Our girl's school is being forced into an academy. They are going by Ofsted reports from 2005 to 2009 when the school was doing really badly. There has been a new head teacher there since 2008 and he has turned the school around. In 2010 the school was scored as a Good school, with the nursery as Outstanding.
An outstanding school is allowed to become an academy in it's own right, still run by it's current governing board. If it is forced into an academy then then an outside source is brought in to run the school.
It's difficult to get out of academy status because the Education Secretary Michael Grove is wanting all schools, primary and secondary to become academies. Some are trying to fight it, many are losing.
Our school is a good school and the staff are amazing, it's better now than it has ever been (and I know having used the school for the last 19 years) Losing it's current status and being taken over by an outsider probably will have a real detrimental effect on the school.
I could go on about all the bad things about academies but I won't, not here. I just wanted to express my worries about what this means for Lucy.
At nursery it was picked up that Lucy was different from the other children and her teacher gave her extra help to fit in, this continued through to reception class. Then in year one Lucy's teacher called me in for a meeting and suggested that Lucy might be autistic. I already knew, but although I wasn't trying to bury my head in the sand, or deny it I just wanted it to be picked up by someone else so I could be sure. This was the start of Lucy's assessment and during the next six months she received a diagnosis of high functioning autism.
Her teacher has been fantastic and so has the school SENCO. Lucy's problems are different to other kids with special needs, it is so hard to understand what she actually needs but working together she now has a great plan in force at the school which has improved her happiness both there and at home. She also gets extra help in school from outside sources, for example physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
An academy school can still provide all these resources if they wish. They will be readily available for them that want to pay for them. Of course, who knows if they will pay for them? If an outsider does come in are they going to be concerned about Lucy's needs? Perhaps they will think she will be better off in a special school? (This is what happened to my eldest son when his school couldn't implement the correct help for him)
At the moment my worries are heavy on my heart. I do not want the school to change, it's great just as it is.
I will be praying that the outcome is a good one.
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Special Friendships, A Special Saturday Post
When I was expecting my first born child I became friends with another woman expecting her first child too. Our children became good friends and grew up together. They went to different schools and had different friends but always had time for each other.
When my son's differences started becoming more apparent and most of his small friends just didn't understand him or want anything to do with him, this one friend always stuck by him. He still called around to play, stayed over, had my son stay over at his and they enjoyed each others company.
My son gradually got worse and the other lad became more grown up, but he still took time out to check up on his friend.
When he was sixteen my son's friend joined the army, and he's still there seven years later. He's not around much these days but he still takes the time to pop by and visit my son, his friend. I truly appreciate this young man's friendship with my son, and I'm sure my son appreciates it too.
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This post is for Special Saturday, an online ‘global’ campaign that aims to raise awareness of children and adults living with special needs.
Please join the cause by joining the facebook page -https://www.facebook.com/SpecialSaturdayhttps://www.facebook.com/SpecialSaturday
Follow on twitter - @Specialsat and retweeting hashtag - #specialsaturday
Read and follow the Special Saturday Blog -http://specialsaturday.org/home
Thursday, 10 May 2012
No longer a Baby!
Baby number 5 is growing so fast, I can't really call him a baby anymore. Such a sad time when they reach that stage, especially when you know there will be no more babies. It doesn't matter, I've been here five times now and still it feels like I'm losing something precious. But, it doesn't last, all I have to do is remember what is to come. So much more growing and learning, so many firsts to achieve, so much to look forward to as my little man transforms in front of my very eyes into a, well, not so little man.
I still look at my girls now four and six and it's hard to believe how quick they are growing, but we still have so far to go.
Even when I look at my grown-up children I can see that there is still so much they have to experience, still more growing, it never ends, the changes, the things to look forward to (grandchildren???)
So baby number five now has a bed instead of a cot, he can walk and 'nearly' talk. He is becoming more independent every day......but he still gives the bestest cuddles and kisses ever.
Yes, the baby days are gone (forever) but there is still so much more to come.
I still look at my girls now four and six and it's hard to believe how quick they are growing, but we still have so far to go.
Even when I look at my grown-up children I can see that there is still so much they have to experience, still more growing, it never ends, the changes, the things to look forward to (grandchildren???)
