Bit out of my depth . . .

[buzz for boys]

Guess what me again looking for a moan but also hopefully some advice from the primary school teachers on here.

The school got education welfare to come out after cams operation to try to get us to send him back into school but the Welfare lady agreed with us that Cam wasnt well enough to be in school and told us she would tell the school that they had to provide 5 hours of home schooling a week. That was now nearly 2 months ago and after much passing the buck last week I was called in and the head asked me if I would consider meeting them half way with the home schooling and doing some of the taeching myself. I told him if I had too I would but that im NOT a teacher and reminded him of his obligations to meet Camerons needs.
Today I have been called back into school and heres what they have worked out for us -
I go into school on friday evenings to get his work and for a teacher to give me a quick run through of what they are expecting him to learn from each piece of work.
I look over it and plan a lesson for each piece to show the teacher on Monday morning before school and for her to fine tune my plan to make it as close as possible to the class.

I deliver the work to Camern over the course of 5 mornings so that come friday afternoon they can assess his work !!

There is no alternative to this plan its this or nothing !! I have been goven a hand full of info which explains lessons plans and various websites to get the further info I need.

I am fuming Im really not happy with this how does me agreeing to meet them half way constitute me doing everything ???? I have no teaching qualifications and no experience what so ever of delivering lessons to a child. I feel like im being taken for a mug and im also in way of my head on even where to start. i have been given the task of writing a lesson plan for Ancient egypt - and i feel like crying as i really just dont know where to start. Dont even know what key information he is suppose to learn !
I dont want Cameron to have nothing as he has every other time he has been off school for long periods of times but surely this is out of order and still not meeting cams needs???
Any advice wether its to help me not look a fool come thurs for this lesson plan or if its to tell me where to go for help to get a proper home tutor would be gratefuly recieved.
Louise x

 

[emily1982]

I'm very surprised they are letting you teach him, just because normally they want them to learn certain certain methods of doing things. Personally I would phone the education department and ask them to put you in touch with the home-school service, I know their resources are very stretched, but legally every child should be educated.

 

[irongirlof12]

I think that you should ask for an appointment with the Head to explain that ' having considered their 'offer' the work commitment required by you far exceeds your abilities and time availablity given that you have other children; ask them to find another solution.

I have to say that this will be all about funding as 1-1 tuition is very costly. If you can outline that this will only be for a short period during Cam's recovery that might help. you could also approach your local council to see what the policy is? Also school governors might be able to help.

Good luck with this one

 

[Danauk]

When I have had children off long term sick after operations the hospital were able to help provide some teaching hours. Last year I had a child off for 12 weeks after a major operation and she was educated a few days a week by a home tutor arranged by the hospital. We were asked to send home a list of what her class would have been covering over that time and the tutor taught her as much of what she was missing as possible. You should definately not be planning lessons for Cam, maybe the teacher could just give you any worksheets, resources etc she has used and let you see her planning from the previous week for you to teach the next week at home. That way you are following the teachers plans and she will have time on a Friday to explain the main points to you. Obviously there will be some things Cam will not be able to do at home, but at least this way he is still keeping up to date with most of the work.

 

[izzie-wizzie]

I would talk with education depts of councils / governments - just to find out exactly the policies etc before meeting again with the head so you feel much more prepared, informed and confident of what you should expect.

Good Luck

 

[buzz for boys]

Thanks guys,
It is 100% about funding the ehadteacher told me last week that Cam is 1 child out of 100s in his care and he just doesnt have the money or staff to provide us with what we are entitled to !

I asked about just recieving worksheets home but the teacher told me that they dont work from worksheets in yr 4 ??? She said she was not able to copy her lessson plan as it would not mke sense to anyone but her ??? I have no idea what a lesson plan even looks like !!

Education welfare told me that Cam is entiytled to a minimum of 5 hours hoem schooling and the only choice the school had was how to deliver it - either pay for a private tutor £30 per hour plus expenses or send someone from the school - definatly no option of me doing the lot !!!

This is so unfair but with everyday we argue about how to get him help its another day he has missed.
The hospital dont send anyone out as we are under a different county to the hospital he is treated at biut thanks for the suggestion I did follow it up

To make matters worse the dfes standards website she told me to look at doesnt appear to cover history so it has no info im looking for as is completly useless

 

[Dimplenose]

Have you mentioned in the past that he has 1:1 support at school or am I imagining this? If so can some of this funding be transferred?

