To deregister my daughter

[Findingthisweekhard]

My 5 year old is being educated out of cohort so she’s in reception but year 1 age. We did this because she struggled to cope, socialise, leave me at nursery. As well as very severe asthma and a heart condition.
Well reception has been awful, her attendance is 80%, school aren’t managing her asthma at all and twice after I’ve collected her I’ve called an ambulance and she’s been admitted to hospital for a few days.
Shes cried every morning going to school this week and I’ve had to carry her in, have her peeled off me and then walk away. And every day there’s been an incident where she’s been pushed over, excluded, laughed at and today she was told to fuck off, she’s 5!
Continuing like this actually feels like abuse 💔

Take her out!!

Home Ed was the best thing we ever did too. My chirpy, happy 5 year old DD started reception the happiest in the class. Within half a term she was in tears at every drop off and she lost interest entirely in reading. She became a different child.

We took her out and never looked back.

Her two siblings have never set foot in school.

Now 12 years later my eldest DD is at Sixth Form having grown her wings and with 9 self taught GCSEs at A and A* under her belt. Currently in top 10% at sixth form and a social butterfly.

School is categorically NOT the only way....

Apply as a parent for EHCP - schools don't like the hassle because if you really feel it's needed, it's a lot of nagging and chasing. SENDIASS has template letters.

Don't off-roll her, but stop sending her in. Safeguarding concerns about the management of her asthma and other personal safety. Ignore the threats about low attendance - the first step is an attendance officer who looks into what more you and/or school can be doing to help her attend, so you can raise all your safeguarding concerns. It takes a while to get to that stage, by which point you can demonstrate you're applying for EHCP.

Don't worry about her education - reception is about reading, writing, adding up to 10. You can do that at home with some numicons, jolly phonics and some trips to the library, and incorporating learning into every day life.

What are you asking for the ehc assessment for? Not just the asthma?

At least ask the LA to put her on the waiting list for the other schools.

Have you called the other two schools? In year transfer may be an option.

Pull her out immediately for her safety and well being and your peace of mind.

Are you in a position to be able to homeschool?

My advice?

Don't deregister because it may make it harder to get her in elsewhere (nutty as that sounds) but do take her out and when you're chased about it, point to the lack of safeguarding. As they won't keep her safe you won't send her in

The mornings must be very traumatic for both of you.
I wouldn't continue bringing her.

Can you put her name on waiting lists for other schools?
Can you get her into any undersubscribed schools outside your catchment area?
Are you in a position to take her there and back every day?
Are you in a position to pay for any private montessori led/forest schools?
Are you in a position to homeschool her?
If you rent, are you in a position to move to another catchment area?

I'd be wary of removing her from 'the system' in case it reduced her chance of being on the waiting list for other schools?

Asthma kills

People think its OK its just asthma but its not it kills people we lost a young adult a few years ago because they desperately tried to get to their OWN Dr's for emergency treatment as it was their belief only their own dr could help they passed a chemist and a different Dr's on the way both of which could have helped they died through lack of knowledge every asthma review my Dr's did they always pass on the information that any Dr's will help if your having an attack also go to a chemist if its closer don't just try and see your own

Also don't deregister because the lea will wash its hands of you stay on role and work with the system unless you want to homeschool

Some potentially useful info linked below? I would withdraw from school for to health and safety concerns and request local authority provides alternative provision. You can be penalised for your child not attending, but try to speak to Ipsea if you can. Difficult to get to speak to advisor as they are over subscribed. I'm not sure if she oh their template letters might suit your situation...

https://www.tcesnationalonlineschool.org.uk/

https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/education-for-children-out-of-school/

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/getting-temporary-education-put-in-place

School say to everyone,their child won't get an EHCP
In our area ,it's just the process
School says no to EHCP
Parent applies themselves
LEA says no to EHCP
Parent goes to tribunal
Tribunal judge says yes to EHCP
EHCP issued , usually after a year at least
Parent applies for specialist school
LEA says no
Parent goes back to tribunal
Tribunal judge says yes .
Very often this whole process takes years and is done while the child is missing school due to needs not being met .
All designed to save money for the LEA ,who the longer they put of paying for a specialist school the less it costs them .

Sendiass are brilliant..,..if you can get them to be reply or indeed help ..they are snowed under with parents needing help with tribunal paperwork
Only the child with savy parents,who have their Whits about them will get the education they deserve ..or the child who's parents can pay for private,or be wealthy enough to manage on one salary and home educate...the system is broken

DO NOT deregister. You will just end up with a different lot of problems.

You need to resolve the ones you have.

Go through formal complaints procedure. I see you have already started that and don't think you have solved the problem.

