Home tuition

[JenRose]

M has been out of school since Nov 05, he still doesnt have home tuition despite us having medical back up that he,s unfit for school.

 

We have now instructed a solicitor as LEA are claiming that "they are not sure about the rules of home tuition" and have advised me to take it up with M.s consultant.

 

How long did it take for your child to have home tuition set up and how did you go about getting it.

 

Thanks

[Tez]

A came out of school in April/May of last year. He didn't receive any home tuition until end October and then only after a complaint to the DfES. Incidentially, he's still only receiving 5 hours per week, less some weeks since the LEA regularly do have the tutors available, although now his statement has been finalised that is supposed to increase.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Tez

[annie]

My son last went to his school in November 2004. He did try 2 days after that, but only lasted a couple of hours both times.

 

We finally started EOTAS (small group Lessons), either at the end of April or beginning of May 2005. It was a struggle to get everything sorted out, but it is working really well. He is in year 11 and now doing 4 GCSE's this year. His total lesson time is 6 hours and 45 minutes per week.

 

IPSEA and the lovely people here helped us . I think our ex-school and LEA decided to go along with everything we wanted in the end because as IPSEA pointed out, we would have had a big fat case for discrimination if they didn't .

Edited February 22, 2006 by annie

[jb1964]

Our LEA offered us flexi schooling - which includes home tuition at the last school review meeting which was on 30th January. We had a phone call from the EWO the week before last to say that someone from the LEA will be contacting us soon to introduce themselves as our daughter's home tutor. So I'm assuming this will happen within the next few weeks - which seems pretty quick.

[jen]

It is the reponsibility of the LEA to arrange home tuition if a child is unfit for school as in your case. I would write to the DFES complaining saying your LEA are not forefilling there legal duty also send a letter to the head of your LEA and your MP. You should get some reaction them.

Jen

[bid]

Hi

 

Well, my son came out of mainstream school in the May due to a severe breakdown.

 

It then took the LEA 6 weeks to arrange a meeting between the relevant professionals to discuss home tutition...then it was the Summer holidays.

 

He finally started with two home tutors at the beginning of the Sept. term, and then went to a residential special school in the December.

 

Although they faffed about, our LEA never tried to get out of providing home tutition...the Hospital and Home Education team were quite clued up...

 

Bid

[JenRose]

Thanks for all the replies, i have already written to the director of education but got nothing, EWO say that they will discuss my letter of complaint about 1st EWO officer at meeting next week but when i asked about M,s home tuition they passed the book and told me to arrange it with the consultant!

 

Who should i write to at the DFES?

 

Thanks

[Tez]

Jen Rose,

 

I was told to write directly to Ruth Kelly by the DfES helpline. Her department then passes it onto the appropriate person.

 

Email address is :- Sec-OF-STATE.PS@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Edited February 23, 2006 by Tez

[JenRose]

Thanks Tez, did you email her directly then as well as write a letter?

[Tez]

I just emailed her but tagged the email asking for a read receipt, which they did return to me. The helpline gave me the email address and suggested that I marked it as urgent. I didn't bother sending a letter as well but there is nothing stopping you doing both. I did get a response to my email although the official response did take a few weeks. However, I do know that they spoke to my LEA about it almost immediately.

[Mother in Need]

Access to Education for children and young people with medical needs, dfes publication 0732/2001

 

3.2 If a pupil is expected to be away from school for more than 15 working days, education, in whatever form, should begin immediately the pupil is absent from the school

 

Despite this, it took EOS (the local EOTAS team) still 3 weeks to contact us, and they were then going to wait yet another week before starting. I dug my heals in, managed to get 7 hours out of them for that first week (instead of our allotted 5) and am still insisting they give him the hours he missed out as it took them so long.

On a positive note, the teacher has been absolutely brilliant with him and giving him a renewed sense that learning can actually be fun.

[JenRose]

I want to email her but to be honest i feel a bit-i dont know scared?

 

I dont know what to say or how to say it, can anyone help?

 

Thanks

[Tez]

JenRose,

 

I'll PM you what I sent.

 

Hope it helps.

[Kathryn]

I think it took about three weeks from the time my daughter came out of school to when we actually got a tutor, but the process was set in motion when she was still attending school part time. The Home and Hospital service were very efficient. I asked my GP to write a letter and gave them a copy of the report from a consultant psychiatrist, as confirmation that she was diagnosed with clinical depression, and they organised something fairly quickly.

[JenRose]

This morning i phoned the Education Welfare dept but they are on holiday however, the man that answered the phone was very helpful and he gave me the name of the lady who organises home tuition, , EWO officer wouldnt give me her name and said she was unaware of things like home tuition , so she wont be too pleased when i phone this lady on Monday.

 

Ill see what happens when i phone her on Monday and then if they are not going to budge then i will get on to the DFES.

 

Thanks for your replies and thanks Tez for the PM.

[Kerre]

It was quite easy for me and me mam, I think. We did some research then we said "HAY HES NOT GOIN TO SCHO0L LOLZ" And that was about it, I think

[LindaB]

When dd was unable to attend school (actually because of chronic fatigue syndrome) I just had to get a letter from my GP and school arranged with the LEA to provide home tuition. We got a tutor within a week.

[hev]

steve was out of school about 18 months and got tuition for about last 6 months of that,the lea were useless in my case,i kept phoning them every day,it made me ill,keep going for it,hopefully you will get tuition more quickly than my son!!

[JenRose]

My aunty came to see us yesterday and she took M out for the day

 

I was telling her whats going on with the LEA and she said "you wont get anywhere atm because its the final month of the budget, they wont do anything until Apr now.

 

She,s a deputy Head Teacher and said that she and her colleagues feel like banging their heads in frustration because there are so many kids that need help/statementing and are not getting it and they have to deal with the fall out.

 

She suggested another school a smaller one that has a good ofsted report and she said they seem really caring, she has worked there before and knows the teachers but its about 2 miles away, not being as the LEA are desperate to get M back into school, would they pay for him to be transported to this school if we do decide that is what we are going to do, will they do it without M having a statement?

[Tez]

JenRose,

 

They may agree to pay for the transport without a statement but it would be dependent upon their policy or their discretion. It is though perfectly possible to get them to pay. A starting point might be to look on their web site for their policy on this or to phone them and ask for a copy. Alternatively, if you are actively considering this move why not just ask the question? Be prepared to argue your case. They usually say it is parental choice that the child is going so far, so try to show that it is the only school that meets his needs and that he needs the transport.