Book Week

Ooops I nearly missed Children's Book Week - it seems to have passed our school by...


Children’s Book Week (the first full week in October) is an annual celebration of reading for pleasure for children of primary school age. Schools, libraries and bookshops all over the UK hold events and activities aimed at encouraging children to view reading as a source of pleasure, explore libraries and bookshops and even start writing themselves.

Have you taken part? What have your children been doing?

Playday

Today is Playday the annual celebration of children's right to play. On Playday and throughout the summer, thousands of children, young people and communities will get out to play at hundreds of locally organised events across the UK. As well as a celebration of children's right to play, Playday is also a campaign that raises awareness about some serious issues affecting children's play.

The Play Day 2010 campaign is 'Our Place,' which puts children at the heart of our communities, and asks everyone, young and old, to help create better places for all of us to live and play.

We are off to an event for 0-8 year olds at our local Children's Centre (shame about the rain!) where there promises to be: face painting, messy play, entertainers and a bouncy castle and a picnic afterwards.

See if there is something happening near you - www.playday.org.uk.

Down's Syndrome Awareness Week 2010

This week (15th-21st March) is Down's Syndrome Awareness Week - I have blogged about it in previous years, but thought this week was worth mentioning again to raise awareness especially as 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of the Down's Syndrome Association which provides help and support for people Down's Syndrome and their families. They have lots of information available here.

Also Antonia Chitty has got a new book on Down’s Syndrome coming out in June and the publishers are making a special pre-publication offer to tie in with Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week. Instead of £8.99 the book is available for £5 from 15th to 21st March. Buy it here if you want to be one of the first to use this practical guide. Please note: post and packing is included, so £5 is all you pay, but you will only get the book on publication – at the start of June.

'Suitable' home education review

My home educating friends have alerted me to yet another review challenging their way of life and I thought it was worth writing a post about it.

The government is to commission a review into what a "suitable" and "efficient" education means for home educated children in England. Contrary to popular belief there is no legal obligation for children to attend school - but there is a responsibility of parents to provide an education that is suitable for their age and aptitude. The government has now decided in response to a report into home education, that they need a clearer definition of what is required.

I think this seems crazy - how do you prove whether something is suitable - what are the outcome measures? Is there actually any proof that HE children receive a less suitable education than those same children would have received in school and does anyone actually assess whether a child in school is actually in the most "suitable" and "efficient" school for them (rather than the one their parents have picked for their convenience) - and actually as it is the parents responsibility to provide it why do the government really care?

Left Handers Day

Today (Thursday 13th August) is the annual Left-Handers Day for 2009 and is a chance for left-handers everywhere to celebrate the advantages of being left-handed and raise awareness among righties of the daily frustrations for left-handers living in a right-handed world. The Left Handers Club are people to create a Lefty Zone in their home, office or club where all tasks must be conducted left-handed – an interesting experience for right-handed friends and family!

Left-Handers Club spokesperson Lauren Milsom explains: “Many of us appreciate how awkward it is for left-handers having to use right-handed implements, or develop a good writing style, but few people are aware of the many advantages to being left-handed, and the outstanding achievements and successes of left-handers in a variety of fields. Left-Handers Day is the ideal opportunity to celebrate those advantages.”

The Left Handers Day website and has lots of ideas on how to celebrate the day, free posters to download, a left-handed quiz and loads of information about being left-handed.

At Littlesheep Learning we stock a range of adaptive scissors including those for left handers - if your child is showing signs of being left handed these standard left-handed scissors as used in school classrooms are ideal to help them learn cutting skills.

Get your children to use their left hands today and see how easy or hard they find it to do their usual daily activities - and let us know their experiences.

Benefits Threats

A friend has just sent me the link to the Benefits and Work website and a information about disability living allowance cuts and as this affects lots of parents with children with special needs I thought it was worth spreading the word here so more people can contribute to the consultation.

The Shaping the Future of Care Green Paper published by the DWP and the Department of Health on 14th July sets out government plans to get rid of attendance allowance and, depending on public reaction, also leaves the way clear to end the care component of DLA. The consultation period for the green paper ends on 13th November and if there has been no significant outcry against the plans by then, it is possible that whichever party is in power after the next election will take the opportunity to cut public spending by over a billion pounds a year. Unfortunately, only a few agencies are speaking out in spite of the fact that a report in November 2008 by the Institute for Social and Economic Research warned that taking DLA and AA from claimants and making it part of a ‘personal budget’ administered by social services will leave millions of disabled people worse off and with less independence.

