Children with SEN and school closures.

[AvocadoPrime]

My understanding of the situation is children of key workers, children with EHCPs and children with social workers are to still attend school.

What is everyone planning to do?
My son is in a mainstream with an attached ASD unit. So obviously his school will be closed with a very small amount of students. Can we not have them at home?
If we did would all legalitys fall to us? I dont understand how this would work especially if all children are merged into one school that is not necessarily their own.

Just to add am a SAHM so could support DS at home and do not need 'childcare'

I’ve just emailed the school senco. My son has an EHCP in a mainstream school. I really don’t want to send him to school whilst equally keeping his siblings at home. They will all be distressed. Also, if he isn’t going to receive the support in his EHCP - which I don’t expect with less staff - then I hope they allow me to keep him home.

Same situation - son mainstream attached ASd unit. In some ways it might be good for him to continue and maybe they cod concentrate on Speech Therapy and social skills. Just told him he might still have to go in - not happy!

I imagine that you can keep your dc at home if you want, but there is the option for them to go to school if you choose.

Absolutely no one is going to get arsey if you don't send DC to school in these circumstances.

@Sippingmytea it would make more sense for you to have him home especially with siblings as they will be off. That's another concern if needs can be met.
The staff ratios for DS are great but I'm guessing that will change going forward. I've heard they'll be merging schools and maybe having one school in each area to provide provision. I feel he would deal with being home better than routine and school changing.

@Sippingmytea you can kee your child at home. Regardless. They use the Y code n

In my school there would be a total of 8 children who meet the criteria as described. 4 with EHCPs. All in different classes. All the parents of the EHCP children have said they will keep their children at home. The other 4 may or may not come in, we're not sure yet.

I guess that's the blurred line. Can we keep them at home and the kids with EHCPs are the parents legally responsible as they would be if they withdrew them from education?
Would we lose school places and would it count as withdrawing them.
Guess I will need to speak to the school.

I am almost sure this is just to give parents the option to send children in, i.e. to support those who need to school for respite, or students who won't cope with being at home long term.

No-one will chase you up if you say you are self-isolating at home.

I suspect this is more for the families who would be unable to cope without the respite of school rather than compulsory.

I’m the opposite - my dc has an EHCP, in a SN school which will be closing as they cannot continue to provide the necessary level of support due to staffing levels.

Dc will struggle massively without the structure, but there isn’t much that can be done for us - I can’t just take her along to the nearest school which is offering childcare arrangements - it just wouldn’t be suitable.

I've kept my kids off all week this week, primary and secondary, the schools have been very supportive and authorised the absences. About 25-35% of kids in their schools are off.
I'd be amazed if it affected their school places, maybe just email your school so you have peace of mind?

So will it be all children with Sen ? Do we know when they will clarify ?
My son has Sen , he will be really upset without the routine and structure and I really would struggle with him home every day as he won't understand that no school .I'm a bit annoyed these announcements are late on in the day , so now I have to worry all evening about what the situation is exactly.
I work too but my work are aware of my situation so it's not that I'm worried about .

@ilovecakeandwine I dont know and I completely agree. I'm more worried and confused than I was before. I'm sure he said children with EHCP but then it cut off as boris went live.

There's no clear answer yet. I imagine it is to give the parents of children who have behavioural issues the option to get some respite.

I doubt very much children with EHCPs will be 'forced' in, it would be discriminatory if nothing else.

I have one already at home and one with SEN but no EHCP, am assuming he wouldn't be offered chance to stay at school and would prefer him at home anyway. I would be very surprised if you couldn't keep your child at home if you wanted to. I doubt it would be compulsory for anyone except possibly those under SS. I think they are announcing full details later.

No one will have to send their children to school if they want to. It's good that they are recognising that school is vital for children with SEND in terms of structure and if managing the needs of the children and the parents. I know parents with very disabled DC's who would crumble if they didn't have the support of the school.

The letter from our school said that children with echps may go into school, not that they should ukd/must. It's parental choice I believe

Where possible, schools will be staying open for children with EHCPs manly so they can provide respite to parents who would otherwise struggle with them at home. But it won't be ideal. Routines will be lost, staff may be different, staff may change unexpectedly when someone has to self-isolate, other kids at school will be children of key workers and so more likely to have and pass on Coronavirus. The curriculum will be whatever can be cobbled together that will work for a very mixed bunch of kids. In some cases, their usual school will be shut because of staffing issues and so they would have to attend another school for the duration. If they're at Special school, it may well shut anyway as it will need to be fully staffed to stay open to all children which is unlikely to be possible.

So if you can manage it, I'd keep your child home. Whilst there's no official advice yet, I'd be astonished if schools made a fuss about children not attending. This has been done to offer support to families who are going to find this impossible to manage and will not be compulsory.

They can’t compel you to send them.

*mainly not manly!

I wonder if they are saying children with EHCPs can still go in because the LEA has to legally provide what’s written in the EHCPs.

My son has has an EHCP and will not at all cope with the vast changes with staff/students etc that will keep taking place at school, he also is immune suppressed so I he’s at home already at the suggestion of the SENCO.

Glittercandle, it’s possible that the mention of children with EHCPs is to try to get around the legal obligation, but I can’t see how that would work.

My dd is entitled to:
1 hour/week with a qualified SALT, and 4 more hours per week working on SALT programme with tutors trained by SALT
2 hours/ week OT, to be delivered by qualified OT
As well as full time 1:1, including snack, meal and playtimes (amongst a whole load of other provision)

That cannot be delivered in the situation outlined (and her school cannot stay open due to staffing levels).

I have no idea what we will do, tbh. I can’t leave her in unsuitable provision, but equally, I will not be able to deal with her (sometimes extreme) challenging behaviours here at home and also keep her siblings safe (let alone provide them with a space where they can do school work without her constantly interrupting or worse)