Visiting special school today, send me honks

[LimboLil]

Just that really! Oh, and any tips on what to look out for. Half hour til I go. Just having breakfast and a coffee ...

[eggandcress]

Very best of luck with this

honks from me.

One thing I had wished I had known when we looked round our first special school was how the assessed/measured the children's progress. Also how they utilised the IEP. DS s first school was very weak on this and just box ticked for the annual review. His current school is fantastic and they have a whole school system and each pupil has about 50targets on their IEP which is used properly and reviewed continuously

All the best I hope you like it

[lougle]

Too late now but my best tip would be:

Look at the attitude of the HT. Take your child with you if possible. See if they are keen to interact with your child as an individual.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Honk - hope it goes well!

[devientenigma]

I'm afraid I agree with Lougle it doesn't need to be a multi million pound purpose built special school with hydro, soft play etc etc its the staff and management of the building that makes the school.

[SallyBear]

How did the visit go? Did you get the right feeling about it??

[LimboLil]

Hi, I'm back! I liked it. It was quite shabby but comfortable and SO calm. It felt very strange being there, I think there is no more than 50 kids there, my kids go to a 400+ state of the art primary. A lot of the kids were out on a trip so I didn't see them operating at full capacity, so it was very quiet Also visiting a school with an ASD unit later in the week, so will be interested to see what that is like too. I think there is a while to go yet before the statement (if we get one) comes through so hopefully I will have an idea of what I want to fight for by then (they hinted that they are at full capacity at the moment). Came out feeling a sort of reverse shock to the system, a bit phased by the calm, makes me realise how big and pressured an environment my kids inhabit.

[lougle]

Full capacity is different at a special school than MS. The numbers are 'global' rather than per year group. Also, it's unusual for Infant Class Size regulations to apply in the sense that it's almost unheard of to have 30 in a class.

[Bluebirdonmyshoulder]

Honks, hope it goes well.

[LimboLil]

Aargh can't keep. Today has given me too much to think about!