be worth talking to about your concerns. My childrens schools and the school I worked in prior to taking up this job both had SENCOs (Special Educational Needs Coordinators) - they are very knowledgeable and helpful people and may be just the right person to give you some guidance. The term 'Special Education' really means those children who need a bit of specialised guidance and specific help in certain areas.

I am sure that when you have all your information to hand and sit down to discuss your concerns that the way forward will be one of working together to give your daughter the support and help she needs.

Keep in touch and let me know how you get on. I have some other thoughts if this route proves unsatisfactory, but this is a good way to start.

Good luck!

Kim

HI MARIE,
         We went thru something similar a few years ago b4 my son was diagnosed as having aspergers syndrome.The school did nothing to help the situation just comments like "is naughty blaa blaa blaa"We decided to go direct to LEA ,and with LEA and our npfs social worker things started moving!
      He is now in senior school y10 and gets 10 hrs a week support and is doing well!every year we have annual reviews and discuss any problems!A target plan is set in stone every year of what targets are to be met.It took as nealry 4 years ad finally we got the support he needed!
good luck to u hun and all the best with your daughter.
love natxx

Greetings Marie
I believe Kim has the right approach for this one and also the idea of having a lists is very important - bullet points of things you need to cover and with who.
Thinking back to parents evenings, they could be very puzzling affairs. Many teachers seemed to have poor short term memory, forgetting my name by the second sentence and then mixing up which child they were talking about, not too surprising when you see the pile of documentation on the desk and the massive queues of Mums and Dads awaiting their timeslots. It's much better in my opinion to get an appointment when they are less harassed.
As Natchica points out, NPFS can be a big help to get things moving and normally have a social worker with experience in special needs, see www.rncom.mod.uk/.
Keep up the good work Marie

Ricardo
NPFS/RMW Advice Service (N)
01436 679526

Hello everyone

I just wanted to let you know that we will be undertaking work on the website over the summer and as a consequence the message boards will be suspended.

Should you wish to contact us all other options are still available - email admin@nff.org.uk
            telephone 023 9265 4374
            fax 023 9265 3862
            contact form - follow link from home page

We will also be adopting reduced hours over August, should you require help in an emergency then please follow the link from the home page.

I would like to wish those of you who have families around you a long and restful summer. And for those of you with loved ones away from home - I wish you a short, busy, fully occupied summer.

Kind regards
Kim and the NFF team

Hello there everybody.

I do hope you had a good summer. We continue to work on the website with the expertise, advice and guidance of our webmaster, David Rogerson.

Please log on and continue to talk to us. Let us know how things are with you and what you feel strongly about.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards
Kim

Tuqio au kerea ke ko rawa ni qiri mada mai i vale pliz!!

erm ...............does anyone know what the last message posted was about??soz don't understand.

Hi Nat

Not sure on this one, but am looking into it.

Thanks
Kim

Ladies - please ignore this message! We have a problem with our computer system at work and this is a test to see if things are now working as they should. Jackie

Hello there everyone.

I just wanted to let you know that due to popular demand we have introduced a new message board - recipes! Log onto the website and go to the message board drop down menu to find it. We have two posts for homemade lemonade and a Chilled Chocolate Crumb Cake so far. Mmmmmmmmmm!

Bella - I am waiting for the Maltese cheesecake recipe. Where are you???

Kim

Hi everyone - just to say that if you log on to our Home Page, you will see a new item under Breaking News linking you to the 2006 questionnaire - Families' Continuous Attitude Survey. If you are interested in taking part in the Families' CAS then now is your chance to have your say! You can complete the form on-line or print it off, fill in by hand and post it off. If you do decide to take part, the date has been extended for the electronic version - you will have until the end of August to submit it. Why not have a go? Jackie

Just to let you all know theres a new message board please view it and add your part of the story ... k8x

To all subscribers. Heres something fun and educational for the kids to do and it might win them a new bike! www.hedgehogs.gov.uk

Do you have someone special serving onboard
HMS Echo? HMS Dumbarton Castle?
HMS Edinburgh? HMS Endurance?
HMS Gloucester? HMS Lancaster?
HMS Ocean? HMS Scott?

If yes then Please come along and record your film/radio personal Christmas Message for your loved one, to be broadcast over the Christmas period

Recording will take place at the PHOENIX COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE, SALERNO ROAD, HILSEA -on Tuesday 12th December 2006 between 1500 & 2000hrs

Maureen: 02392 696122 LYNDA: 02392 524511