Home tuition/Flexi-schooling advice

[jb1964]

Hi, wondered if anyone can help.

 

Just had a very strange conversation with the 'home tutor' who'll be coming in the afternoons for my daughter.

 

I was on the understanding that this would be like flexi-schooling (this is what was discussed at our last review meeting at the school with the LEA/EWO/Ed.Pysch/SEN etc) - - she would go part-time in the mornings for school and 1hr each afternoon (or similar - total of 5hrs per week) in the house - this would also help if she hadn't been to school in the mornings if she'd been feeling ill and felt better by the afternoon - so she'd get some help.

 

Lady who rang said 'they usually don't do home tuition in the house - it's done in the school in a quiet room, like the library etc,'. I said I don't think she'd like that and it wouldn't help with the situation when she's not very well - and I also can't bring her down to school for the 1hr (also thought why the point of home tuition if it's in school - but didn't know if I'm being dull here).

 

She then said about a local library etc - I said again I didn't think that was a good idea but occasionally it may work!!!! (didn't quite know what else to say). She then went on to tell me that she can't do Monday or Friday afternoons - so it would be Tues/Wed/Thurs afternoons for 1hr per day - which is only 3hrs per week.

 

Anyway she has to ring County Hall to find out if she can visit the home etc and will ring me back.

 

Anyone offer any advice......

Thanks, Jb.

Edited March 24, 2006 by jb1964

[PinkSapphireAngel]

Durrrr its NOT HOME tuition if its not in the home surely?

What is it with LEAs???

 

Hope you manage to get this sorted hun.

[annie]

Hi JB,

 

I think you need to get things clarified with the LEA as to what was agreed, better still if you have it in writing.

 

My son does Education Other Than At School. He used to have home tutoring in the home, I doubt if it is any different LEA to LEA, so it CAN be done. If the home tutor cannot do Mondays and Fridays, then another home tutor should be able to. It's not your concern who does it, just that your daughter gets the 5 hours she is supposed to.

 

At the moment, Alex receives about 7-8 hours tuition a week with usually 4 other students. He is only doing 4 subject as he is in year 11 and taking his exams this year. I know the amount of hours doesn't sound a lot, but to be honest he has learnt more since starting this, than all his years in mainstream. The lessons are held in the Pupil Support building and a youth club. I have to take him and pick him up to all lessons and at one lesson he is only there for one hour, so I sit in the car park and read while I'm waiting . It is a pain having to the running around (his lessons are all in the middle of the day as well), but to me it has been worth it seeing Alex happy going to school and he enjoys learning for the first time in his life.

 

Annie

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Edited March 24, 2006 by annie

[Tez]

I agree with Annie, you need to clarify exactly what was agreed. If your daughter is still attending school there is no legal requirement for them to offer a minimum 5 hours home tuition. Our LEA class home tuition as anything that takes place outside of the traditional school environment. Their favourite location is a PRU for sick or school phobic children but at a push they will stretch to a library. They claim the reason is child protection issues which is rubbish. I really had to fight to receive A's tuition actually in the home. The other problem might be he availability of home tutors. Our LEA have the grand total of two to cover all ages and abilities.

[Kathryn]

My daughter had home tuition for about six months - and it was at home. It was never suggested it should be otherwise as she was finding it difficult to go out of the house. She has AS and was signed off sick due to depression. We were offered five hours a week but she ended up doing two 90 minute sessions - our decision based on what my daughter could manage at the time.

 

I would have thought if tutors can't visit the home, it defeats the object of having this kind of provision: hopefully the tutor has got it wrong.

[jb1964]

Many thanks for all your advice,

 

When I got home from work my mum said the lady had rung back to say she'll be coming next week - but that she can't make Tuesday so it will be Wednesday - and I'm therefore assuming it will be at the house?

 

I'm going to ring them 1st thing Monday morning to try and clarify the situation as it all seemed very confusing.

 

The other thing I wondered was what happens if your child doesn't 'take' to the tutor - I only spoke to her on the 'phone but she didn't sound like the kind of person my daughter takes to easily if you know what I mean.

 

Many thanks,

Jb

Edited March 24, 2006 by jb1964

[Kathryn]

jb,

 

Our Home and Hospital coordinator told me they try hard to ensure a good match between chlid and tutor, but obviously it depends on who is available. If you get someone with experience of supporting children with ASD, it's a bonus.

 

I was told that the home tutor was entitled to ask for advice and support from other agencies such as the LEA Autism advisory team, just as teachers in school are. It may be worth asking whether similar support would be available for your tutor.