The lack of protest is caused at least in part by ministers deliberately choosing ambiguous terms for their plans. The green paper refers only to cutting ‘disability benefits, for example Attendance Allowance’. Benefits and Work state that some organisations with predominantly younger members believe that because DLA isn’t specifically named, it isn’t going to be cut but they believe the reality is that if the government was intending to axe only AA it would have said so clearly, instead of deliberately and repeatedly using the term ‘disability benefits’ to cause uncertainty and confusion.

Benefits and Work have launched their own campaign to save these benefits and are looking for one thousand people to sign up for our No More Benefits Cuts campaign. All you need to do is provide them with your email address and first name and be prepared to give up a few minutes of your time once a week to send an email or post on a forum. So, if you think that DLA and AA are benefits worth fighting for, then please join their campaign. You don’t need to be a claimant – you might be a carer or support worker, for example – and you don’t need to be a subscribing member of Benefits and Work. You also don’t have to send any emails if you choose not to and you can remove yourself from the list at any time you wish (and they promise to never pass your details on to anyone else under any circumstances).

There is a summary of the proposals and the National Autistic Society's statement here so if you have a child with autism - please also contact them and give them your feedback.

Please share your opinions and add a link to any other organisations that have asked for feedback - get your voices heard.

Play Day

Today is Playday - the annual celebration of children’s right to play. Now in it's 22nd year Playday is a national campaign where thousands of children and young people get out and play at locally organised events.

Playday events range from small-scale neighbourhood get-togethers to large-scale public events organised by local authorities and national organisations. Anyone can organise a Playday event or take part in celebrations. Your Playday doesn’t have to be a huge public occasion, you may prefer to organise a small residents-only street party or celebrate with a group of friends and family.

Each year Playday has a campaign theme, this year it's Make time! The campaign is calling for everyone to make time for play. From parents, carers and teachers, to policy makers and planners - everyone can make time to support children’s right to play. Find out more about the Make time! campaign here.

Make time to play with your children today - outside play here is going to be wet and puddle splashing!

Percy the Pigeon’s anti-bullying campaign

We've just been introduced to Percy the Pigeon via Facebook and I thought it was such a good idea that I'd help spread the word!
Anita Hunt wanted to support the work of Bullying UK – http://www.bullying.co.uk/ , by raising funds and promoting their work. Bullying UK supports over 500,000 people a year for a cost of just £50,000 a cost of just 10p per person supported, Founded 10 years ago Bullying UK is the leading Anti-bullying charity and a safety net for UK children when all else fails. As a part of Anita’s fundraising efforts, they have a Just Giving page for this purpose – www.justgiving.com/areyoubeingbullied.

Due to her experience of bullying through personal experience, research, and working with young people, one of the most difficult aspects surrounding this sensitive issue, is it that many people whether children or adults, find it very hard to talk about.

Anita wanted to find a way to encourage families, schools and communities to talk about this subject. She decided to write a children’s novel aimed at 8-12 year olds which is a fun story, but has the underlying theme of encouraging those affected by bullying to tell someone / a safe adult.

The book – ‘Matty-boy & The Secret Pigeon Racket’ was published in April 2009 and very quickly a website was developed to not only provide a platform to talk about the book, but to be a place where a discussion could take place, to offer suggestions of how to cope and where to go for help. 50p from every book sale will be donated to the work of Bullying UK. The book is available through their website for £8.99 plus p&p as well as other gifts, or the book can be ordered through other online stores such as Amazon.

The book gave an ideal opportunity to begin a campaign to spread Percy’s message; a pigeon that helps his friend Matt to tell a safe adult that he is being bullied, so that he may be able to receive the help that he needs.

Percy’s campaign has been receiving great support through twitter, if you would like to follow their work on Twitter please follow @percythepigeon . Recently the campaign has spread to Facebook, you can find his page here - http://companies.to/percythepigeonscampaign

As a part of the campaign, they are working on spreading his message into as many schools as possible, by inviting knitters to knit a mini Percy from their specially designed Percy pattern by Alan Dart, which can be found through their website. Kristina from Flutterby creations, has very kindly set up a Ravelry group for knitters to join the campaign, as well as putting a Percy Kit together, with all that you need to make a Percy for £2.50, (50p will be donated to Bullying UK from each sale.)

