Any teachers, school employees involved in funding, parents that have a child not in school because of MH issues or knowledgeable folk that can help me write an email to the school?

[ihatethecold]

I have to write an email tomorrow asking my DD14’s school to fund my dd attending an online school with mentor support set up for severely bullied children. It’s a charity and very small but based in my local city.

She isn’t statemented and is on the long camhs waiting list.
The GP is aware of her MH problems.

I want them to fund one term from April to July so my dd can get the support she needs.
She has severe anxiety caused by bullying in Year 8.
The school have been very supportive but I pulled my dd out last week to give her a break from the relentless anxiety she has every morning.
I know the school (an academy) is in deficit but she is still on their role.
The online school have said they will accept her but it’s expensive. 2.5K per term.

How can I word the email so that they fund it so she can get back into school to start her gcse’s In September?

I really need advice so I get this right.

Anyone?

Have you been in touch with antibullying charities?
Maybe kidscape could help?

Oh sorry. Just realised you are already in touch with a charity. Cant they help you to write the email?

Hiya

It may be worth contacting your local authority SEN department and they may be able to advise on the best way to proceed with this and also how to make the formal request to the school. I know it varies from local authority to local authority but in the area I work the SEN team are a font of amazing knowledge and if they aren't sure hopefully can signpost to somewhere that can help

I really doubt the school will give you any money. Their funding is to pay for the salaries of their staff, utility bills and resources. Those things still need paying even though your DD isn't there.
Academies have more freedom than community schools so there might be some leeway but I wouldn't think so.

Firstly, you don't have the right to pull your child out of school but keep her on the role. Either you elect home education or she gets signed off medically or you have alternative provision that is pre arranged with the school. It doesn't sound like any of these are in place. There may be alternative provisions that the school already buys into, have you discussed it with them at all?

I have every sympathy with your situation, I know the damage caused by bullying. But, if, as you say, the school is in deficit, how do you propose they find the money to fund this? Many schools and academies are already having to cut hours or lose staff to balance their budgets. Our school is struggling to buy basic classroom resources that would be used by several children, there is no way out budget could support a cost of £2500 for one child for one term. We would have to remove support from elsewhere in order to cover this cost.

I work in this field. In my LA she would need to be signed off as medically unfit for school to access this type of service. Then the school and the LA would argue over who is going to pay for it. When you say you have pulled her from school do you mean she has just not been or you have taken her off role?

I would strongly suggest contacting IPSEA or SOSSEN to work out a plan, you might need to apply for an EHCP to get suitable provision. I would also advise proactive contact with the EWO.

She isn’t in school right now but is still on roll.
She really wants to be there but physically can’t due to her MH.
She is on camhs waiting list and I’m seeing her GP again tomorrow to get a letter to give to the School.

The school is an academy but I know they are in a deficit.

I don’t think they will fund it but I have to try for the sake of my DD.

I pulled my DD out at the end of year 8 because of bullying and her mental health and she was out until the beginning of year 10. We didn't do much formal learning, and DD went back after a year and a half to pretty much pick up where she left off. Some GCSE subjects were ruled out for her, but most start the syllabus fresh and don't require pre-knowledge so she's basically predicted 7s, 8s and 9s in the ones she's doing. She was in top groups before she left though, so was already fairly advanced.

This doesn't help with your letter but it might be worth thinking whether you want her to jump straight into online schooling or whether a break and to follow her own interests and to make some home ed friends might put her into a better place to start her GCSEs (if she's tied to online school it is likely to rule out social opportunities).

Is she PP? If so, you could speak to the person in charge of funding and see if that would cover some of it.

As pp have said, it is a huge amount of money for a school. Do you have any other charities nearby that would fund something like this? It is definitely worth investigating that, I really wouldn't bank on the school being able to spend that.

It's not the school's responsibility to fund a placement elsewhere- their placement offer is available and if, for whatever reason, you choose not to send her there, they do not have to fund a plan b as it is Education Other Than at School, or Elective home ed or whatever it would be classed as.

In my L.A., the request would go through Special Services, but there would be an expectation of a lot of input from relevant educational Services, such as the EP, CAMHS etc. Have you been in touch with the EP?

Snow fairy. What is PP?

I suspect PP is pupil premium.

These are your options:

School acknowledge the bullying and mental health issues, provide additional support and she remains there.

Keep her on roll, someone (an agency ie GP or camhs) agreed she is not able to attend school for more than 15 days in a year and the LA arrange alternative provision

You remove her from roll and Home educate. There is no statutory funding available to you for this.

You apply for an EHCP and she accessed an alternative provision or her needs are addressed. If this placement is not a school or college you can't technically apply

Look here

Www.ipsea.org.uk

I can't remember if it's 15 days not it's similar.

ihatethecold it's Pupil Premium but your financial income needs to be at a certain level to qualify.

There's no money in school budgets for that.

And the school would have to agree to your request (which it is by no means certain they will).

I think PP means pupil premium. Pupils from disadvantaged families for which extra funding is available.

Is this Red Balloon? I don't think you'll get the school to fund it. You could try the LEA.

We approached Red Balloon for online schooling for DS last year as he also had MH problems and we withdrew him from school and home educated for a year. Apparently they have some children who are funded by the LEA but ours wouldn't fund it. We didn't do it and after a year of home schooling using Interhigh, we got him into a special school for HF ASD where he has come on in leaps and bounds.

Hi Op

I may be able to help as I achieved similar

They have a duty of care to your child, if I’m right you’re interested in Interhigh?

The precident has already been set by other academies to fund places from their special needs pot as a place still costs less than tier one funding that the school would have to put in place to support your dd before applying for further funding

Bristol L A offer inter as part of their local deal and Interhigh’s head has previously provided me with a complete list of schools and authorities funding places

If you need anything else please private message me

Thank you.
I’m feeling quite despondent ready most the replies.
I’m new to this side of education.
We have struggled on for 18 months now with my dd getting progressively worse.
I would happily HE but she would like to go back to school in the future.
We don’t qualify for PP.

It is Red Balloon. I’ve also looked at interhigh but that would mean taking her off the school roll.

I doubt school would fund it, especially if there is a deficit.
Ditto other posters, only options really are to go via the hospital ed route or remove her from the school and home ed.

Could you finance it?

Isn’t the waiting list for red balloon about a mile long? Your la might fund it but without an ehc plan it is very unlikely.

Op I want to private message you. Look out for a message from me in a few mins...