School Review Meeting Mon 30/01 - home tuition HELP

[jb1964]

Hi, hoping someone can give me some advice.

 

My daughter (AS diagnosed Nov 05) has been off ill since mid Dec - till this week - prior to this since about May - she's been only going part-time - mornings only (due to eating problems).

 

We last had a school review meeting in Nov after diagnosis and the next one was to be held on 3rd Apr (the and so glad otherwise we probably would have been pressurised to have home tuition then).

 

Since the new year I've rung the school 4 times asking for someone (Head teacher, Educ.Welfare Officer, Head of year etc) to ring me as I needed to talk to someone about her absence - which no-one has returned.

 

Went home from work yesterday (Thurs afternoon at 5pm) to find letter dated 24th - asking us to attend review meeting on monday. I've rung the school to say this is short notice especially for my husband who has to give at least one weeks notice for time off, and they've said that they apologise for the short-notice but they've had to arrange for other people to be there and its easier for you and I (!!!) to fit in around them (when I work 8.30-4.30pm full time and not at the school - couldn't work that one out!!!). They asked could I attend on my own and I said that the last time I found it intimidating and that was with my husband and we also had the pysch.consult. and cpn in our corner).

 

She then told me that they had contacted my daughters' Pysch.Consultant and CPN and they were attending - I asked who else and they said the usual (which is the SEN, Educ.Pysch. Head (new),Deputy Head (who's dealt with this in the past), Head of Year and the Educ.Welfare Officer) plus and the local eductation authority officer to 'offer advice on her education as currently she isn't getting one because she's off sick yet again!!!! So I've said that I will definitely attend and my husband will try to change his hours.

 

However, I've rung the CPN's office and she's not there today - the lady there told me she can't find any letter or notes about this but that the consultant is definitely not attending because she has appointments Monday afternoon - and there isn't any note down on Mond afternoon for the CPN.

 

I know they are going to pressurise us again for home tuition which we don't want - and although our CPN has said before that they can't do that without our agreement I'm scared they'll force the issue.

 

When they talk about home tuition - is that just a few hours a week - and how easy is it to get out of that once you agree.

 

Also, if my daughter is ill can I say she isn't having that home tuition that day??

 

Thank you for listening and sorry to go on and on but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[helenl53]

I would be uneasy with the haste that they are trying to organise this meeting. It is unreasonabl;e for you to attend unprepared and I would insist that they adjourn it.

 

I would insist that you are provided with reports from the people attending so that you can discuss them at the meeting and I would insist that both you and your husband will be attending so they need to provide alternative dates when everyone can attend.

 

I think you are being steam rollered on this a bit.

 

By the way - if a child is educated other than at school they are entitled to receive the equivalent of a full time education (from memory it is 25 hours per week)

 

Somewhere on the forum will be the definitive stuff on this - but I don't know where and I hope someone can jump in and help!

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL

[jb1964]

Thanks Helen.

 

Feel pretty much the same about this - and wish I hadn't rung earlier to say I'd attend. I've left a message for the CPN to ring me first thing Monday morning to see if she is actually attending - but worrying that its too late now for me to turn round Monday and say I've changed my mind.

[Tez]

It is 25 hours per week but there is no legal requirement for the LEA to provide that and they rarely do. The leagl requirement is for a minimum of 5 hours after 15 school days absence. However, if your daughter is not well enough to receive it she doesn't have to - but make sure you have the backing of her doctor.

 

A has home tuition and we find it really easy to cancel. Our LEA insists that a responsible adult is present as well as the teacher otherwise the lessons can't go ahead. I've sometimes cancelled on this basis. I can cancel any time if A is not well enough and the teachers themselves often call a stop to the lessons if they feel he isn't coping.

 

Some LEAs don't use home tutors at all but use elearning systems that they provide, it might be worth asking what other options are available.

 

Hope this helps, but I agree with Helen, arrange the meeting to suit you don't be rushed into an unsuitable time, you need support with you.

 

If you have any more queries about home teaching just pm me.

Edited January 27, 2006 by Tez

[Mother in Need]

Tez, is the need to have a responsible adult present a legal requirement, or is that just the way they would like it? (I was sort of hoping to use the odd hour of tuition as respite and go to bed or have a bath...).

Elearning would require a computer and the knowledge to use it, and again an adult beside the child..the parent. Can they insist on that?

 

jb, good luck!

[Tez]

I don't know if it is a legal requirement or just a requirement of my LEA. I don't have to be in the same room, just in the house and I usually do go and lie down on the bed, having been up all night with A it is a bit of respite.

 

I don't think that they can insist on elearning it just helps their money to go a bit further if they don't have to provide so many hours of tutors going into homes.

