Tuition Centre v School

[keyholekate]

Dear All,

 

Need to pick your brains again. Does anyone have a child not going to mainstream school or special school, but has any info on Tuition Centres including Outreach and Home tuition from the LEA.

 

Be grateful for any input.

 

Thanks Keyholekate

[Tez]

Hi

 

What do you want to know. My son is educated in the home by the LEA via a combination of one to one home tutors and e-learning supplied via a virtual academy used by many LEAs. We were also offered a sick children's unit which I have seen and know how it works. If you let us know what information you're looking for, may be able to help you better.

Edited July 15, 2006 by Tez

[keyholekate]

Hi Tez,

 

Just got back from doing a reccy on where this tuition centre is! Well what's happened is as Sean is very anxious about school it's been suggested tht he may be able to attend a tuition centre. We've got an appointment on Monday and I don't want to go in blind. It's just to have a look around. The ed. Psyc. and Senco are going too. I've downloaded the last OFSTED report. Very Good. but I don't know how they work. i.e. lessons, subjects and lunchtimes. I know these questions can be answered on Monday, but I like to be a bit prepared. I only received the letter Friday p.m. and I never knew this place existed until the Ed.psyc. mentioned that it might be a possibility.

 

Apologies for the rambling.

[Tez]

Don't know how the one you are considering for Sean works, but the centres we have in our LEA are very flexible. Can be used on their own full time or part-time, combined with tuition in the home or combined with attendance at a mainstream school. What they offer is based around the needs of the child, or at least that is what our LEA would have me believe, so the child can attend for only a few hours per week or full time.Again with lessons, the child can just do core subjects such as Maths, English and Science or a full curriculum. The GCSE results at our units are excellent, much better than the mainstream schools. The medical one that I visited was very small and far more like a Junior school than a Secondary school. The staff were very friendly and the onus was on building up a good relationship with the child. It was far more informal than a mainstream school.

 

Would it be a permanent arrangement or are they considering it as a means to helping with the anxiety and then fully re-integrating into a mainsteam school?

Edited July 15, 2006 by Tez

[keyholekate]

Not sure what they're looking at or whether this will be a suitable alternative. Sean's in mainstream currently Year 9 and always has been. The main problem is his attendance (he's definitely a candidate for "Martian in the Playground"). He's never taken any interest in anything at school and can't see the point as he never learns anything and all they do is shout. His words.

 

So I think we are just being shown an alternative with no commitment on either side.

[keyholekate]

P.S. He takes Amitriptyline but during holidays we can cut it right down.

[Tez]

Well, good luck. Prepare your questions, so you know what to ask and look for. A was also very anxious, but now he's educated at home, his anxieties have eased right off. A bit like you say about Sean and holidays. For A the unit, nice as it was, would not have been suitable because his anxieties are caused by his sensory problems and the unit would not have been able to overcome them. Try to think what causes Sean's anxieties outside the home and see if you think the unit would be able to support him sufficiently for his anxieties to diminish.

 

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[keyholekate]

Thanks Tez

I'll let you know how it goes. Since finding this website everyone's collective knowledge has been invaluable.

I had been nosing around it for a while and am glad I took the plunge and joined in.

[keyholekate]

I went to Tuiition Centre today. Very impressed. Will be going back again on Thursday morning so Sean can have a proper look round. We had the Ed.Psyc. and Senco with us today and he was a bit overawed, although he liked the idea of no uniform. 3 to 1 teacher child ratio. They offered a place to start in September, but he will still remain on the school roll. It's not a centre for children with behavioural problems who have been excluded, just for those who for many reasons find it difficult to attend school.

 

Never knew there was a place like this in my area and neither did the Senco!

 

Will keep you posted.

[keyholekate]

Went back to Tuition Centre this morning for another look round and to meet the teachers. They have offered a place to Sean starting in September. He is looking forward to not having to wear a uniform,not having to walk along bustling corridors and no huge groups of noisy children. So Sean's as happy as he can be!

[Tez]

I'm really pleased that you like it and that Sean is happy to go there. Fingers crossed for you both that it all works out in September.

[Zemanski]

We're just going down this route too. The staff at our centre are very good and Com (also Y9) had one lesson there last week which went well (he's had 2 weeks home tuition). He is thinking he can manage it if we take it slowly and he just does his GCSE subjects there, after his experiences in school that's pretty positive from Com so we're going ahead in September.

 

The coordinator of the medical tuition team who run it says she thinks he can stay for his GCSEs and possibly for his A-levels

 

so far all his tuition has been 1-1 and we think it is likely to stay that way, although they do teach very small groups, because he is at a very different level from the other children there and because he is working well ahead of any peers he might be put with any way.

 

definitely the best option we have been offered

 

Zemanski

[JenRose]

Hi M has home tuition as he suffers from high anxiety due to his AS and sensory problems.

 

We are trying for a reintegration in September, dont know if it will work but we can only try, since he has had home tuition he has done brill and his report from the tutor is all A,s with C for handwriting but he has suspected Dyspraxia so they are not worrying about that.

 

I think (cos i know him !!!) that he wont cope with a mainstream setting but i have to show willingness but DS says "When i go to that new school i might just throw up all over the desk"

 

So, we shall see..........