One Week On #SSAmazingAchievements
By Jeannette | September 10, 2014
It’s one week since T started at secondary school, the school we fought so long to get him into.
I chat to people and mention that we had to go to appeal, sit in front of that impartial panel (who had no idea who T was, or what he looked like until I showed them a photo) and put forward our case. We found out afterwards that 35 cases were heard and only 6 were successful, amazing eh?
People say “good for you, well done for taking it all the way” but we had good reason for doing so. T doesn’t have a statement, there’s these new procedures being implemented from children with SEN right through to 25 years and he won’t be included, a lot of children and young adults won’t, because they don’t have a statement. So, it was down to us, to ensure that he went to the right setting for him. A lot of his classmates have gone to the nearer secondary schools but they didn’t feel right for T, he needed somewhere smaller with a good community feel and ethos, somewhere he could feel at ease.
This latter requirement was evident when we visited the school, both as part of Open Evenings/Days and during the summer so that T could walk around and get his bearings whilst it was quieter (the extra visits promised by the SENco in year 6 never materialised, in fact she was extremely absent in any liaison) so I’m glad we did them.
It was always going to be the case that T would have to make use of the school coach service, something that isn’t cheap but it was a direct means of him getting there. The added bonus is that the stop is opposite D’s school, so I collect her and then we wait for T in the afternoon, I’d been pointing out the coach to her for months, even before we appealed so that she’d understand how the time after school would change.
The morning though, is slightly different. T now has to leave at 7.45am to be at the coach stop for 8.05am, it’s a long day for him. I was very happy to walk with him in the morning if he wanted, but he decided (having considered how much slower D is and how she can suddenly get extremely scared by other people) that he’d walk himself.
The first morning Hubbie took him as the coaches weren’t running until later as the majority of school were starting at 10am, the second morning it was the start of the new routine.
T had tears in his eyes as he left (and so did I), it was something new, even though he’s walked that way with us hundreds of times, it was him, by himself.
The cats got confused as they normally follow us and one started to follow him and then looked back as if to say “what’s going on? Why aren’t you with him? Are you really letting this happen?!?” Yes Bitsey, we are.
And that’s how it now is, T sets off at 7.45am, usually moaning that the coach is never on time, but I know that the one time he’s complacent and leaves later, it will be.
A slightly hairy moment this morning when he came back tearful because he thought he didn’t have something (he did) and then he had to run to the stop but that might make him double-check his bag after I’ve packed it for him (yes, I know, I shouldn’t but he’s got so much change ATM that I feel like I’m helping).
Anyway, one week on and he is settling in really well. He’s coming home tired but positive, he’s chatting to people, he’s found “his seat” on the bus and is always pleased to see us waiting. He’s got to grips with tie-tying too.
I’m so proud of him and SO glad we appealed and didn’t give up!
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