[helenl53]

Tez,

 

Where did the information come from that it only needs legally to be 5 hours - I don't think this is right. In Sept 2002 the law changed and it became a legal requirement for schools to provide the equivalent of full time education and I remember reading that for clarification this was 25 hours.

 

I would be interested inwhere the five hours bit comes from as there are a couple of parents in our support group who have kids out of school.

 

Thanks - BTW I hope that things are going OK for you at the moment.

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL

[Tez]

Helen I was told it by IPSEA because that's all that Ashleigh is getting but I will look up the legislation or code of practice when I get a few minutes and pm you(I have got it somewhere). They are supposed to increase it as and when the child can cope with more hours particularly in GCSE years but there is no legal requirement on them to do so. I do know that the law changed in 2002 for expulsions but I have not found anything anywhere that says it changed for sickness.

 

If you can find me something that says there is I would be delighted I had to go to the DfES to get the 5 hours I would love to go back and insist on more and ask for an investigation into my LEA's law braeking!

Edited January 27, 2006 by Tez

[helenl53]

Hi Tez

 

I am madly looking for the info.

 

I think that it is Kathryn who posted the link about 6 months ago to the relevant bit of the legislation.

 

I will keep looking

 

Best wishes

 

Helen

[jen]

I would go with some support and listen to what they have to say. Do not agree to anything in the meeting say you will have to go home and discuss it and consider all the options.

That way you see what they are saying, you do not agree or disagree with anything and can manage the situation to your advantage. Have you spoken to Education Welfare Worker and ask what is on offer.

 

Jen

[helenl53]

Tez I am going mad trying to find the link - I remember it was a topic round about the time of A leaving his school and I am sure that I made a post - couldn't remember where I had read it - and I am sure that it was Kathryn or another wise one who posted the link.

 

You know I am going to be awake all night!

 

I have some pages which have a definition of full time education (Dfes defininition!) and they relate to excluded children, but the link that I can't find, also mentioned children who were out of school for health issues. Don't you just hate it when you can't find something. Does your email addy have numbers in it - if so I still have it and I can send you some links.

 

HelenL

[Tez]

Helen my email address does have numbers in it. I've been trying to find this as well, I'm also going to email IPSEA again and ask them if they are aware of this change in the law and whether they can clarify exactly what the situation is.

[Tez]

Helen, I've found this updated guidance dated April 2002 which does state a minimum of 5 hours.

 

Government guidance on education of sick children

 

Actual document accessed at the right side. The guidance summary is dated 2002 but the full document is the 2001 document that I pm'd you details of. This is still being quoted on the DfES site.

Edited January 27, 2006 by Tez

[helenl53]

Hi Tez and JLB

 

If someone does not come and put me out of my misery, then I think the best place to ask for definituve guidance would be ACE (Advisory Centre for Education) as they are more concerned with excluded children. The Dfes publications that you quoted are the same ones that I would have sent you.

 

Everything I read is talking about minimum of 5 hours but building up.

 

Tez, please tell me that there really was a link and that I didn't dream it.

 

Best wishes

 

Helen

[Kathryn]

Hi Tez

 

I am madly looking for the info.

 

I think that it is Kathryn who posted the link about 6 months ago to the relevant bit of the legislation.

 

I will keep looking

 

I don't remember doing this but I do remember the discussion. It may be a very old thread but I'll have a look and see if I can find anything.

 

K

[helenl53]

Hi Kathryn

 

I hope you read this thread.

 

I am sure you are the phantom poster that I was looking for for the link to the 25 hours education for excluded kids (and i think the piece mentioned shcool phobics)

 

Hope you can help

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL

[Tez]

Helen, I do remember the thread you are talking about, you didn't imagine it. I think the forum has recently been pruned of many of the old threads, I don't know if they have been archived and can be searched.

[jb1964]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Haven't got a clue what exactly they're going to offer although the Educ.Welfare officer and the SEN have both said they think she should have home tuition because she currently isn't getting any sort of education.

 

Luckily my daughter had a follow up appointment friday evening with the GP and I've asked them if they'd write a letter for me to take to show that I've taken her to the doctors on several occasions over the past 6 weeks for physical problems not anxiety related things.

 

The problem we have is the school believe that she misses so much time off because she doesn't want to go rather than her being not well - it seems that unfortunately children with AS or similar problems can't be normal enough just to be unwell!!!!

 

Anyway, starting to calm down for tomorrow - will listen to what they have to say - there's supposed to be someone from the council (LEA?) to show what options are available - it's just that we're so against home tuition at the moment and worried they will pressure us into it.

[phasmid]

jb1964 have alook at my pinned thread regarding illegal exclusions (top of this forum). Scroll down to the bottom of it and home schooling against parental wishes is mentioned and there are some links you can follow for further information. Agree to nothing you are unhappy abot tomorrow, simply state that you wish to have some time to think through the implications of what has been put forward. Suggest a time period of perhaps 2 weeks to allow you to do so and arrange a foolow-up meeting before everyone leaves - make sure you SEE them write it into their diaries.

