AIBU to think school should allow reduced hours for my son?

[teenagerlegproblems]

Ds (year 9) is having a lot of leg problems, pain, fatigue. We have seen the GP and have a referral to physio. In the meantime we are just having to manage as best we can. DS is not sleeping well due to the pain so until the physio appt at the end of the month (on the Gp recommendation) we let the school know that DS will need a reduced timetable.

They’ve said no. That he has to attend or it won’t be authorised. I paid £60 for a GP letter to explain and they still said no. We had said that he can only manage each day up till 130 (so he will miss the last two lessons), we checked his timetable and these are the ones that are less important (all double lessons) PE, citizenship, French (he is already fluent) and RE (he can do this work at home).

I feel they are being very difficult. They’ve said they won’t ‘release’ him to us as he’s legally required to be there till 330. So far they have done but have said from Monday this will not be the case? Do I just keep him off then ?

I don’t understand what they’re referring him to physio for if they don’t have any kind of diagnosis. It’s not okay for a 13 year old to be in that much pain. When did it start? Is it both legs? Other symptoms? Medical history? How is his posture etc? Was there some sort of sporting injury etc prior to this. What specific tests were done? Sorry not answering your exact question as concerned about the medical care you’re getting. From an education perspective I’d contact pastoral support at the school and ask for a meeting for what can be put in place to support your son while obtaining a diagnosis and I’d call the council education dept and ask for advice on what the schools are able to provide and how to navigate this. At least then you’re out in front and have spoken to them first before they try to impose fines etc. Good luck and if you get chance keep us updated on how things go.

Has GP explicitly advised to pick him up at 1.30?

Get a note from the GP giving him permission to miss PE. But he can stay for the other lessons.

I would collect him from school at the end of the morning session. If he doesn't have a lunch booked, there is absolutely nothing the school can do about it, he can tell whoever notes down the lunch numbers, that he is going home for lunch, which is perfectly legal and just don't return him. But ring the LA SEND dept for advice and get the local SENDIASS on board, if he is taking work home as you suggest, the absence should be recorded as 'education offsite'.

This is the DfE guidance and legislation for everyone involved, but particularly the school, to follow. It will give you good advice. The school may also have access to an officer responsible for medical in schools.

The school should consider whether to put in place an Individual Health Care Plan. Has this been done with you, your son and with medical advice.

To be fair to the school they maybe are trying to follow this to the letter rather than for the individual.

From the doc.
Key points
• Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education.
• Governing bodies must ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to
support pupils at school with medical conditions.
• Governing bodies should ensure that school leaders consult health and social care professionals, pupils and parents to ensure that the needs of children with medical conditions are properly understood and effectively supported’

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf

@Winkmurder tell me more pls. I’m in a similar boat & told it’s all normal

Could you enroll him in an online school? There’s quite a lot around now and you can choose how many subjects you want him to take. It could be a good temporary measure even if you can’t afford it long term.

Isn’t keeping someone against their will false imprisonment?

Fine, call it unauthorised absence, but they can’t keep him. What are they going to do? Fight you?

My son wasn’t as bad but was diagnosed with osgoods slatters in both legs in his teens.

Physio stopped all physical activity immediately (devastating as he was a runner and footballer to quite a high level ) and school accepted the diagnosis from the physio and made adjustments, Can you speed up the physio? (we went private otherwise we’d still be waiting) . Hope you get answers soon and your DS starts recovery.

What on earth?! Surely most of the school walks home alone? If she was on study leave what was the issue?

I wonder if it’s this too.

In which case he does need to stop PE. I’m glad he’s had bloods done but I’d also see GP again or pay for physio asap

Two things:

1. That degree of pain is not normal in a child of your son’s age without an explanation, I would go back to the GP and ask for further investigations.
2. If he is napping in the day how do you expect him to be tired enough to sleep through the night?

Might be worth seeing if GP will refer to rheumatology and/or neurology. PP mentioned possible autoimmune or connective tissue disease. There are numerous AI conditions that can cause pain & fatigue. Unless the specific blood tests are done it won't show up in "normal" blood tests organised by the gp.

Your GP has said he must have a reduced time table. How come the school think they know better than your GP? It's an authorised absence. Point this out to the head - words of one syllable if necessary. What do they do all morning if PE, French, citizenship and RE are in the afternoon. Please don't let it be incessant maths and English - such a waste.

Clearly you have never dealt with chronic pain.

@teenagerlegproblems has the GP agreed a part time timetable is needed?

The school.have obligations under the equality act but they should also have a policy that covers kids with chronic conditions. You need to reference these when you write to them. I have a dd with a chronic condition and have successfully forced accommodations. Feel free to PM me if you want some support

Its a massive different to finish at 1.30 and 3.30.

Arrange a meeting with the SENDCO and his head of year. There should be somewhere he can go every afternoon - schools need to have a room where students who cannot access lessons go (broken bones/mental health etc).
Get him proper pain meds from the GP.
It's only a couple of hours - my DS spent quite a bit of time in the special room when he had a serious accident, once he was out of hospital. He enjoyed it and eased him back to school.

Your first job - meeting with school, face to face with DS.

I'm not sure I'd be confident in the GP advice when the only referral for such pain is physio. Get some more tests and a second opinion.

Missing 40% of the school day for leg pain with no apparent cause isn't sustainable for your son's long term learning.

Ask them (1) on what basis they claim to know better than his GP and (2) whether they have reported to safeguarding, the governors and their insurers that they are trying to force you to go against medical advice and therefore risk seriously exacerbating your son's health problems for which they could be held liable. I suspect that will make them think twice, but if they laugh it off ask for details of their insurers so you can let them know.

https://www.clinicalguidelines.scot.nhs.uk/rhc-for-health-professionals/guidelines/primary-care-referral-guidelines/medical-paediatric-pre-referral-guidance/nocturnal-leg-pain-advice-for-referrers/

To be fair, in this instance the GP is clearly totally fobbing op off.

Noone should be happy with pain so bad they will miss school for months and no solution other than to wait for some physio

If I were op I would be getting a second opinion and focusing on medical input not the issues around attendance

If he can’t be in school as you say then you need to remove him and home educate. Schools have rules and laws to follow, they can’t just bend them for you.

My dd2 had terrible leg pain and fatigue for a number of years in pre teen and teen years. The school was helpful in primary but secondary not at all.

Gel inserts in her shoes helped a little but it turned out her vitamin D levels were on the floor. Seriously low! It took a while to get them optimal again with very high dosage script, and it’s a job to maintain, but she hasn’t had leg pain problems since.

Was vitamin d included in the bloods? It often Isn’t anymore as standard and always worth checking in circumstances like this. I know that’s not the question asked but your son’s problem sounded so familiar I had to mention it.

This doesn't make any sense.

Has he been given a proper diagnosis? What did the letter say?

Physios usually help with rehabilitation, not initial diagnosis. Why is he not being referred to orthopedics/rheumatology/Neurology (or I'm not sure if the pathway for kids, may have to be via paeds)to find out what the problem is?

If he is in that much pain that he can't sleep, he needs a paeds referral NOW, not from a physio in a few months time, so they can get the pain under control and a proper diagnosis.

If your school won't support what the GP has said he needs, escalate to the Trust / governors. Complain that he's being excluded due to his medical condition.

I would ask for a meeting with school and look up or ask for their complaints procedure. I'd also pick him up at the time you said, they can't keep him there.

I'd also go back to the GP and push for more action such as a referral to paeds as what good is physio going to do without a diagnosis? Something clearly isn't right at all.