Another hectic day. Who ever said that after year 11 leave, we have more time?
I was feeling really tired this morning, after supporting the parent of a friend on the phone last night with her SENDIST* appeal.
The first consultation usually lasts for 25 mins or so. I rang and left message at half eight. They called back shortly after half nine! A touch late for my liking, but we wouldn’t be in the job if we weren’t passionate about equality, inclusion and a more level playing field (if you pardon the sporting analogy).
I completed the ‘summary of advice’ sheet about half ten, then spent a few minutes catching a particularly offensive episode of Family Guy, before bed…not the best ‘chill down’ ever, so no wonder I am tired!
Meetings
This morning I had a meeting with a parent at 8am. I always put the more difficult parents/carers** early in the morning – something I learned early on in my SENCo-ship. Early morning encounters often cut to the chase and limit potentially lengthy diatribes and rants…a tip for all new SENCos out there.
The meeting went without a hitch – one thing I am really good at is dealing face-to-face with parents/carers and addressing the ‘hard issues’. In the end the parent mainly required reassurance and explanation.
Mid-morning I met the school architects with the business manager and one of the deputies. I need to ensure my new build, additional ramps, accessible modifications and smaller jobs from a DDA survey are all going to be done. It’s up to me as SENCo to drive this forward..and I always love to share my views!
*Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal
**Difficult defined in the sense of more work needed to explain things and their expectations being slightly unrealistic.