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I thought twice about posting our celebration of DD2 going to university. In the current context it seemed crass.
But then I remembered. We weren’t celebrating her results.
We are marking her surviving school system. & I mean surviving. 1/
But then I remembered. We weren’t celebrating her results.
We are marking her surviving school system. & I mean surviving. 1/
She has dyslexia, DLD & extreme anxiety. She knows how bright she is. She knows her working memory is through floor.
She’s lived through system where last minute addition of SPAG test in year 6 blew her mind.
As she says-don’t pretend comparing year groups is possible. 2/
She’s lived through system where last minute addition of SPAG test in year 6 blew her mind.
As she says-don’t pretend comparing year groups is possible. 2/
She’s lived in system where some SENCOs post that ‘dyslexia isn’t real’ while she cries at words dancing on page.
Or where papers report that exam adjustments are just middle class advantage - when she can barely finish test with 50% extra time. 3/
Or where papers report that exam adjustments are just middle class advantage - when she can barely finish test with 50% extra time. 3/
She’s part of guinea pig year with GCSE & A-Level changes & EBACC (don’t tell us again that it’s important there is consistency of grades year to year when she’s lived a change in process every year of secondary-leaving teachers scrabbling to teach and affecting her choices). 4/
We are celebrating her surviving a system when CAMHS took 18 months because they aren’t resourced.
And where every assessment for support cost us money because waiting lists were 2 terms long & trad/Tory ‘every hour of teaching counts’ doesn’t apply to kids with SEND right? 5/
And where every assessment for support cost us money because waiting lists were 2 terms long & trad/Tory ‘every hour of teaching counts’ doesn’t apply to kids with SEND right? 5/
But more than survival we are celebrating her thriving.
Rocking her GCSEs. An 8 for English Literature when she can barely read menu.
Being community leader. An advocate for those with less power. Role model.
For going to University to read Forensic Anthropology. 6/
Rocking her GCSEs. An 8 for English Literature when she can barely read menu.
Being community leader. An advocate for those with less power. Role model.
For going to University to read Forensic Anthropology. 6/
For her pointing out that in real world people use reading pens, learn from YouTube, can take hours to read for ‘pleasure’ & use read aloud tech. & that perhaps it wouldn’t be too much for education to wake up & join the party.
She is cleverer than me. I just read faster.
7/
She is cleverer than me. I just read faster.
7/
But-as she toasted-we are also celebrating her SALTs, @ICANcharity @Afasic the teachers who got it (including her dyslexia A-Level maths teacher which shows import of diversity in recruitment); amazing SENCOs and ed psychs. Because it takes an army to win the battle. 8/
But.
Here’s the thing.
It shouldn’t be a battle.
It shouldn’t take resourced, connected, teacher mother & warrior daughter
It shouldn’t take war plan to navigate system.
It shouldn’t be exhausting to access education.
So yes we will celebrate. She deserves every sip. 9/
Here’s the thing.
It shouldn’t be a battle.
It shouldn’t take resourced, connected, teacher mother & warrior daughter
It shouldn’t take war plan to navigate system.
It shouldn’t be exhausting to access education.
So yes we will celebrate. She deserves every sip. 9/
