Home education

[Denisegorm]

Recently started home education for my 15 year old granddaughter she has anxiety and mental health issues and she just wouldn't go to school for the last two years , the school at first were helpful and tried to accommodate her needs and her mum and.my husband and I tried everything possible to get her to school.The school set up plans and reduced time tables only to go back on this when she went to school which caused her more anxiety.The school would come out unannounced to check on her well being and try to get her to school which was a very stressful time for my granddaughter and myself as as is know living with us most of the time.Her.mum.as.been fined and is on.probation and doing community services she has two other children one who attends the same school as my gy used to and he goes with any issues.The issues now is we are waiting for the edcati welfare officer to get in touch as I filled the home education.learning form in.two weeks ago and the response came back the next day via ema has i declined home visit.They said that the education was assessed as not adequate and was therefore passing it to education welfare officer and was recommending return to school .This not the best environment for my granddaughter and i did send a letter via email with more information on which was sent to education welfare officer to assess, as of yet.not hearf anything and we can't relax till.we.know the next step and we go away on.holiday soon any advice on what to do

Have you formally registered from school? How long until she is 16? What plans do you have for post 26 education?

Is DGD receiving support with her mental health? Does DD have evidence DGD was unable to attend school when she was on the roll of the school? Has DD requested an EHCNA? Whilst DGD was still on the roll of the school did DD request alternative provision from the LA? Has DD asked why the education DGD is receiving has been deemed unsatisfactory and what needs to be done to make it suitable? Has the LA served a formal notice to satisfy under section 437 of the Education Act 1996?

Deregistered April started home.eduction.straight away.. School was aware of her anxiety and mental health issues and knew she was under cahms and had a support.worker but they still persude getting her in school which wasn't a great idea as they kept changing.plans.and going back on there word which led to more anxiety issues.My grandaughter.as.been to cahms today with her support worker and a.doctor was there as well as they have.been trying to.assess if she needs medication. I was aware that a doctor was going to be there and had no problem with it
WhenGdd came back she was in a good mood she said on Monday by there is a prescription for her to pick up from the doctors I didn't ask to mani quy as this can start her withdrawing into her self , so I said ok I can get that for you , did you have a good session she said yes think going again next week.So I will ring support worker tomorrow to see if I need to know anything reo her medication as previously we had had to have all medication locked away and all sharp objects removed for her safety.This is why sla return to school order if that what they decide is not the right choice.Gdd has come on immensely in her moods and confidence since we started home education and she is thriving on subjects and interests that she really enjoys

@Gormo65 are you the OP with a name change?

Have you joined the home education Facebook groups? There are people who can advise there and even check your report to make sure it's good enough.

Ask what's inadequate about the education you are providing. You can't address it if you haven't been told specifically what is the problem

Are you up for the task? How is your own education?

Will you be able to offer broad and balanced learning?

What if she opts out of learning with you and just wants to do nothing in her room?

How will she sit GCSEs?

Tell me you have no experience of home ed without saying so!

OP, there’s a Facebook group called something like ‘home education - help dealing with officialdom’ where you’ll find decent advice about the law.

It does sound like the LA are overstepping. Camhs might be able to support you in dealing with them.

Will you be able to offer broad and balanced learning?

There’s no legal requirement for parents/guardians to provide a broad and balanced curriculum.

How will she sit GCSEs?

GCSEs/iGCSEs can be sat as private candidates or via home ed college courses. Although the latter may not be suitable for OP’s DGD. Also, not all EHE DC sit GCSEs at 16. It may be OP’s DGD will sit them later (either via college, privately or via securing an EHCP) or focus only on the ones to get her to the next step. There’s no legal requirement to work towards qualifications.

@WaitingForMojo what was wrong with my questions? I'm vehemently pro homeschooling, done right. Clearly they aren't satisfied with the quality of 'education' she's getting at home.

@BrumToTheRescue no legal requirement no but an ethical one? To do the best for the child?

For some DC, it isn’t in their best interests to sit qualifications at the standard time &/or have a broad and balanced curriculum. What is best for some DC, especially those who meet the high threshold for CAMHS input and particularly psychiatrist input, is focusing on their mental health first. Knowing academics can always come later if necessary. Qualifications and a broad and balanced curriculum are of little use if one cannot function in daily life. Not sitting qualifications and not having a broad and balanced curriculum does not prevent the education being deemed as suitable and efficient either.

The point of keeping it broad is to not focus too early on one skill, say, cutting hair, to the detriment of all other options. It becomes harder and harder to change what you do the older you get, especially if you have 'specialised' very early and have nothing to fall back on.

The GCSEs may not be right for her right now but if you're homeschooling it's definitely right to be aware of how you get these qualifications. Again, having no formal qualifications will massively hold someone back in life. Yes you can do them later but it will become harder and harder.