[jb1964]

Thanks phasmid.

 

Will try to have a look at the thread - and will also try to be strong enough tomorrow to say we want to think about it before agreeing to anything.

 

Thanks again.

[Tez]

jb1964 hope all goes well on Monday. Be prepared to listen to what is suggested but as Phasmid says don't commit to anything on the spot, come away and think about it. I'm sure you're right, many LEAs think of our children as school refusers and act accordingly, so I'm glad that your GP is backing you. If following the meeting you have any questions just pm me, for us education in the home is the right thing but I am also aware of the pit falls and, if there was any realistic prospect of A returning to school, I'm not sure that I would agree to it.

 

Another option that the LEA might suggest is a "hospital school" or "PRU" for sick children. Basically, the child attends a small unit with other sick children. The hours are determined to suit them, so they could attend for just an hour a day if that is all they can cope with, or maybe a couple of hours per week. Don't be pushed into anything that you feel your daughter couldn't cope with, if you think she's too ill to cope with anything at present, be firm.

 

Let us know how you get on.

Edited January 29, 2006 by Tez

[jb1964]

Got through the meeting ok for now (I think!)

 

They have offered us a flexi system (the CPN told us after the meeting she'd never seen this offered before -and thinks they've done it because she'd put an official complaint in about the EWO and school's approach). Basically she can have home tuition in the afternoons and when she starts going back to school can carry on with the afternoon tuition as a top up, she currently (for the past 9mths) has only been going on a part-time (mornings only) basis so in theory this sounds ok - although I'm nervous as we have been pushed into this - although the CPN did ask them to confirm that we can pull out of the home tuition at any time and they said our daughter will never be refused into school - which they did along with the if something isn't done about it then they will have the LEA on their back and they really don't want to have to go down the 'fines and penalties' route!!!

 

Anyway it looks like we should have less hassle for now until the next review in April.

[Tez]

Glad it went well for you. Is your daughter currently up to a full afternoon of home tuition or are they only talking about an hour or so, I'm assuming you mean the LEA sending a teacher in? One-to-one tuition in the home is very intensive particularly for a child who is ill or stressed. A was supposed to have 5 sessions per week. 1 hour per day Mon/Tues/Wed and 1.5 hrs Thurs and Fri, in reality he can only really manage three quarters of an hour in one stretch, so the time has been cut down, we would have preferred the session to have been broken down into smaller units with say three quarters of an hour in the morning and three quarters of an hour in the afternoon, but of course this is logistically much harder for the LEA to provide. I would suggest you monitor very carefully how your daughter copes and don't hesitate to cut back on the time if necessary or ask for it to be broken into smaller sessions with a definite break without a teacher in the house. A's teachers now know him well enough to pick up on things for themselves, but in the early days this definitely caused a problem.

Edited January 31, 2006 by Tez

[phasmid]

Well done. I really hope this works ok, for your daughters sake and yours. Keep a written record of the sessions as you go to refer back to in the future...good bits, bad bits and the inbetweenie bits!

[jb1964]

Glad it went well for you. Is your daughter currently up to a full afternoon of home tuition or are they only talking about an hour or so, I'm assuming you mean the LEA sending a teacher in? One-to-one tuition in the home is very intensive particularly for a child who is ill or stressed. A was supposed to have 5 sessions per week. 1 hour per day Mon/Tues/Wed and 1.5 hrs Thurs and Fri, in reality he can only really manage three quarters of an hour in one stretch, so the time has been cut down, we would have preferred the session to have been broken down into smaller units with say three quarters of an hour in the morning and three quarters of an hour in the afternoon, but of course this is logistically much harder for the LEA to provide. I would suggest you monitor very carefully how your daughter copes and don't hesitate to cut back on the time if necessary or ask for it to be broken into smaller sessions with a definite break without a teacher in the house. A's teachers now know him well enough to pick up on things for themselves, but in the early days this definitely caused a problem.

 

Thanks - yes they've said it would be an hour a day - I've told them that she may or may not be co-operative if she's not 100% (even if she is 100% and doesn't particularly like their manner/voice or face!!!) - I've also (and the CPN) said that initially we'll probably have problems with anxieties and stuff for the changes in routine etc - and they've said that they understand that (whether they would if it continually happens is another thing!). Fingers and toes crossed,,,,

[Tez]

Good Luck with it. I hope it works out for you and your daughter. Despite the difficulties involved, for us it has been very liberating and A's general health and his motivation has increased dramatically. At least everyone seems to be very underestanding and willing to adapt. I hope that continues.