So baby number five now has a bed instead of a cot, he can walk and 'nearly' talk. He is becoming more independent every day......but he still gives the bestest cuddles and kisses ever.
Yes, the baby days are gone (forever) but there is still so much more to come.
Saturday, 5 May 2012
No Time For Grief
I never really knew what grief felt like until I lost my mum and little brother within a week of each other and both quite suddenly. I don't deal very well with grief, I don't think many people do, it's one of those awful things we all have endure sometimes, and it hurts.
I do not feel grief over my children's disabilities. I refuse to feel that sad over two beautiful and amazing children. I understand that their lives are going to be very different, that they will miss out on much of what is called 'normal' but they are here and they are mine and I will give them the very best they deserve.
I guess that's easy for me to say because my children are not severely disabled, they can walk and talk and mostly their disabilities are invisible. With the right help they could even live normal lives, school, relationships, jobs, they are all achievable.
Would I feel different if they were severely disabled, if their lives were more of a shell of what we consider a normal life? If they could not communicate, if they could not return my hard work with love and smiles? If each day was a struggle of survival?
I hope I would not feel differently, I hope I could still give them all I possibly could, make them comfortable and as happy as possible, and love them unconditionally no matter what. I hope I could leave the grief for when they would no longer be here rather than grieving for the lives they should have.
My cousin was born just a year after me to my mum's brother. She was born with Downs Syndrome. I grew up with her and treated her just like my other cousins even though she was a little rougher and didn't know when to stop. I don't see her often now but I've been in touch most of her life. I saw her a couple of weeks ago, she's now 45 years old. She looks well, she looks beautiful. She is happy, she has had a good life. She has had an education, many holidays, lots of friends, she has a much better social life than me. She has not had a lover, she has not had children, she has not had a 'real' job, she still lives at home and depends very much on her family. I think her family are amazing, they've done a wonderful job in giving this lady the best life she possibly could, they have always been positive, even when times were tough.
There is no time to grieve for the way things could have been. I will leave grief for after life has ended. It's hard enough to deal with then.
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I do not feel grief over my children's disabilities. I refuse to feel that sad over two beautiful and amazing children. I understand that their lives are going to be very different, that they will miss out on much of what is called 'normal' but they are here and they are mine and I will give them the very best they deserve.
I guess that's easy for me to say because my children are not severely disabled, they can walk and talk and mostly their disabilities are invisible. With the right help they could even live normal lives, school, relationships, jobs, they are all achievable.
Would I feel different if they were severely disabled, if their lives were more of a shell of what we consider a normal life? If they could not communicate, if they could not return my hard work with love and smiles? If each day was a struggle of survival?
I hope I would not feel differently, I hope I could still give them all I possibly could, make them comfortable and as happy as possible, and love them unconditionally no matter what. I hope I could leave the grief for when they would no longer be here rather than grieving for the lives they should have.
My cousin was born just a year after me to my mum's brother. She was born with Downs Syndrome. I grew up with her and treated her just like my other cousins even though she was a little rougher and didn't know when to stop. I don't see her often now but I've been in touch most of her life. I saw her a couple of weeks ago, she's now 45 years old. She looks well, she looks beautiful. She is happy, she has had a good life. She has had an education, many holidays, lots of friends, she has a much better social life than me. She has not had a lover, she has not had children, she has not had a 'real' job, she still lives at home and depends very much on her family. I think her family are amazing, they've done a wonderful job in giving this lady the best life she possibly could, they have always been positive, even when times were tough.
There is no time to grieve for the way things could have been. I will leave grief for after life has ended. It's hard enough to deal with then.
****************************************************
This post is for Special Saturday, an online ‘global’ campaign that aims to raise awareness of children and adults living with special needs.
Please join the cause by joining the facebook page -https://www.facebook.com/SpecialSaturdayhttps://www.facebook.com/SpecialSaturday
Follow on twitter - @Specialsat and retweeting hashtag - #specialsaturday
Read and follow the Special Saturday Blog -http://specialsaturday.org/home
Thursday, 3 May 2012
A Kissin and a Huggin!
