Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11287193

Of course

but

I have been thinking myself for some time that it is too easy to label a child for life.Plus that 54% of SEN students with 'less severe problems' are essentially stealing time and money from those with the really acute problems.

Also employ someone to 'FIND' children with issues then they may well be extra zealous in diagnosing such children.

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

Agree wholeheartedly. So many children go through primary school where such things as dyslexia are missed. Or have an SEN where all they started with is not talking because a sibling did it for them - seems smart to me!

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

I suppose it is possible that some schools are overzealous in labeling a child as needing special needs because they get extra funding ,on the other hand if the school needs to do that then they must be underfunded in the first place .
Could this report be a way for cuts to be justified from the special needs budget ?

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

As a father of Special Neeeds twins (ADHD and Aspergers) I have seen the "disruptive" pupils dumped into the SEN classes just to get them out of the way so "normal" classes could get on with lessons.

For whatever reason, they miss lessons, fall behind, and therefore become a "burden" on modern teaching methods, so are classed as disruptive and pushed to the SEN classes.

Once in, very hard to get out again.

Once my daughter was properly medicated for ADHD she started to fly, but the schools always clipped her wings and kept her cooped-up in the SEN classes "just in case she kicks off again".

Protests always fell on deaf ears, especially if an inspection was due.

Now they are into college they have waved "goodbye and good riddance" to the poxy school system that has emerged over the past decade or so.

---------- Post added at 19:25 ---------- Previous post was at 19:24 ----------

Around here, dyslexia is not tested-for until COLLEGE age!!!

Dyspraxia is STILL awaiting a standard test for evaluation.

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

When I was lad, back in my day... to be classed as special needs was no different to be called the worse thing imaginable. Has that now changed?

I so hate the term myself.

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

Integration has a lot to answer for... political dogma over need.

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

I was thinking more along the lines of justifying one's job..;)

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

I rather think that there are a quite a lot of civil servants trying very hard indeed to justify their jobs in the current climate ;)

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

SEN carries some sort of social stigma - which I think is wrong; it should just signify a kid whose educational needs are not the same as the norm. In which case, I don't see why academically gifted kids aren't SEN - purely because they need extra things to keep them interested.

Re: Ofsted says schools using special needs too widely
 

I agree about the latter..very much so.:)