During the last few weeks the Learning Support department withdrew in-class assistance and suspended some of their groups to compile a huge, plastic-spine-bound tome carrying the name, condition and history of all the kids in our place with additional support needs. This was copied ninety times and given to every teacher.

 I wonder if this goes against inclusion, my Pt and I are thinking about taking it up with our headmaster. Copies have been left lying about, not least in staff rooms, but general areas. Add to this the complete upheaval the LS dept. being in lockdown caused our needy kids. It just looked like a "look at me mammy. I'm dancin'" exercise on the part of the newly appointed LS PT. I suppose "look at me mammy" folk are the promoted ones these days but I digress.

Shouldn't this  be a teacher-only intranet database at best?

Should have added that I am a SfL teacher of many years' experience so I do know what I'm talking about!

Sorry to 'butt in' to this thread. I am in primary LS (and have been for many years) and was looking in the secondary forum for some information about the new exam structure that awaits my 11 year old.

I liaise with colleagues in all sectors of education and I often become frustrated by the fact that despite passing on info (sometimes quite detailed) to receiving secondary schools, parents will often complain to me afterwards that the staff don't seem to know that their kids have ASNs. Obviously, not all staff in all schools are the same but it doesn't make my job any easier and I don't imagine that a lack of vital information would make your job any easier either.

 I can only imagine how difficult it is to get to know all the children well in a short period of 40 - 45 mins 2 or 3 times a week but, if the LS dept has gone to all the trouble of compiling this information, I would have thought that the least folk could do would be to read it and ensure that it doesn't get left lying around.  

There is a big push on 'data protection' at the moment. Personally, I think its all a lot of PC hogwash but the powers-that-be are talking about fines etc and misuse of confidential information is right at the top of their list.

VelmaDinckley:

I should also have mentioned . . . the new data protection legislation may indeed make this folder of information illegal. The new legislation states that info about a child should be on a 'need to know' basis. However, I absolutely disagree with that.

Possible scenario - If 'little Jonny' is running about, causing havoc, attacking other children , swearing etc in my mind, it would be much better if all staff were informed of his ADHD, rather than staff having to use their imagination and parents being stressed at the possibility of an exclusion. Although, in my school, most of the parents probably wouldn't care.   

It's a dangerous situation which will, undoubtedly, make our job very much more difficult. WE NEED TO KNOW about all the children we teach and that includes if they have additional support needs or not.

 A document such as this is absolutely illegal. Data Protection for children defines access to this information means "need to know - at point of contact" so if something like this is produced it should be one or two copies only accessed by those permitted to, with perhaps a depute head or the PT of learning support as trustee of the book.

 Ideally, though, this should be info held online and specific portions of the info relayed to staff when required.