HE, InterHigh, Distance Learning and Post Yr 11 confusion!

[Treasures]

I'm really confused and need some simply-worded help please.

DD16 has been essentially HE'd for the last 2 years but not officially. She has not been taken off her Academy's register, as they are funding her place at Inter High due to her not being able to attend (mental health problems). She will be taking her IGCSEs in May this year.

She is not going to be able to go to 6th Form or College due to her health problems, nor can she do an apprenticeship or work outside of the home.

She has 2 part time paying jobs that she does from home (it's pocket money though, and variable). She is very good at what she does and will have no problems getting work in her chosen field in the future, with or without qualifications, once her health improves.

I don't know what she can do after she leaves school in May/June. She would like to do a distance learning course online from home and carry on with her part time work. One of her little jobs is within the same industry as the course she would like to take.

What I don't know is: is this enough for the powers that be? I know too little about the 'stay in education until you're 18' thing. And who would know if she wasn't in an approved setting and what would be the consequences if she wasn't? Does she have to be registered with anyone or anything who keeps an eye on what she's doing?

Also:

We are on a low income receiving Working and Child Tax Credits, Child Benefit and a bit of Housing Benefit. Will we continue receiving these after she has left year 11? If she does this online course will we still be eligible for them?

Her SENCO at the Academy has said we should try to apply for some kind of disability benefits for her, but she wouldn't be able to attend if they wanted her to go in for an interview, so is there any point?

I have Aspergers and would appreciate replies being as simple as possible. As you can see, I can type a lot of words but reading other peoples' lengthy posts can throw me into deep confusion and I can end up in a bit of a state

Thank you.

(There are HE'rs who may recognise me or my DD from this post, please don't out us )

[Saracen]

Meeting her legal duty to remain in education: she'll be fine. Home education counts, and it can be informal. Anyway, there are no criminal penalties for young people who leave education. The government says it has no immediate plans to criminalise them.

Continuing to get benefits might be a problem. There are two option.

1. You'll definitely still get benefits if your dd is doing the right amount of approved formal education/training. I bet the online course provider will know whether it qualifies. She needs either full-time education/training, or to work/volunteer at least 20 hours per week plus part-time education/training.
   

1. If that doesn't work, you might have to try for benefits based on home education. Unfortunately the child has to have been home educated before the age of 16 in order to keep getting benefits after Y11. But you might still try.
   

The SENCO's idea about disability benefits is good. Ask people who know about disability benefits.

[Treasures]

Thanks that's really helpful. You said "Home education counts, and it can be informal." Does that mean we could say she was being HE'd before she turned 16 (for benefit purposes)? She's been attending Inter High from home since she was 14, but remained registered at her mainstream school (though not attending). If we could HE after the end of yr 11 AND still receive the benefits, that would be ideal. Then she could do any distance learning course she liked and we wouldn't need to worry.

I've emailed the provider of the course she'd like to do and looked it up on OFQUAL who say it is an accredited level 3 qualification. Whether that's good enough or not, I don't know. I think it has to be full time (what is full time?) and supervised (I don't suppose me being the one to supervise would count? As a HE'r it would...)

I think I'd better get in touch with the school she's registered at for some guidance.

[Treasures]

P.S. We have HE'd before, when she was primary school age.