Reply To: Is it worth it?

[Jaimini]

This is a difficult question you have posed and one that I often find myself asking. I think you have to see it as opportunities, we have had a number of students come into their own when they have come to secondary, where they have flourished as young people, vocalising opinions, taking on responsibility and pursuing careers in areas such as catering. However I think the honesty needs to be there from the primary schools, all too often I am going to annual review meetings, where parents don’t really understand the extent of their child’s needs and are almost shielded from it. I have had pupils come into mainstream who cannot read or write and never will proficiently enough to pass an exam among other learning needs, parents are led to believe they will cope in mainstream. I don’t feel correct advice and support is given to parents when their child is at primary, because all too often when they realise they can’t cope with secondary there are no places left in special schools.