 

[buzz for boys]

Have you mentioned in the past that he has 1:1 support at school or am I imagining this? If so can some of this funding be transferred?

He was denied 1:1 support this year !! The education believe he is doing very well for a special needs child and I feel that the chances of getting this reinstated are nil. Thanks for the suggestion though Libby !

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

That is nonsense about the lesson plan, utter nonsense. A lesson plan needs to be clear so that it can be picked up by a supply teacher if needs be. I am highly suspicious of this. It would be more likely that she is trying to work without proper planning than that you wouldn't understand it. Ask to see the scheme of work for the subject.

Also, why are you not being asked to focus on literacy and numeracy which should surely be a priority as they are core subjects? They are sure to have worksheets for these subjects. If the teacher works on an interactive whiteboard then ask for her lessons on a pen drive.

I am horrified by this and think you are being fobbed off. The least they can do is supply the resources for you to deliver.

If all else fails google education resources for the topic and year you want and you should find a lot.

Ridiculous that you might have to though.

 

[Nubbedy]

Definitely sounds as if you are being fobbed off. In my opinion, the teacher should provide you with a copy of her planning and all her resources at the end of each week, so that you could deliver these to Cam the following week. As mentioned earlier, anyone should be able to pick up a teacher's planning and understand what they are trying to deliver.

How does the Head plan on providing the five hours a week your LEA have said that Cam is entitled to?

 

[hildasmuriel]

I work in a school office and know that this sort of thing would send our Finance Dept into a tail spin. We wouldn't have any spare teacher who could travel to a pupil's house to deliver lessons (not sure our insurance covers such things) and there is no budget from which this money could be drawn for a supply teacher. I would think the argument would centre around this: the pupil is entitled to education; nobody will know who is duty bound to deliver that education whilst he is off sick.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents...lopment/YourChildsWelfareAtSchool/DG_10037983

This says the school must "supply the person who will help provide education for your child with information about their needs, capabilities and a programme of work"
It doesn't say they must provide the education.

There is a lot of reading there if you can bear to plough through it.

 

[mickeyforpresident]

Hi Buzzforboys,

First of all, I hope that Cam is recovering well.

OK! The primary school has, no doubt, no spare teaching time to release a teacher to come to your house and teach him. I've been teaching for years and i've never heard of this. My school certainly couldn't provide it, i'm afraid.

In my Local Authority, we have a service called LEMS (Lancs Education Medical Service). It's based at the hospital and they provide education, either at the hospital or in children's homes. Your Authority will have the same thing.

We don't use many worksheets anymore either, but if you want, I will happily photocopy lots for you and send them to you.

A lesson plan isn't rocket science!

Are you sure that the Welfare Officer isn't fobbing you off with false promises?

Funding - INSIST that the school appeals Cam's statutory assessment for a Statement of Educational Needs. Although if successful, still wouldn't require the school to provide a teacher at home, but will allow funding of a Teaching Assistant that the school could (COULD not should) ask to provide home support. Although the appeal takes a while.

Hope that helps a little!?

MfP

 

[scojos]

i dont teach primary, i teach secondary, but agree that lesson plans are not rocket science, however you shouldnt be expected to write them, loads of teachers dont have to write them , the responsibility for that lies with heds of dept, subject leaders etc.
Every child matters, anyone who has anything to do with education will not this is the "buzz" your child like any child has the right to achieve success, maybe caamhs could help with support?
i wouldnt want to be dealing with this after everything, and feel that the school are massively letting you down.
i,as a trained and experienced teacher, would be unwilling to take on the role of home tutor, i would be concerned that my relationship would change with my kids, that i would teach them the wrong things etc. i think you are being v brave.
if you need anything just ask, but i put that on your fb account.
goodluck honey

 

[mickeyforpresident]

A lesson plan isn't rocket science!

I meant for buzz to follow not to write!

 

[Clare D]

Oh no, something else for you to worry about. I hope you get it sorted soon.

I'm sure you would make a great teacher, just don't be too good otherwise Cam won't want to go back

 

[scojos]

I meant for buzz to follow not to write!

i know, sorry it sounded wrong

 

[Chilly]

Oh Louise its just one thing after another isn't it. I don't think you should have to teach Cam as I think you should be concentrating on his other needs. Could you go to CAB?

On this page is a list of various organisations which might be able to help or have info:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index...sations_which_give_information_and_advice.htm

 

[Head_in_the_clouds]

Sorry that you are once again having more than your fair share of difficulties .