If you would like to help with this campaign, more information can be found on Anita’s website http://www.areyoubeingbullied.com/, they have many suggestions of ways you can help.

If you are affected by bullying please contact Bullying UK, or one of the other organisations listed on their website, you do not have to deal with it alone.

Child Safety Week

Child Safety Week 2009 - 22nd-28th June is the Child Accident Prevention Trust's (CAPT) flagship community education campaign. It aims to raise awareness of the number of accidents that tragically lead to serious injury or death of children and young people and how to prevent them. The theme for Child Safety Week 2009 is: “Safer together”.

The theme for Child Safety Week 2009 is ‘Safer together’. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, childminder or working in a role that involves caring for children, we all have a part to play, no matter how small. By working together as a family, alongside parents, with community groups or directly with children we can protect children and young people from serious injury and death from preventable accidents.

Accidents are one of the biggest childhood killers in the UK, with five children and young people dying every week. This is four times as many children as are killed by family abuse or neglect, and 12 times as many children as are killed by strangers.

Accidents also put more children in hospital than any other cause. Every week, over 2,000 children and young people are admitted to hospital because of their injuries. Many are left scarred for life or permanently disabled.

Children from less well-off families are particularly vulnerable – they are far more likely to be killed or admitted to hospital with serious injuries than their better-off counterparts.

However, many of these deaths and serious injuries can be prevented - and without wrapping children up in cotton wool. Child Safety Week helps people understand the real risks to children and the simple changes they can make to reduce those risks - so that children and young people can enjoy safer, healthier, more active lives.

At Littlesheep Learning we want all children to stay safe - check out the Staying Healthy, Staying Safe DVD and our range of People who Help Us products.

Recycling

This week 22nd-28th June 2009 is Recycle week

Recycle week is an annual event to kick-start new habits that can help us all to all waste less and recycle more. This year, the theme for Recycle Week is 'let's waste less...' encouraging all of us to try something new in an effort to go greener and cut back on the waste we all produce. From recycling more of everyday items like glass and plastic bottles to reusing carrier bags or composting at home, there are lots of opportunities to promote how we can all reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill.

"Recycle Week is now in its fifth year and this is the first time we'll be promoting a waste reduction message" said Jane Hall from Recycle Now. "As part of this we're encouraging people to sign up and pledge to either try something new or do more of what we already do".

I've made a pledge why don't you make one too? To help me I've been looking at The Reusable Bag Company for some new bags!

At Littlesheep Learning we reuse as much packaging material as we can and now have a People Who Help Us DVD which explains about rubbish and recycling collection from a child's perspective. In the film Megan, Jamie and the refuse collectors and recyclers, Megan (aged 5) and Jamie (aged 6) follow their rubbish to the landfill site, they help recycle their plastic bags, make compost and find out how their Christmas tree, newspapers, bottles and cans are recycled, then in the at school section, they are recycling in the home corner – and watch the arrival of the 'recycling wagon'.

Down Syndrome Awareness Week 2009

Once again the time has come for Down's Syndrome Awareness Week (8th - 14th June) - I can't beleive a whole year has passed since we posted about last years when we featured a video made by the Stepping Stones Down Syndrome Support Group (still worth a peek if you've not seen it) and two years since we included Down's Syndrome Awareness Week 2007 on our blog featuring a lovely photo of a friend's little girl.
This year The Down's Syndrome Association's awareness week is entitled: Tell It Right, Start It Right.
This year the charity are campaigning for high quality information to be given to parents after they have received a prenatal or postnatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome. They want the Government to make it law that accurate and up to date information and support is available to parents when they are told their baby has Down's syndrome.
Research from the Down's Syndrome Association and the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities has revealed huge disparities in the quality of information and support for parents when they are given a pre or postnatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome. Some have excellent and knowledgeable healthcare professionals. Others are given negative, confusing and unhelpful information. They think there should be legislation that ensures consistent and accurate information for people who are given a diagnosis of Down's syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions. This has recently become law in the US and you can read their legislation here. In the US it's now law that the following is provided: Up-to-date, evidence-based, written information concerning the range of outcomes for individuals living with the diagnosed condition, including physical, developmental, educational, and psychosocial outcomes as well as contact information regarding support services, including information hotlines specific to Down's syndrome or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions, resource centres, national and local peer support groups, and other education and support programmes.
Please take the oppotuinty to Sign the DSA's petition on the Government website to make it law that accurate and up to date information and support is available to parents when they are told their baby has Down's syndrome

