Progress and prosperity

"Progress".... sounds like something out of an election campaign. In fact Al Gore used it in 2000 "Prosperity & Progress".  As good as prosperity is, it's not usually the term I'm listening for when I walk into a meeting at my kids school.  If my kids aren't making progress or progress at the right pace then their education can go back to square one.

When your child doesn't develop according to 'the norms', their development and well being can very quickly seem to be take over your life. Your parenting adapts, your home adapts, you have enough paperwork to build extra walls in your house.   And their education adapts... at least that what we all hope for.

For many children with special educational needs (SEN), this last part can be very challenging. In addition to the difficulty of asking for, agreeing on and getting the appropriate support for your child, this all has to be constantly monitored.  Initially this feels like a way of you as a parent ensuring that the school and borough are meeting their legal obligations as set out in the Statement of Special Educational Needs or the newer Education Health and Care Plan.  This in itself can be cause for anguish.  But even if all this goes according to plan it can still go ... wrong.

Because of progress. When needs are so specialised, its easy for them to be too specialised and not fit. Creating a situation where progress is being prevented or progress is too slow for the rest of the class.

In the first few months back at school this year, I've had no less than eight school and medical meetings that have all impacted on my boys education.  This has included reviews of their progress via something called an Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting for David who is five and a Statement Annual Review for Anthony who is eight.

David is in a special class that's attached to a mainstream school.  It is extremely sought after and always full.  At his IEP meeting our Applied Behaviour Analyst told us David had made the best progress of anyone in his class. What a relief?  True, I was very pleased, but don't be fooled. David is pre-verbal (he doesn't yet talk) and still fairly self directed.  He has a long way to go.

In fact, he's repeating his reception year in the hope that he continues to make as much progress and can "access appropriate levels of mainstream education come Year 1".  For despite making the best progress in his class, if he doesn't continue at the same rate he may find himself unable to cope and will no longer be suitable for the school.  I'm right to be concerned about my son... who's making excellent progress.

Anthony by comparison is the bottom of his mainstream school class for almost everything. The work is differentiated for him and he has full time learning support assistance.  The difference is that Anthony's progress has been steady.. and I'm relieved to hear he hasn't fallen any further behind.  He's keeping up and no one has any worries that his school isn't the right place for him.  Thank goodness.

I know several children on their second second before getting to Year 3.  I know of another child who is nearly eight and has shockingly been in as many schools! It is strange that as a parent I'm more worried about the child who has made the best progress in the year than the other one who is only just keeping up.  At least I'm in the position where my children have been granted support and are in schools that are keeping good records of their progress.

Yes, in some ways after talking through what's either happened or going to happen with my boys in these school meetings, this simple word can turn the whole point of the conversation.  But I'm also aware that it's not the end of the world.   For while one of my kids may have difficulty moving towards the specified standards to stay in his school, 'progress' means more than this.  And the schools and I are really more focussed on doing all we can to simply help my kids thrive and flourish in their own unique and wonderful ways... even when it's at their own pace and in their own time too. It turns out I'm probably more interested in prosperity of a slightly different kind than talked about my Al Gore, than I thought.

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This post was written as part of my keynote speech at the Optimus Education Conference "Efficient Partnership Working to Improve SEND Outcomes.