 

K

[LindaB]

My dd had a home tutor at home for 1 hour a day for 3 years. We had to be a bit flexible with the times and were told that a child has to be available between 9 and 4 as this was the time they were expected to be at school. She gradually started to have her lessons with the home tutor at school as it is our LEA policy that children should be reintergrated into school when at all possible. The tutor was always happy to come to the home if dd was not well enough to go into school. She has now got a statement and school have taken over the responsibility with full LSA support for her 1 hour a day but it is not really as effective as her home tutor was because she has had to drop english and maths because she can't manage to keep up with only attending one class a week for each subject. Once school was receiving extra funding for dd the home tution service wanted out even though school offered to pay for them to continue tutoring her in school for english and maths.

[jb1964]

Hi, thanks to everyone for their replies - wondered if anyone can offer more advice again.

 

Daughter had first session yesterday with home tutor (at home!) - and the tutor didn't really know what she was supposed to be doing with my daughter - in the end they went over some maths that she had struggled with lately (I work full-time so my mother was at home with her - so I couldn't ask anything myself).

 

At the end of the session she told my daughter that when she goes back into school (she's not gone in again today) she is to find out from the teachers what work she needs to catch up on? Which caused her to have massive anxieties last night and probably is why she doesn't feel well this morning. The tutor also wasn't aware that she had AS? - when my mum told her she said 'oh, does she get aggressive?' and told my daughter that she probably wasn't very good at english because of the problems with fiction but that she would be good at subjects with facts etc?

 

Can anyone tell me if this is the norm? - that they don't divulge certain information - all she had been told was that she had a medical condition. Also is it usual for the child to sort out the work that needs to be done? (she's 12).

 

Many thanks for listening.

Jb

[Tez]

The home tutors are supposed to liaise with the school themselves about the work but in my experience it doesn't happen and I have done all the running around getting the details of the syllabus and the work. I haven't bothered to complain, quite frankly it's just easier to organise it all myself.

 

A's tutors weren't told anything about his dx and didn't want to know about it when I tried to tell them about it. This caused a few problems. When his statement was finalised they refused to read it saying that they form their own opinions based upon experience and didn't want to be prejudiced by someone else's opinion. Again, I made a formal complaint to the Head of Access and Inclusion at the LEA. Initially, their solution was to say that they would withdraw home tuition since it obviously wasn't working, so another written complaint pointing out that his statement stated that he would be educated via a combination of elearnig and home tutors, so I've now had an email stating that A's statement has been sent to his home tutors with instructions to read it. Judging by their responses so far, they haven't bothered to read any of it.

[Kathryn]

Hi jb,

 

Before L. started home tuition, I met with the the home and hospital representative, and the school senco for a long discussion. The tutor was carefully selected and fully briefed by the Hand H person. The tutor also rang me for a chat before she started. She was in frequent touch with the school and was given work by the teachers. In the early stages it looked as though L would be continuing with some GCSE subjects, so she was trying to provide continuity and work as closely as possible with the school. She had worked with pupils with AS before, and luckily was quite flexible and resourceful as L didn't want to do anything that reminded her of school!

 

I don't think it's right that the onus should be on your daughter to find out what she has to do - no wonder she is stressed.The home tutor should be doing the liasing - or what is the point of having her?

 

As for not knowing about the AS- this is just crazy. If she had a hearing or visual impairment, would it be a big secret? Your daughter is entitled to be taught by someone who is fully aware of her needs and able to adapt to them - just as you would expect in the classroom. The tutor should have the same information to hand as the school has.

 

You may find that you have to fill in the information gaps yourself - there are some good notes for teachers on the National Autistic Society website: it might be worth printing them out for the tutor as a basic introduction to how to teach someone with AS.

 

K

[jb1964]

Thanks both,

 

Will definitely print out some info for her.

 

With reference to the tutor providing her work - who should I speak to about this? should I go back to the Inclusion service, or direct to the tutor or the school? - it's all new to me and I haven't got a clue.

 

To be honest to the deputy head rang me yesterday to cancel a review meeting and asked had I heard anything about the home tutoring and I said she's coming today - she seemed surprised as normally they have a meeeting with them first.

 

Once again many thanks,

Jb

[phasmid]

Speak to both. The school have a legal responsibility to provide work and mark it etc after 15 days, the LEA should enforce it. If you speak to both then niether can claim they weren't made aware. However, avoid 'chats' with them and put this in writing.

[Kathryn]

Jb

 

This is just my opinion, but I think the tutor needs to get together with someone from the school as soon as possible to sort out a proper programme of work for your daughter, so that she knows what to expect from the tuition and there is as much consistency as possible between school and home - this will help minimise confusion and stress. If the school are using particular strategies with her , for example, the tutor needs to know so she can apply the same methods.

 

I would speak to whoever is in charge of the home tuition service for your area, mention that you want to ensure that your daughter gets the most out of her lessons and ask what the procedure normally is for the tutor liasing with the school. It sounds as though the tutor hasn't been properly advised. You could also contact the deputy head and ask her to ring the tutor to arrange a meeting, if this is the normal procedure.

 

You shouldn't have to do all this running around - but it looks as though you'll have to prod everyone into action - it's our lot as parents, isn't it!

 

K x