More Birthday Celebrations

Littlesheep Learning may be four this month but Contact a Family (CaF) are celebrating the start of their 30th Anniversary year.

For the last three decades they have been supporting families with disabled children across the UK by providing advice and information and putting them in touch with others whose child has the same condition for support. They also campaign for better rights for families.

Throughout their anniversary year they will be celebrating our achievements, but also be taking the opportunity to raise awareness of some of the many issues for families with disabled children.

You can see their plans here.

Reading for Life

You may remember reading on our blog last year about the 2008 National Year of Reading, at the end of March, the National Year of Reading team published Reading: The Future, a report that reviews both the achievements of the Year and all that we learnt about promoting reading. Significantly, the report details the impact of the Year on the attitudes and behaviours of key target audiences.

The most important message in the NYR report is that it worked. Behaviours and attitudes to reading among target audiences were benchmarked at the beginning of the campaign; the survey was repeated at the end of the campaign to see if there had been any shifts. The headline data shows:

• Nearly 13 million individuals in target social groups C2DE were reached through the campaign, 57% of the total C2DE adult population (only 75% of this segment of the population can be reached through the media)
• A significant increase in library membership among C2DE parents and their children; 70% of these children are now members, compared with 58% before the campaign
• An increase in library membership nationally; 2.3million new library members recruited between April and December 2008
• A significant increase in the proportion of C2DE parents reading to their children every day (from 15% to 20%).
• Among C2DE fathers who read to their children, over a quarter say they now read every day compared with 19% at the baseline survey
• A significant increase in children saying they read with their mothers every day (32% up from 17%)

This is all fantastic news, and this is a moment when everyone who worked to make the National Year of Reading a success should be proud. Every librarian, teacher, tutor, local authority adviser, publisher, bookseller and early years practitioner who promoted the National Year of Reading is a stakeholder in its success and should be relating to their managers their contribution to these achievements.

To build on the success of the National Year of Reading, the National Literacy Trust has launched Reading for Life, a new campaign to continue the work of the Year by improving the life opportunities of people in most need through reading.

Autism Awareness Day

The United Nations has declared 2nd April - World Autism Awareness Day, with the aim to increase and develop world knowledge of autism. The day brings together autism organisations all around the world, giving a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help.

In the UK the autism charities have come together to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. They are working to persuade UK governments to recognise autism as distinct from other conditions, deserving urgent strategic planning, policy development, and dedicated resource allocation.

They want everyone to STAND UP FOR AUTISM and call upon governments in each of the devolved nations of the UK to take action to ensure:

• individuals with autism are not unfairly discriminated against and their rights as people with disabilities as well as citizens are promoted;
• that action is taken to remove barriers to access and address the communication and sensory needs of people with autism – including raising public awareness;
• the numbers of people with autism are counted to ensure equality of provision of, and access to, services and support;
• adequate research funds are made available to increase understanding of autism and develop appropriate interventions and support;
• that resources are made available to support those living with autism and to ensure those working with people with autism are appropriately trained.

For more information:

Autism Alliance UK, Autism Anglia, Autism Cymru, Autism Initiatives UK, Autism London, Autism NI (PAPA) , Autism Speaks, Autism West Midlands, Disabilities Trust, Hampshire Autistic Society, Kingwood, National Autistic Society, PEAT NI, Prior's Court School, Research Autism, The Scottish Society for Autism, Sussex Autistic Community, Treehouse, The Wessex Autism Society, UK Autism Foundation

Please comment and tell me about your children and experiences to help raise awareness.

Home Education Review

I recently posted about the decision by DCSF to launch yet another investigation into home education.

