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Post by janpan on May 15, 2014 17:48:29 GMT
Our DD (Bee) who is 13 has been really struggling at school and has recently been excluded for the second time. Some brief discussion has arisen with her therapist that it would be worth talking to the LAC Education Officer about alternative educational settings as she believes she is telling us she really can't manage. I did this. Bee is currently School Action + but this is about to change with the new statutory provisions. She is unlikely to get a Statement so Special School as such is not going to be an option, although I would love her to have the opportunity to go there I think. She is about 8 years old in terms of maturity and certainly delayed academically but is more or less tracking with the lowest end of her year group in most subjects and coping fine with Music and DT.
I had a good conversation with the Education Officer, who suggested spending the remainder of this school year at a school that sounded really ideal on first glance. On looking more closely it is a KS3 Pupil Referral Unit. I was hoping to keep her out of the PRU but am going to remain open minded. Does anybody have any experience of going to a PRU through choice? Are they really supportive? Will she be learning new and challenging behaviours? What happens when and if she is reintegrated into her mainstream school (which is a major problem). I really don't know what to do as I don't want her at the school she is at currently as they don't understand how to help her properly despite lots of attempts of input and advice. But I don't want to move her AGAIN because I also know she'll take the problems with her and I fear she would end up being ostracised at the next school too! So I'd like to know if anybody has positive experience (or otherwise) of a PRU?
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Post by kstar on May 15, 2014 17:59:31 GMT
I'm guessing they vary a lot but personally I would avoid it if you can. Our local PRU is great with the really challenging, out of control children - often the ones where parenting is non existent and they are involved in risk taking and anti social behaviours. We have in the past had less challenging students going to the PRU for respite - the staff and facilities are great but yes learning worse behaviours from other students (smoking, drinking, stealing, swearing etc) is not uncommon.
Is your daughter in year 8 or 9? If she's in year 9 I think I would be looking at an alt-ed placement instead; all of our local colleges, including the hairdressing academy and the agricultural college, offer 14-16 courses. It's not cheap but the PPP funding could pay for something like that. We also use regular work experience placements - say two afternoons a week in a local business or primary school - as respite for everyone, but again that would be year 10 onwards.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2014 22:16:17 GMT
I have no personal experience (yet - may well be coming) but if you can get hold of Donatella either here or on the AdUk boards, she speaks highly of her son's PRU despite not wanting him to go there initially. Good luck.
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Post by donatella on May 17, 2014 9:02:08 GMT
Hi janpan. My son was 6 when he was packed off to a PRU, very much against my wishes. We had no real choice as by that stage his mainstream were unable/unwilling to manage his behaviour or to even try to understand.
The PRU was changing - it went from catering to tots to teens to just being a primary which was a positive move. They had a new had - local man - charismatic, very much can-do and he is an amazing leader and support to 'his' children. In his words 'children come here having never been believed in .... we believe in them'.
There is a mix of children and parents - some LAC, some unruly and some, like my son, who start as a naughty boy and come out with a diagnosis.
Have to say our experience has been wholly positive.
The school has a dedicated ed psych who's worked with me on getting him statemented and disgnosed. She spotted dyslexia. He's had intensive support for this.
The teachers are passionate. They know when to push and when to pull back. My son is happy there and progressing socially and academically. They push him because they know he's capable. His school is now an exemplar having just achieved 15 excellents in their recent Estyn (welsh ofsted) inspection.
He's 10 now so he's been there for 4 years. In September - for his last year and following his asd dx - he will move to a specialist asd unit. Very much achieved with the support of his ed psych - in fact she's coming with me on Monday to see the school and meet the head.
I'd say go, look, keep an open mind. I do appreciate that we've been very lucky and that not all PRUs are the same.
Ask if they understand about adopted children's needs, do they differentiate behaviour management, class sizes and mix, staffing, how they support emotional literacy. Do they work on social skills, self esteem, relationship building. How do they communicate with parents. We get a text every day and a report every week. Plus teacher always happy to talk,
Pm if I can help.
It's a hard decision to make - I know. Moving schools is always difficult.
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Post by janpan on May 17, 2014 11:17:02 GMT
Thank you! I really appreciate your input. We have been advised that she could go either to this 'Good' rated PRU (18 kids, Years 7 - 9) and then go back to her mainstream school which we feel is not supporting her needs and won't meet her needs, or to move her to another mainstream school which is apparently good on attachment and has a great approach to SEN. We are going to see it next week. But I am keeping an open mind on the PRU as it could be a shorter term support and re-align for her - she really needs to build secure confidence and social skills.
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