Just to say, I was off school for long periods of time from age 14 due to a heart problem the cardiac consultant couldn't get to the bottom of. I was at private school, my parents continued to pay the fees despite me being off for a year at one point and NO SUPPORT WHATSOEVER WAS GIVEN. They refused to even send homework, ignored phonecalls/letters/pleas for help and refused to deal with bullying by staff and pupils who made fun of my heart problems and called me sciver etc (one teacher used to make ambulance siren noises whenever he saw me and say "Ladies and gentlemen, back from her regular stint in casualty, Miss Head in The Clouds" etc). My poor parents were constantly banging their heads against a brick wall. In the end, I had to teach myself by getting the specifications, exam syllabi etc from the exam board and planned my own lessons around it, all the teachers had to do was mark my coursework. Two weeks before my exams the school called my parents in to say they would not be permitting me to take my A-Levels as it "wasn't fair on me" seeing as I has missed so many lessons. Mum hit the roof! In the end I took them as she threatened a law suit (which we had been advised we had enough evidence to win) and I got all A's bar one B so it was a big up yours to the school!

What I'm trying to say is, schools can always find a way to shirk responsibility and I am saying that as someone who is now a teacher/trainee educational psychologist. Often, there is no malice, it is just a case of resources being overstretched. As for lesson plans, it is ridiculous to say only the teacher can understand them, lesson plans should always be clear enough so that any teacher/SSA can step in and use the plan and also lesson plans/schemes of work can be looked at by inspectors. It sounds suspicious, either she doesn't plan very far ahead and its all last minute or she is insecure and believes her lesson plans are not that good! In my local area, there is a hospital school and a special education centre (which isn't a school but is if you know what I mean) and these are offered as an alternative to home tutoring. When I was ill I was sent to the hospital school but only went once as I soon found I was the only ill child there. The rest had been expelled from school for bad behaviour. The girl I was sat next to had threatened another girl with a gun and was shocked (and uninmpressed) that I hadn't been expelled. I am quite annoyed at the way education is delivered in this area to sick children, they all get sent to the same place as children who have been permanently excluded and even those who have criminal convictions. It makes me so angry . I hope things are better in your LEA.

Louise, how long do you think Cam will be off? I wonder if it would be possible to work a week behind, so that work can be photocopied, homework sent and you could then go over it with Cam? I understand you don't want Cam to be behind but I really believe he will catch up long term. I do think you have been put in a very unfair situation hope it is soon resolved .

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Louise, I'm not a teacher only a lowly TA but what we do for long-term sick children is pass the work on one day behind. EG if today in numeracy is fractions and literacy is writing a newspaper report on Tutankhamen then we would pass the learning objectives and the teachers notes/lesson plan (which the teachers hand to the head every week for monitoring at schools in this area) to the parents. They have a complete by date of say a week's time and then return it for marking. Times tables, mental maths and spellings can all be sent home along with homework and reading.

Hands on activities can be more difficult, eg potions in science or technology but we take a few photos of what the kids have done and the TA would write a couple of notes about the questions the children were asking/researching so that the home-schooled child would know what had happened in their absence.

I know others will shoot be down in flames but I
1) understand completed the ££££ implication in over-stretched school budgets but
2) if you can't spare the time for a sick child during your teaching day then you're probably not sparing the time for a gifted and talented student nor for a struggling student and teaching may not be the career for you.

There are a lot of excellent but inexperienced teachers out there. Not saying that yours is a NQT or young teacher but is there a chance they have just been asked for information by the head without time to think it through. Write down a few suggestions and see if they'll meet you half way.

IMHO you should not have to write a lesson plan at all. Get them to give you the support they would give CAm and you can do the rest!

 

[buzz for boys]

Thanks guys for all the advice.

Yesterday at the hospital our specialist nurse was appalled at the way in which they are treating us and she said she will dig around see if theres someone or an organisation that can fight the school for us - so its one less thing fro me to worry about !!!

In terms of the teacher who is saying she wont share her lesson plan - she is not a NQT but indeed the senco for the school !! Ihave never rated her to behonest and have had several run ins with her but this just about tops them all. She is the most unorganised person I have ever met so it wouldnt surprise me if there isnt a lesson plan to follow till right before the lesson starts

Ill let you know how we get on with the hospital finding us help in the meantime im still googling resources and Cameron has done loads of maths today as I found a website that my older son uses also has resources for ks2. Who knows by the time cam goes back to school ill be able to write lesson plans like a pro x