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PinkSapphireAngel

Home schooling and secondary school waiting lists??

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My son has ASD/AS/Dyspraxia and severe anxiety (self harms due to being very unhappy in school.

We have been turned down for statutory assessment and infact we are going to SENDIST NEXT THURSDAY!

 

L is 11 so is in his last year of a useless primary school, the secondary school we feel may best meet L's needs is very oversubscibed, he is on the waiting list but as he is number 90 (at the moment, he can go up or down the list apparently) I want to home school him untill they ARE able to offer him a place,

 

but as the ever helpful and caring LEA are already threatening me with the welfare officer I am worried whether if I do officially home school L in September whether this means he will be removed from the school waiting list???

 

Also is it worth ME contacting the Welfare Officer myself to take the threat away from the LEA ?

What does the Welfare Officer do?

 

Sorry for all the questions, but there is so much happening at the same time and this is just with my eldest son, my middle one has his own difficutlies too, I am barely eating and am not sleeping at all with all of this stress :crying:

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Hi PSA,

 

First of all, if you haven't already, can you get a letter from your GP stating that your son is off school due to self-harming and the reasons why he is self-harming. You need to take copies of the letter. Original for the school, One for the LEA and one for yourself.

 

Once you have the letter, the LEA have a duty to educate your son on and after the 16th day of his sickness. Just so you know, Parent Partnership are able to refer your son for Home Tuition or Education Other Than At School, it doesn't have to be a referral from the LEA.

 

This link should help >:D<<'>http://www.dfes.gov.uk/sickchildren/Pdfs/Accesstoed.pdf

 

I'm not too sure on your query about being taken off the waiting list for the secondary school, but do not de-register your son from his present school because then the LEA will not have a duty to educate him.

 

It would be a good idea to contact the Welfare Officer yourself, but it would be a good idea to get that GP's letter first. Be warned though, I contacted the Welfare Officer 14 months ago and have never received a call back :angry: .

 

Hope this helps.

 

Annie

>:D<<'>

Edited by annie

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Hi PSA,

 

Hope you get this sorted soon - my daughters welfare officer is contactable through the school and I've been given her mobile number too, although I was under the impression that the EWO was directly responsible to the LEA - I know at our last review meeting the EWO said she was happier with my daughter having flexi-schooling because it would take pressure off the school/her in answering to the LEA.

 

I think it would be advisable to let them know about the situation re: his self harming etc because of his anxieties related to school, although as Annie says don't say that you're withdrawing him.

 

jb

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It's best to check this but I am sure that LEAs treat primary school and secondary school as two different schools. Therefore it is possible to deregister from a primary school but remain registered for a secondary school in the future. Deregistration is carried out at school level and not LEA level so send a letter to the primary school to deregister your son. You don't have to give reasons why you are deregistering him.

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I home school our 11 year old son, he has AS and had developed school phobia. Now he has been at home a year I don't think he will ever go back as he is so much healthier, happier, confident etc. The LEA that came to visit agreed he couldn't go back, so be careful as once you get into home schooling you see a very different side and I can imagine it would be difficult to persuade children it's in their best interest to go back to school!! Threats of EWOs were what pushed us to home educate but I now feel they did us a favour as we would never have discovered this other side to our son.

 

I believe that when I de-registered our son I took his name off of the school he was attending and I can apply at any time to send him to the same or other schools and go on the waiting list if neccesary. Quite a good source of infomation is:

 

http://www.education-otherwise.org.uk/

 

Your local parent partnership may also be able to help.

 

Best of luck

 

Denise 2 :D

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L is 11 so is in his last year of a useless primary school, the secondary school we feel may best meet L's needs is very oversubscibed, he is on the waiting list but as he is number 90 (at the moment, he can go up or down the list apparently) I want to home school him untill they ARE able to offer him a place,

 

but as the ever helpful and caring LEA are already threatening me with the welfare officer I am worried whether if I do officially home school L in September whether this means he will be removed from the school waiting list???

 

Also is it worth ME contacting the Welfare Officer myself to take the threat away from the LEA ?

What does the Welfare Officer do?

 

I contacted the EWO twice during the year R was not in school much, and they did nothing. I was totally up front about the problems, and wanted their help, but she did not know what to suggest.

 

In our LEA they have a category which is something like "if there is a good reason why the child needs to go to this school rather than any other - backed up by professional report". This has third priority (after statmented children and looked after children) - it might be worth trying that if the school has it in it's admissions criteria.

 

Karen

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I have found my EWOs email address but not contacted them about it all yet as not sure whether to or not.

 

I have emailed a couple of home schooling sites for advice on the waiting list issue and have also got onto my MP to get him to ask the LEA for straight answers on this (as they always seem to answer him)

 

I have always known the SEN school system were pretty useless but am shocked by ho w heartless they actually seem to be!

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I educate my son at home and specifically checked this issue. You can join or remain on any waiting list you choose (which is what i will do when secondary looms). It may also be worth starting the process for a statement which you can initiate yourself whilst home educating (or indeed whilst he is still in school).

 

Ame

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