son 15 won't go to school

[sticks2]

Hi
What do you do when he's done CAMHS, had weekly CBT sessions and your 15 year old (already dropped a year due to absence) still won't/can't get to school?

He'll be 16 in 2 months and I'm worried he'll give up school and never come out of his room again.

The school has been helpful, but there's no heaviness as it's a grammar school which he got a scholarship to. He's always maintained it's not about the work, or the school, but can't say why he can't get himself there. Or work at home.

We've tried everything - pleading, love, support, threats and don't know what to do next.

Could school or camhs offer some home tuition in the meantime ?

until 16 or GCSESs, the LEA do have a responsibility to help him find an education route . There are usually alternatives to school, or home learning which they should have discussed with you, as you will have clear evidence why he has missed so much. Its hard to go back to the same school a year behind as we found out the hard way. My own DD missed a year of school, but found she could cope better in a small sixth form college where she could still do gcses/A levels but didnt have to attend outside lessons. More teens than you imagine miss school and there is time for him to find a way back. Post 16 there are other access routes to education too. He sounds bright, and for my DD who suffered from depression and has ASD traits, it was important for her confidence to get back into education, it just took time and a different way. Do assure him that when he is ready, he can pick it up, in case he feels it is already too late

Thank you anthropology.

He is bright, he's just too anxious/tired to concentrate on studying at the moment. It's also a worry that he's missing the social growing up years.

But a different college, when he is ready, is a great idea. Last week he said he wanted to get better and talked about his future which was fantastic.

(I know LEAs have a duty to provide education, but we're in Scotland and grammar/private pupils can slip through the net, as we found.)