Extremely vulnerable child. School

[Happyheartlovelife]

So we recently received a letter saying our youngest is extremely vulnerable. It states on the letter that they shouldn’t be in school

Was just wondering what others have done about siblings? We’ve now got 2 extremely vulnerable family members who live in the same household. My eldest school won’t allow them time off. So I’d have to de register them.

If I de register then. Can they refuse to take them back?

Thanks all

[HelloDulling]

It’s not a case of refusing to take them back. If their place gets filled by another child, they cannot take them back, as there is no place for them. Do you know if they have a waiting list?

[MimsyBorogroves]

Can you get consultants letters saying they recommend other children in the family are kept at home?

[HazeyJaneII]

Our youngest is home as medically vulnerable, but his siblings are still in school...it's a worry, but feel we really can't pull them out.

[Happyheartlovelife]

@HelloDulling

No waiting list. In fact due to corona. It’s got massive spaces needing to be filled.

[KittCat]

Ffs! More kids in the frontline....apparently...kids don't spread it...oddly my friends dc has got it...from school...she said "8 months of fighting this virus...only for my son to test positive from school" well done...any kind of acknowledgement...no way...wtf!

[Happyheartlovelife]

@HazeyJaneII

Oh. It’s awful isn’t it. I’m also shielding. I often wonder if they think losing their mummy is not as important as their education. Both me and my youngest are in the extremely vulnerable category. Sadly.

[Happyheartlovelife]

@KittCat

Oh. I’m so sorry to hear of this. It breaks my heart that they don’t seem to care.

[KittCat]

When will it be acknowledged? I'm ok because I home ed my kids...but what about kids in school?

[picklemewalnuts]

I would take them out, discuss with the school how they can support you. If they are unhelpful, slowly go through the process of them arguing that your D.C. should be in school. By the time they've gone through their processes, things will be clearer and you'll probably have been vindicated by the situation. Don't let them push you into anything.

[hedgehogger1]

It takes months to get anywhere with the school forcing you out. Say kids got symptoms. Then two weeks later you have, etc.

[cabbageking]

School will take the child back if the place has not been filled.

They will proceed with a fine first because that is the requirement following involvement with the school or EWO about returning.

I would therefore wait.

[Trackandtrace]

We havent sent ours back as one child shielding. School and nursery have been fine about it. But we did have a letter from doctor.

[3littlewords]

They can refuse to take them back if the spaces have been filled by other children they cant keep them open to you indefinite unfortunately. 2 dc were deregistered out of my youngests primary class both spaces were filled within a few weeks.

[Happyheartlovelife]

They’ve always got space. It’s a very large school in a very small village. So it’s never full.

[Understandingnotignorance]

Has anyone been through the fining process and going down that route instead of simply deregistering? What happens and how long can you prolong that process? As its unfair that we should have to deregister for the sake of hopefully just a few months when (and I say when rather than if 🙏) the vaccination programme is rolled out.

[Popcornriver]

If you're forced to deregister then there's a chance they'll lose their place unfortunately. It's worth seeing if the school will be understanding first but if anyone in my home was vulnerable I'd be keeping everyone off school.

[OpheliasCrayon]

I've said this on another similar thread but schools and indeed the LEA have a duty to educate a child. This is called EOTAS - education other than at school. You're under no obligation to home educate and if you don't want to the school and LEA do need to provide education. It may well be worth a look - contact the school or local education authority to find out.

Source : I'm an SEN teacher and also used to be an EOTAS teacher.

[HazeyJaneII]

Where it gets tricky, @OpheliasCrayon, is where it is a sibling/child of a vulnerable family member...or where the child is off the shielding list and it is hard to get a letter from the Dr.

[OpheliasCrayon]

@HazeyJaneII

Where it gets tricky, *@OpheliasCrayon*, is where it is a sibling/child of a vulnerable family member...or where the child is off the shielding list and it is hard to get a letter from the Dr.

Yes but OP stated it's her child and they have a doctor's letter stating they can't be in school. So I'm not really sure what your point is?