So start elevating and making a stink on the grounds of health and safety and safeguarding. Read the schools safeguarding policy and use it, quoting back relevant points.

It should tell you what to do if not satisfied. It's a governor job initially. Then LEA. And Ofsted.

You can build a case that makes it increasingly difficult for them to ignore. They won't like you but it doesn't matter.

You can start the EHCP process yourself OP.

experience has taught me that schools tend to avoid doing these assessments and applications as it is a lot of work and very lengthy, however, if you start the application, the school will have to cooperate.

She may not need an need and EHCP, she should have an IHCP. This should already be in place.
Don't deregister but keep her off. Send an email or registered letter to school and LA being unemotional but listing your concerns and that the school is failing to act. Make it clear that there is a risk of serious harm and therefore you are not sending her in until your concerns are addressed.
Call the LA and go on waiting lists.

Some good advice here.

Education is important but how can you be educated if you're not safe?

Don't deregister.

You need to find out which school governor is responsible for Safeguarding and contact them ASAP. The information may be on the website.

You could also email your MP. There's just been a debate about SEN training for school staff - different focus (autism) but MPs do listen and take action for their constituents.

Is there an asthma charity you can ring for advice? I know Diabetes UK ran a campaign to get better assistance in schools.

I forgot to say, contact schools in the next LA re spaces too if it's reasonably close.

In your position I would give it some time before I made a decision about home education and deregistering.

But, for now, I would look up the process for making a formal complaint to the school, and follow that process about the support for her asthma. I would keep dd at home whilst you do this and note clearly on the complaint that you don’t think that she is safe in school.

I have no particular knowledge of the system for EHCPs etc but I do agree that lack of supervision for asthma is a very serious safeguarding issue. As a PP has said, people can die from a bad attack and, if your DD has ended up being admitted to hospital twice after not being cared for at school, I call that ample reason to keep her away from that school.
I can well believe that making safe, acceptable, alternative arrangements will be very difficult and time-consuming but it will be worth it in the end.

Get some proper advice before you do anything. Speak to your local SENDIAS, they have been an amazing support for us.

If you de-register her, the LA no longer have any responsibility for providing an education. If you go through the necessary processes already outlined by PPs, there are other options (including other schools, EOTAS etc.)

There's a Facebook group called Not Fine In School, they will likely be able to offer some info too.

Op, what is the school’s policy on providing prescription medication to a student?

Thats where you need to start. You may find that there is no one available or who is willing to give medication to students. There’s no legal requirement to do so.

Are you able to pop into school to give them it yourself?

My child has a heart condition and other health problems. He doesn't have an ECHP but he does have a TA. The TA has been amazing and without her I feel we would be in the same situation as you. Our heart consultant helped in getting a TA. Would this be an option for you? Our son didn't meet the echp criteria but did for a TA.

This was what was jumping out at me when I read the original post. The school are not aware enough of the risk to life that severe, aka brittle, asthma can be. When my son was small, he had bad asthma attacks and l actually had to put in a complaint to our gp practice after one doctor did not take it seriously. Thankfully, the practice did and procedures were put in place. I would echo the advice to speak to the governors and reiterate the stark message that asthma can and does kill people. I think l would also keep her at home for the time being but not deregister her, as others have said. If you are in a position to homeschool her, l would do it. The weather is very cold at the moment, which is not good for asthma, and there is a proliferation of germs doing the rounds at the moment, which you need to protect your daughter from, aside from the issues of other children’s behavioural problems. You have what used to be known as a delicate child and it may well be that as she grows older and, hopefully, stronger, she will be ready to return to the classroom.

I'd take her out of school but not deregister for now - give yourself some time to explore the options all discussed above. I'd also go the GP and explain what is going on at school - so it's independently recorded and how it is affecting her health.

I wouldn't send her back to the same school, no matter what they put in place as clearly can't cope with her medically and they've has put her at risk in the past. I would report the school to ofsted too. I hope you find a school that you both can find some peace and access education without worry.

Given that there is no space at local schools, I would give the school one last try but in a very different way.
Can you take two weeks off school and attend every day for a week? Accompany her and force the practice of better oversight of her asthma by example. You could speak to the relevant staff over lunch about any other issues. Assist your daughter to search out safe play areas and establish a good pattern of asking for her puffer etc.
Why doesn't he school have a buddy system and a welcoming start for the five year olds?
The neglect and non communication is astounding.
The school should let you do this as a sensible response to their failures to your daughter.

So, I would not leave that school until I received the information and attention that is reasonable. You have nothing to lose. The best outcome is that your daughter feel comfortable, safe and accepted.
If your daughter has no other school to go to you will have to home school her and she will miss out on mixing with her peers until she's older.