There is a a petition the Prime Minister to to remind his government that parents must remain responsible in law for ensuring the welfare and education of their children and that the state should not seek to appropriate these responsibilities. If you haven't signed the petition please do, http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Homeedreview/

There is still time to add your response to the review (responses need to be completed by 20th February) http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1605&external=no&menu=1. Many Home Educators feel that it is very important for children to make their own responses to this particular consultation/review, as all the guidances say that children should be consulted, and the NSPCC claims to have consulted children so we need to make sure that HE children voice their own opinions about how Home Education can fit with these 5 outcomes.

There is a very comprehensive response (plus lots more info) on this blog if you are looking for more information Dare to Know: Draft Response to the Review of Home Education.

Stop the UK Government Stigmatising Home Educators!

Following some friends I've just joined the Stop the UK Government Stigmatising Home Educators! group on Facebook because I believe the right to educate your child at home is vital.

Following that I read the article on he BBC News and dug a bit deeper to find some press releases from the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Education Otherwise's response.

The DCSF Press Release:

MORGAN: ACTION TO ENSURE CHILDREN’S EDUCATION & WELFARE 19 January 2009
The Government has published revised guidance on children missing education and launched a review of home education. This will ensure that everything possible is being done to guarantee all children their right to a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment. The guidance makes clear that local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to enable them to establish that every school-age child is receiving a suitable education, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of parents and local authorities to provide a suitable education for children.

A public consultation gathered a wide range of views – including many on home education. Some local authorities and children’s organisations expressed concerns about the current system’s ability to adequately support and monitor the education, safety and wellbeing of home educated children. The review of home education will investigate the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It will look at safeguarding and how any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of children are dealt with. There are no plans to change parents’ well established rights to educate their children at home.It will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements for parents who home educate and of local authority systems for supporting children and families. It will also make recommendations for improvements, where necessary.

Delyth Morgan said:
"Making sure children are safe, well and receive a good education is our most serious responsibility. Parents are able, quite rightly, to choose whether they want to educate children at home, and a very small number do. I’m sure, the vast majority do a good job. However, there are concerns that some children are not receiving the education they need. And in some extreme cases, home education could be used as a cover for abuse. We cannot allow this to happen and are committed to doing all we can to help ensure children are safe, wherever they are educated."

"This review will look at whether the right systems are in place that allow local authorities and other agencies to ensure that any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively. The review will of course talk to home educating families to ensure their views and experiences are heard."

Head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, Diana Sutton, said:
"We welcome the Government’s decision to review the guidance on home education. We believe the existing legislation and guidance on elective home education is outdated. We support the view set out by the London (LA) Children’s Safeguarding Leads network that the government should review the legislation to balance the parents’ rights to home educate their children, the local authorities’ duty to safeguard children and the child’s right to protection. We welcome the fact that this review will look at where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child and what systems are in place to deal with those concerns."

A central part of the Government’s commitment for all children is that, no matter what their background or circumstances, they have the right to achieve the five 'Every Child Matters outcomes': Be healthy; Stay safe; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing.

The Elective Home Education Review will investigate:

• Whether local authorities and other public agencies are able to effectively discharge their duties and responsibilities for safeguarding and ensuring a suitable education for all children.
• Whether home educating parents are receiving the support and advice they want to ensure they provide a good, balanced education for their children.
• Consider what evidence there is to support claims that home education could be used as a 'cover' for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude

The guidance on children missing education is the first step in clarifying expectations in respect of the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It also makes clear that parents' right to home educate is not being altered and that suitable home education can take many forms.Home education is just one area highlighted in the guidance, as it describes many circumstances which can lead to children missing education. The guidance describes how important it is for local authorities to tackle all problems around children missing education, in order to meet the vision set out in the Children's Plan, particularly keeping all children safe from harm. Graham Badman, former Director of Children's Services at Kent County Council will lead the review, which is expected to conclude in May 2009.

Graham Badman said:
"I am delighted to have been asked to lead this important review. Legislation affords every parent the right to choose to educate their child at home but with those rights go responsibilities, not least being to secure a suitable education. By the same token, local authorities are charged with ensuring that all children are safe, well and receiving an education that is both enjoyable and allows for the expression of all aptitudes and abilities. By discussing all the issues with home educating families, local authorities and other key stakeholders I will investigate whether the current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities and if not, I will make recommendations for improvements."