Again, a broad and balanced curriculum is not essential and is not linked to OP’s posts in any way. For some, a broad and balanced curriculum is not in their best interests especially when you take into account a child’s SEN. There is middle ground between a broad and balanced curriculum and only focusing on hairdressing - which is clearly going to be unsuitable anyway since OP’s name change mentioned locking sharps away.

Nothing in the OP’s posts says she is unaware of how to sit GCSEs should the DGD want to/be able to. Sitting qualifications later may not be harder than now when you consider the mental health difficulties.

If nobody is bothered about what the kid is doing or learning, or who is teaching her or how she's teaching herself, or what the goals or aims are... Then it's not homeschooling. The responses here are all about her MH. I guess any schooling takes a back seat then doesn't it. Just don't call it homeschool and don't pretend she's getting anything from it.

If nobody is bothered about what the kid is doing or learning, or who is teaching her or how she's teaching herself, or what the goals or aims are...

No-one has said they aren’t ‘bothered’ what DGD is learning or how. I asked if DD had asked why the education has been deemed unsatisfactory and what needs to be done to make it suitable. I asked about formal notice under s437. That is about the education. EHE comes in many forms.

The responses here are all about her MH.

Nonsense. I asked OP if DD had requested an EHCNA and AP. I asked if DD had asked why the education has been deemed unsatisfactory and what needs to be done to make it suitable. I asked about formal notice under s437. That is all about education. Not just MH.

I guess any schooling takes a back seat then doesn't it. Just don't call it homeschool and don't pretend she's getting anything from it.

Actually, yes, for many with MH difficulties to the point OP describes mental health is the priority. You have a very short sighted view on what EHE can be, the law and what is many DC’s best interests when they have severe MH difficulties and SEN to the point they are unable to attend school. At this point OP need advice based on the legalities and it isn’t helpful to the OP to say a broad and balanced curriculum is required (it isn’t and it isn’t always in the child’s best interests anyway) or GCSEs should be sat (they don’t have to be and that isn’t always in the child’s best interests).

Thanks for all the responses and just to point out I have requested via email to tell me what additional information they need to satisfy gf getting enough home education and they are going to get back to me.We are aware that education is important and we have made enquiries about sitting her exams and we have some local exam centres that we are in contact with and we hs have the 💰 to pay for gds exams.We have not decided on home education as the easy route and no she is not sitting in het room doing nothing she is learning in different ways there is structured learning and then fun learning, I am annoyed with somr comments implying its easy route out ,it was done for her well being anxiety and mental health issues at tge end of the day we choose ti take her out of school rather than visit her grave that sounds harsh but that's how bad i was.So if no constructive advice or comments please dont reply.Iknow it divides peoples opinions but we did it for gd to live her life without any issues

There’s something missing from the story @Denisegorm
Are you in England as has gd been officially registered?
Permission is not required for deregistration and any decision about suitability of education is not made by the school.
I wonder if she isn’t attending, you’ve decided to home educate, but not taken the necessary legal step. Therefore they are stilltreating the case as a non attendance situation?

Instead of the home visits did you submit a report . Explaining in detail your plans ?
I have home Ed for 4 years now . I have had home visits to do the report with the education officer and show work and such.
But I have also opted to fill in the report myself and submit it.
I do each subject and break it down to each term . What we will be doing and our goals. I also include assessments we do .
They love if you do assessments throughout the school year to keep track of progress. And to show areas need to focus on more.
Do the hours you will be working.
Show they have a suitable place to work .
Can be desk or dining table.
They also like information on socialising/outdoor activities.

I know lots of people who home Ed don't have a set structure or lesson plan as such . But as you are already facing a bit of a battle then showing you have a set lesson /term plan may make them see you are serious about this .

Yes I am on several home education sites and I am waiting for reply from education welfare as to what they think I'm failing on and what I need to send them to meet there requirements

I sounds like it is the LA not the school with concerns over whether the education is adequate or not.

@Gormo65 please confirm, you have sent an official deregistration letter, the school has removed you from the school roll and the LA have recorded you as an elective home educator, the home education team have then requested demonstration of provision, you’ve submitted this and they have indicated that they aren’t happy?

It sounds vague and chaotic and I’m not even sure the op knows

Thanks for the advice I will certainly be doing what you have suggested good Idea writing details for different subjects I have already declined home meetings and requested via email or letters as gd would not be good at face time face

A fair few of my home Ed friends don't allow the home visits. They either do it on zoom/phone or email. All acceptable.
It can be very stressful .
Lots of online help available when it comes to planning the work.
Also the school your granddaughter went to should have the gcse work plan on the website.
A rough outline anyway

So for English it will have what books they are doing /poems and such.
So you can just use that as a template for each subject that your gd would be doing for her gcse.
That way she is also keeping up with her peers . But at her own pace at home .