Last night as I was taking Lucy to bed she turned and kissed me, then gave me a lovely hug. Nothing unusual you might think, but I was really taken aback. I can't remember the last time she did that. It's not that we don't kiss and cuddle, but I have to ask, and she has to accept, and even then it's like hugging an ironing board. For her to initiate the process is a real bonus.
Tomorrow Lucy will have her first occupational therapy session at school, I will get feedback on how she gets on. She is already getting physiotherapy at school and has now asked to join gym club, this is great progress seeing as just a few months ago I had difficulty getting her to go into school on days with p.e. She is gaining confidence in her own body.
In a couple of weeks we have an appointment with the podiatrician for her inserts. This is a long time in coming as I accidently turned up on the wrong day last time which was last October. So maybe if we can get her physically corrected then maybe other things will improve too. I live in hope.
Tomorrow Lucy will have her first occupational therapy session at school, I will get feedback on how she gets on. She is already getting physiotherapy at school and has now asked to join gym club, this is great progress seeing as just a few months ago I had difficulty getting her to go into school on days with p.e. She is gaining confidence in her own body.
In a couple of weeks we have an appointment with the podiatrician for her inserts. This is a long time in coming as I accidently turned up on the wrong day last time which was last October. So maybe if we can get her physically corrected then maybe other things will improve too. I live in hope.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Three Ways to use an Abacus
Yesterday I dug an old abacus out of the cupboard. Here is the story in photo's:
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| What Mummy taught me, I can count 1,2 |
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| What Daddy taught me, brum brum |
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| What Leila taught me, weeeee! |
Monday, 23 April 2012
Mummy Leaves Daddy in Charge.
This weekend went so quickly it felt like we were on fast forward. I went out for the day on Saturday, from 9am until 6pm leaving daddy as the sole parent. I went to the Blogcamp event and wrote all about it here.
The girls were happy for me to leave, Joseph cried a little but only for a few minutes, and I had a whole day without them.
On return I had big hugs off Leila and Joseph, their faces lit up as I came into the room, but they hadn't missed me much, they had been good for most of the day. No, daddy didn't tell me that, it was obvious because he still had hair left on his head. When I got home daddy was calm, busy cooking and the house was fairly tidy, so I know that things hadn't been bad.
I didn't think that Lucy had missed me. There was no excitement on my return like the other two had shown. She didn't ask me any questions about where I'd been which is what you'd expect from a child her age. Just before bed I had a cuddle off her and asked her if she's missed me, she said 'no'
I don't like leaving my kids, although I feel more comfortable leaving them with daddy than I do with anyone else. I have to admit, it's nice to have a day where I can be me for a few hours rather than on mummy on her kids beck and call.
Next time I'm leaving them for longer! As a birthday treat I'm taking Cassie to London to see a show and we are staying overnight.
So Saturday passed by quickly and Sunday was spent catching up on all the chores I didn't get done on Saturday, washing, ironing, cleaning etc. Well, you can't expect daddy to do it all and look after the kids, that's what mummies are for!
The girls were happy for me to leave, Joseph cried a little but only for a few minutes, and I had a whole day without them.
On return I had big hugs off Leila and Joseph, their faces lit up as I came into the room, but they hadn't missed me much, they had been good for most of the day. No, daddy didn't tell me that, it was obvious because he still had hair left on his head. When I got home daddy was calm, busy cooking and the house was fairly tidy, so I know that things hadn't been bad.
I didn't think that Lucy had missed me. There was no excitement on my return like the other two had shown. She didn't ask me any questions about where I'd been which is what you'd expect from a child her age. Just before bed I had a cuddle off her and asked her if she's missed me, she said 'no'
I don't like leaving my kids, although I feel more comfortable leaving them with daddy than I do with anyone else. I have to admit, it's nice to have a day where I can be me for a few hours rather than on mummy on her kids beck and call.
Next time I'm leaving them for longer! As a birthday treat I'm taking Cassie to London to see a show and we are staying overnight.
So Saturday passed by quickly and Sunday was spent catching up on all the chores I didn't get done on Saturday, washing, ironing, cleaning etc. Well, you can't expect daddy to do it all and look after the kids, that's what mummies are for!
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