Editor's Notes:
This press notice relates to 'England'

1. Revised guidance to Local Authorities on their duty to identify Children Not Receiving a Suitable Education, can be viewed here: Resources and practice - Every Child Matters.
2. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 placed a duty on all local authorities to make arrangements to identify children not receiving a suitable education.
3. Parents do not have to register a child as home educated, although they are encouraged to do so. They have to notify the school if they intend to withdraw their child to educate them at home and the school must then notify the local authority. The DCSF issued guidance on home education for local authorities in November 2007.
4. All parents are required by law to provide a suitable education for their child. Where this is not happening, local authorities can intervene and issue a school attendance order.
5. Where there are child protection concerns the local authority has a duty to investigate.
6. As parents are not required to register home educated children (unless they are leaving a school’s rolls) there are no official statistics on the numbers of home educated children. A study commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills in 2006 estimated around 20,000 children were known to local authorities. The figure may be substantially higher.

Education Otherwise's Response:

Response to “Morgan: Action to Ensure Children’s Education & Welfare” 19 January 2009

Education Otherwise (EO) has today expressed its dismay at the decision by
DCSF to launch yet another investigation into home education and at statements
contained in the press release announcing the review (1).

Education Otherwise and home educating families have contributed to three
major consultations on the guidance to local authorities since 2005. The latest
guidance was issued in autumn 2007 (2).

Annette Taberner, member of EO’s Government Policy Group said "It has become
clear to us that the Department and many local authorities have a very poor
understanding of home education and the law which applies to it. No other
community would be expected to suffer the prejudice and discrimination which
our community has to endure. Our community will be infuriated by these latest
statements. Many hours of time and much public money has been expended in
consultations. Ministers need to prioritise time to engage in meaningful
discussions with our organisation which has thirty years of experience helping
families who chose to exercise their right to educate their children at home."

Statements on links between home education forced marriage and child welfare
made in select committee hearings and by the London Safeguarding Board have
already been challenged by Education Otherwise. The charity requested sight of
the alleged evidence upon which the statements were made but no evidence has
been forthcoming. (3)

Education Otherwise continues to assert that the current legislation is adequate
but poorly understood.

Education Otherwise finds the implication from Government and local authorities
that home educated children are at risk purely because they are home educated
offensive.

Ann Newstead, spokesperson for the charity said "The assumption that a child is
safe and adequately educated if in the state system is simply not born out by an
increasing number of families in the UK."

Notes to Editors

1. DCSF Press Release "Morgan: Action to Ensure Children’s Education & Welfare"
   http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0013
2. DCSF Elective Home Education Guidelines for Local Authorities in England -
   http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/localauthorities/_documents/content/7373-DCSFElective%20Home%20Education.pdf
3. Alleged link between HE and forced marriage - http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/hascr.htm

Education Otherwise is the oldest and largest organisation that provides support
and information for families whose children are being educated outside school:
http://www.education-otherwise.org

4th November 2008 EO meet with House of Lords Minister for Children Schools
and Families: http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/printview.php?ID=103

29th August 2008 EO meet with DCSF to discuss the consultation in England on
children not receiving suitable education:
http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/CMEreportIDDCSF29thAugust08meeting.pdf

National Foundation for Educational Research report "Support for Children Who
Are Educated At Home:
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/research-areas/pims-data/outlines/support-for-childrenwho-are-educated-at-home.cfm

Full explanation of the law relating to home education:
http://www.education-otherwise.org/legal.htm

Follow this link to add your views to the consultation - http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1605&external=no&menu=1

Special needs battle highlighted

I've just seen this article on the BBC News Website:

Special needs battle highlighted

Nearly one in five children has a special educational need

Too many parents of children with special educational needs feel they have to battle the system to get what their children need, ministers admit.

Early findings from a review into special needs education say parents feel the system is not on their side.

Inquiry chairman Brian Lamb has said some local authorities in England are not meeting their legal obligations.

Ministers accepted his concerns and announced a £38m package to raise expectations and give support.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls ordered an investigation to tackle "the failure of some local authorities to comply with their SEN [special educational needs] duties".

The investigation would also look at the problem of poor information given to some parents and "lack of transparency in the SEN system".

