M.E./CFS - useless school

[charlieliz]

Have a 14 year old DS who has had ME over 4 years. Just starting to get back to school nearly fulltime and today I get a letter from the Head of Year complaining about his attendance. I am beyond furious! Wrote a calm reply and copied in the Head. They have done nothing to help him in school and then have the cheek......

Just saw your message and couldn't let you go unanswered. You'd be very welcome to join the CFS/ME Mums support thread here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childrens_health/906011-Support-thread-for-mums-caring-for-child-teenager-with-CFS?msgid=22790385#22790385
I'm not suprised you're fuming. It sounds like your DS is improving and then you get this. Did you have face to face meetings with the School as part of the process of getting your DS back to school? Whether or not you did, I suggest you arrange to go and see them early in the new term, taking medical evidence and explain that in doing nearly fulltime, your son is actually doing brilliantly. You may well know since your DS has had ME for so long but there is lots of info on the AYME website and they have a helpline which may give you useful advice on how to deal with school. The fact is that Schools are under an enormous amount of pressure to keep attendance levels high and it may be that a standard letter got sent out when it shouldn't have done. I think the bottom line is though, your son is ill and you are not able to improve his attendance. Don't let it bog you down over the holidays!

Thanks - they were ok in Year 7 once he had missed enough school for them to pick up on it! I have written to Year Head and Head and demanded a meeting in Jan - as a SENCo myself I have kept asking for a medical IEP for him but have never even been allowed to see their SENCo! GOod job I am well used to battling his corner by now! Will have a look at the thread you mentioned -found it hard to find anything ME specific when I looked before.

"never even been allowed to see their SENco" ...that is appalling....and you're a SENco too. Ask to see their SEN policy...you have a right to see this (it may even be on their website). Hope you get a satisfactory response to your letter. Have you talked to parent partnership, also www.ace-ed.org.uk (advisory centre for education) might be helpful. However, none of these will understand about ME, so if I were you (which I'm not) I would definitely talk to AYME.

I think it's the fact I am a SENCo that is scaring them as I clearly know more than their one about how to deal with students with ME.I have now had an apology email saying the letter was automatically generated because of his attendance and should never have come to us because of the ME. However, she carefully ignored all the other points in my email, about the medical IEP and a meeting at school and exam arrangements so I will be hounding her next term!