Thursday 26 March 2009

I need life to slow down a bit!

I am just not getting 5 minutes to myself at the moment and getting very little sleep I am just constantly shattered. I do however have some very good news....Amelia got a placement at the special needs school and starts in Juniors in September. Some of you may know that there were over 50 children applying for a place and only 6 slots available. We had geared ourselves up for another tribunal but thank goodness the letters and phone calls I made before the panel met where taken into consideration and it didn't come to that.


The bad news is that I really don't know how I am going to survive until September. Her current school have absolutely nothing in place after 4 and a half years so they are hardly likely to make any effort between now and July. She has had no therapy since the beginning of the month as the only member of staff with any training (who has a 25 minute daily slot with Amelia) is off sick. Amelia's behaviour is deteriorating as no-one has had any real training, the TA who has worked with her for a while now has reduced her hours and there is absolutely no structure or strategies in place, lessons are not being broken down to her level and the school are wondering why she is hiding under the table!!! LOL...if only they had the opportunity to read the statement I fought so many years to get...it would tell them all about avoidance strategies!

It's laughable really, the LEA are prepared to pay out all that money to send my daughter to a MLD school and provide transport....but they couldn't specify funding for training and resources at her mainstream school who are struggling financially so badly that they had to make all but 2 TAs in KS1 redundant last year. They only kept those two on because they had 2 statemented children!

I am being pushed to my very limit that I am once again considering pulling her out of school, writing to MPs, governors........and then they wonder why inclusion isn't working!

Sorry for my rant...I have to let off steam before I go to work this afternoon!


Lets get on with a bit of crafty catch up!



Yesterday saw the latest challenge released on the Copics Colour Challenge.



This week the colours are:



I was naughty and ordered R20 and RV04 in especially...well a girl can never have too many pinks now can she!!! I hadn't got E31 so I used E33 and E35 instead.



If you are very familiar with this image you may notice that I gave the girl a bit of a haircut...LOL...I was a bit heavy handed with my craft knife!!!



18 comments:

annmarie said...

I'm really glad you have got a place for Amelia for September and hope she will at last get the support she deserves.

It is such a shame it has not worked out at her present school: I'm sure it could have been a positive experience both for her and her classmates given the right support.

I tend towards inclusion as being the way to go unless it is singularly inappropriate - we are all members of the human race with differing talents and abilities and should be able to work together, but if there just isn't the support to make it happen it isn't going to do anybody any favours.

As for the intervening weeks .. I wish you all the strength you need to cope, and I hope the support is back soon. They really have given you such a runaround on this one ...

Love and hugs

Stressed Stamper said...

I am so glad that things are turning a corner for you...
Sarah

Chrissie said...

Your latest card is beautiful Adele (what would we do without the relief of crafting?)
I'm so sorry to hear that things at Amelia's school still haven't improved and I hope that the future will be much more rewarding for you all. Stay strong my dear.

Net said...

How good Amelia has her place at school. Shame about what's happening now though - you could always try your local paper. They do seem to like these sort of stories - ours certainly does.

Fab card - you're right you can never have too many pink Copics! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Sarah C said...

What a gorgeous card.

I'm so pleased that Amelia has got a place for September. Your hard work has certainly paid off. I just hope that things improve for her at the mainstream school. Every parent should be able to feel comfortable in the knowledge that the system is doing everything they can for their children, but sadly this is too often not the case. Keeping everything crossed for you all and hope you can get some much needed rest too xoxo

Juliet said...

Oh Adele, I'm so pleased to hear that all your hard work paid off and Amelia has a place at the special school. Just wish her present school could do more for her until then.
Had to laugh about the hair on the WOJ stamp - I often cut things off too!!!
Juliet xx

Jac’s Playground said...

That is wonderful news about Amelias place at the school, I know how hard it has been just from the snippets you put on here, I dont know what to suggest for best in the interim as I know my friend did eventually pull her son out of his school and that was before she had a place at another school, it was just not helping him infact he was getting worse he is now in another school (a private one) but only because of the help of a close family friend. Sending you hugs and keeping you in my thoughts. BTW I love the card very pretty. xx

Hazel said...

Dear Adele, I am so pleased to hear that Amelia has got the placement for September, but I feel so much for you until then - this is a situation that should never have been - you have been so good in your tireless efforts and it is more than a shame that things have turned out like this. Sending you lots of hugs. Glad to see your beautiful crafting - please make sure you still give yourself some time for this xxx

Jackie said...

Love the card Adele.

I'm really pleased about Amelia's new school and wish I could help in some way in the lead up to the summer hols. I'm a qualified TA and used to do all our SEN support groups (although I haven't worked directly with DS)and am another who has seen first hand that in a lot of areas inclusion doesn't work!

Chin up chick, I know it will be hard but September really isn't that far away.

Nicky said...

Great news on Amelia and her place at school. Its so frustrating my kids are at a school that locally has a bad repuation but they have inclusion of all sorts, wheelchair, deafness, etc etc and the kids have a great educations just the press are always against the school.

Glad you find time to craft as your cards are such an inspiration and they are just so STUNNING - hugs to you - x x

Karen Mortensen said...

Fantastic news that you finally have a placement for Amelia, lets hope everything works out for her there and life becomes easier for you all.

Your card is just beuatiful, but then it would be cos you made it!!! Love love love those corners too!!

Take care and lots of love ♥♥♥

Paula said...

Glad to hear you got Amelia into the new school, and let's hope it's a fresh start for her.

A Hovel to Home said...

That is great that you have a place .... sending you big cyber hugs sweetie.

Lynsay Joanne said...

Hi Adele,
i enjoy poping over to your blog for insparation. i am glad your daughter got a place at the new school please pop over to my blog lynsaylou.blogspot.com there is something there for you.

Lol Lynsay

Digi Stamp Boutique said...

Thanks for your lovely comment Adele...lets hope I come up trumps for you with my doodles!

Really good news about Amelia for September...its the in between bit that you need help with....and I really hope that something comes up for you, I really do....Sometimes things have to get really bad before they start picking up....I hope you're on the up now...and that you stay up too....xx

Digi Stamp Boutique said...

Love your card by the way....wonderful colouring and now I'm off to order some more pinks too...The bit about the hair made me chuckle...xx

Deb M. said...

Beautiful card, Adele!! I love it!!

So happy to hear that your dd has a place for next year. Hope that things get better for you. Sending good thoughts your way.

Hugs & Blessings...

Lynne Gilbert said...

Hi Adele. I've only just come across your blog, and absolutely love your card. The hair cut looks very profesional!!!
Reading about your daughter brings back memories of the struggle we had to get my youngest son into a special school. He is just turned 19 now and is about to move on to a college course for special needs - Working towards independence. He has been at school since he was 4 so it will be a really big change for him, and a big concern for us! We have just got through a very traumatic period with him, when he was suffering from depression and anxiety. Very unlike him because despite his special needs, he is always happy and brings us so much joy.
We did worry about sending him to a SLD school because we would have loved for him to go to mainstream. But he would never have coped with it and he has always been happy where he is.
Sorry to ramble on but thought it might be nice for you to hear from someone who has been there and knows how you must be feeling at the moment.
Look after yourself and pop by my blog if you get a chance sometime.
Love Lynne. X