In a letter to Mr Balls, Brian Lamb wrote: "A major concern for parents is the lack of transparency and lack of information about school and local authority SEN policies".

And he said no-one discussed with parents what their hopes and aspirations were for their children.

Fight
Mr Balls said he agreed with Mr Lamb that the government needed to "act now to improve the outcomes for children with special needs and to increase parental confidence".

"Every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, including those with special educational needs, but all too often parents tell us they have to fight the system to get what their children need," said Mr Balls.

"I am determined that this will change. I see today as the start of a new and more ambitious vision for SEN.

"I want to eradicate the presumption that mediocre achievement is the best this group of pupils can hope for."

Of the £38m promised to boost SEN provision, £31m would be spent on a pilot project involving 10 local authorities.

The scheme would aim to get all schools to rethink their expectations for children with SEN and develop approaches to focus more on their outcomes, he said.

The remaining £7m would be used to support pupils in schools and to boost leadership.

The Lamb review also said there was "a failure to consider SEN and disability issues in some mainstream policies and programmes".

Legal responsibilities
The chief executive of The National Autistic Society, Mark Lever, said: "We hear day in day out from families affected by autism who have to go through lengthy and stressful battles to get the education support for their children which should be theirs by right.

"Too many families we work with find that they are unable to access the support and information that they are entitled to, so we particularly pleased that the department will be investigating how local authorities and schools are complying with their legal responsibilities to children with special needs and disabilities.

"Autism affects one in 100 children in the UK and the right support at the right time can make the world of difference to a child's experience at school and their future outcomes."

Jennifer Owen Adams, from the British Dyslexia Association, said it was encouraged by the government's response to Lamb's early findings.

"Much more needs to be done to help parents and families with dyslexic children get the help their child requires. Recognition of this is just the first step," she said.

"We will continue to support the work of the Lamb inquiry and look forward to the report's conclusions."

The final report is due in September 2009.

"Me and My Disabled Child"

Contact a Family (CaF) have just uploaded a four-part series of video: Parent Stories - "Me and My Disabled Child" featuring honest accounts of parental experiences in raising a disabled child from receiving the news to finding support for their families.

Me and My Disabled Child - Part 1: Before The News



Me and My Disabled Child - Part 2: The Early Years



Me and My Disabled Child - Part 3: A Different Family Life



Me and My Disabled Child - Part 4: Finding Support



They've asked that you watch, give it a star rating, comment and share with anyone and everyone you think would be interested...

Road Safety Week 2008

This week is Road Safety Week and to celebrate Littlesheep Learning are offering their popular Policeman Glove Puppet and Lollipop Man Glove Puppet for just £4 (offer ends 17th November), so buy yours today and get role playing road safety with your children.

Every year Brake chooses a theme that for Road Safety Week, the theme for 2008 is…

FAMILY SAFETY: STOP. IMAGINE. CHANGE.

Brake and their sponsors of the Week 3M, DHL, KWIKFIT INSURANCE and MASS (Motor Accident Solicitors Society) have chosen to focus on the theme 'Family Safety – STOP. IMAGINE. CHANGE.

In particular, they will be raising awareness of the following 3 key things:

1. The vital need for parents to ‘protect the ones they love’. They have released a Brake research report about child car seats, cycling and walking safely, and speed when driving your family.


2. The terrible devastation caused by death and injury on roads. Families affected in this way and representing Brake will tell how their lives have been wrecked by death and serious injury.


3. The need for drivers and parents to Stop. Imagine. Change. We are asking people to stop and imagine how horrendous it would be to lose a loved one in a road crash, or cause a fatal crash, take a long hard look at their behaviour on roads, and change their behaviour for the better. We can all make a commitment to improve our behaviour, whether that means taking more time to look twice at junctions, or committing to not ever overtaking unless it is totally safe, or simply always holding our children’s hands.

SENDIST Tribunals

I've just had this email - so thought I'd spread the word...

Dear all,

Please sign the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SENDISTtribunals/. It is imperative that we protect special needs children and their families' right to appeal for choice in special needs education.

Should the proposed new labour government regulations go through it will create even more distress and potential financial hardship for families who are in desperate need of help not hindrance.

Please encourage all your friends, family and colleagues to sign up too!