Schools provision for partially sighted kids

[Janet Manning]

Sorry busylizzie, just re-read your first post and remembered that the child you are posting about is not your daughter! Was just so mad that I forgot!
Cheers, Janet

[Elizabeth Mair]

It is interesting that people who are familiar with the English school system which is very different from the Scottish system are able to make comments re education.
As a Specialist Support teacher in South Lanarkshire working with pupils with addtional support needs in several schools, I recommend you get a hold of the new Addtitional Support for Learning Act- only relevant to Scotland (will be on the web) and the new Code of Practice called "Supporting children's learning" which is what teachers are using to apply the new Act. Enquire (http://www.enquire.org.uk) have also produced an excellent large booklet called a Parent's Guide to additional support for learning based on the new legislation.(Enquire are there to support parents who have children with additional needs)
You will find that parents have new rights as a result of the new ASL Act and local authorities have a lot more obligations.By law they need to cater for pupils with additional support needs and should be helping your pupil until she attends the Royal Blind school.
Get back to me personally either by phone or e-mail for more info if you want. Elizabeth
(Scottish KC group leader)

PS the new Coordinated support plans(CSP) are very different from the old Record of Needs.A lot of pupils who had Record of Needs wont qualify for a CSP(unless multiple agencies are involved with them including agencies outwith education and they have very complex needs) and others will have Personal learning plans which will still be reviewed regularly.

[Andrew MacLean]

Elizabeth,

Not everybody realizes that Scotland has a different framework of law to England.

When I used to travel to CTBI meetings in London the leaders of English churches used to be amazed to learn that we had different laws in Scotland and that the things they got hot and bothered about just did not apply north of the border.

This often led to mistakes being made: they sometimes assumed that the Church of Scotland was the Scottish branch of the Church of England, or that the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster could speak on behalf of the Scottish RC Church.

It took a moment's gentle persuasion to help them find out that their assumptions did not hold water, and that they needed to broaden their horizons from England alone if they were going to be credible as a UK wide body with a remit that extended to the Irish Republic.

Whether or not the posts about special needs in England were relevant to Lizzie's situation, they were interesting and probably helpful to people living with similar questions in the southern kingdom and the principality.



Andrew

[Elizabeth Mair]

Websites for anybody who wants to find out about Scottish education and legislation regarding special needs - see below.

Education(Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 often called the ASL Act- look on the Scottish Executive website.

For the Code of Practice on the Act look on the Learning and teaching Scotland site where you can download a copy of it.
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk

[BusyLizzy]

Thank you all for your very helpful input.

I will seek out the relevant documents suggested by Elizabeth tomorrow morning once the rosé has ceased to addle the grey matter...