[HazeyJaneII]

Sorry, OpheliasCrayon, I probably wasn't clear enough! As I understand it, the op has kept her vulnerable child off, but is unable to keep the siblings home - which is obviously a risk, as previously people who were shielding vulnerable children were advised to shield them as a family, if they were unable to isolate in the house (as a shielding adult might be able to.)

[HazeyJaneII]

...Posted too soon!
Was just wondering what others have done about siblings? We’ve now got 2 extremely vulnerable family members who live in the same household. My eldest school won’t allow them time of

[OpheliasCrayon]

@HazeyJaneII

Sorry, OpheliasCrayon, I probably wasn't clear enough! As I understand it, the op has kept her vulnerable child off, but is unable to keep the siblings home - which is obviously a risk, as previously people who were shielding vulnerable children were advised to shield them as a family, if they were unable to isolate in the house (as a shielding adult might be able to.)

Well, even with EOTAS that will still involve often multiple adults coming into the house to teach and tutor whoever it is who is not in school.

I guess it's either deregister everyone, or, try to mitigate as much as possible with some children still at school.

I wouldn't like to suggest which as I've no idea what condition the OPs CEV kid has. I don't know just how much risk they are at, and whether it truly is worth everyone being at home and pulled out of school. I wouldn't like to guess or comment, only OP knows that.

But yes - EOTAS would only be for the child who wasn't able to go to school. I'd like to say that in this situation, by which I mean a new virus and new set of risks , they may take into account an entire family of kids (as in the shielding kid + all non sheilding siblings) however sadly I doubt that would ever happen. It's next to impossible in normal times to get EOTAS funding and provision.

It's such a tricky one and I'm sorry you're in this position OP. In an ideal world all the childrens schools would provide distance learning but then is this sustainable or practical for you? Or is your only choice to homeschool?

I would guess, that since OPs child's Dr has said they're not to be in school, that this would be a situation where home schooling is definitely required , as I work in a very big SEN school with a lot of children with very complex needs and only a couple have been told they can't be in - drs don't say that easily. As such OP I feel that you're likely in a very challenging situation with a difficult decision to make and I truly hope you can come up with something that works for everyone and keeps you all as safe as possible

[HazeyJaneII]

It is tricky - as I said earlier, we have made the decision to keep ds's siblings off, despite the Dr saying ds should be home (out of 28 children with complex needs, in his resource base, only he and one other child are being kept home).
If there were rising cases in the girl's school, we would maybe have to have a rethink and discuss options with their school (who have been great in periods of self isolation)
We are lucky, in that the school are providing work.
Well, even with EOTAS that will still involve often multiple adults coming into the house to teach and tutor whoever it is who is not in school.
I guess at the moment that would not be able to happen.

[OpheliasCrayon]

@HazeyJaneII

It is tricky - as I said earlier, we have made the decision to keep ds's siblings off, despite the Dr saying ds should be home (out of 28 children with complex needs, in his resource base, only he and one other child are being kept home).
If there were rising cases in the girl's school, we would maybe have to have a rethink and discuss options with their school (who have been great in periods of self isolation)
We are lucky, in that the school are providing work.
Well, even with EOTAS that will still involve often multiple adults coming into the house to teach and tutor whoever it is who is not in school.
I guess at the moment that would not be able to happen.

It is able to continue. If EOTAS was because a child was vulnerable to covid then sure maybe it wouldn't happen but schools are open - so if a child is being educated outside of school then a teacher is able to go and teach them. Teachers are able to go to work at present and it's much less risk to teach one kid in their home than a whole school worth with no distancing whatsoever really.

So anyway yes EOTAS is currently happening but whether it would be a good idea with regards to covid would be up to the family

[movingonup20]

A lot of different factors will determine whether you can protect your youngest - do you have a separate bathroom, can the other kids and your dp if applicable distance from you and your youngest? Ecv covers a wide spectrum too, have you spoken to his consultant? Letters go on diagnosis but they can be variable in impact