HELP with Progress Report!! ADHD Teens refusing to go to School or Home Education

[reportsHell]

Hi, First time on here so a little unsure on how this all works.
I've tried to search but I just can't find any help.

My 2 Boys Year 10 & 11- both ADHD just wont do any Home Education and I have to write a progress report to The Home Education Team.

Any help with the progress reports as there isn't ANY progress! but I've already been "deemed unsuitable" so now worried I'll be sent to court etc. There must be other parents who have the same problem? Please help xxxxx

What options have been explored for other education routes as homeschooling does not seem to be working for you?

What help/support was offered when you were told you were unsuitable and why was this decided?

Record any attempts to engage with any types of education.

@reportsHell there is a homeschooling board on MN where you may get good support from others who have been through this.

Why were you deemed unsuitable? I presume they were school refusers hence the HE? It’s quite an undertaking to HE for KS4 tho. What are you hoping to work towards? Is there any way of scaling it back to the essentials? Do you have any tutoring support from the LA?

Deemed unsuitable as they wont do any age appropriate learning - English Maths- They don't go out socialising.
one has started to go to work with their Dad a few times a week so that's been good. I know I've got to wait until they Want and ready to do something and then they will be fine. its just keeping the Home Ed Team happy until then.

What do they do with their time?

What have they said about why it's unsuitable? Unless it gets to school attendance order stage then you won't be taken to court. Do they have an EHCP or not? You can make an in year admission application which would pause any school attendance order action by the local authority. Evidence would be dated work books or photos of activities date stamped. Do they complete anything on line? At that age you may be better applying for a new school as cost of exams etc can be difficult (they don't have to do exams but the local authority will want to see evidence of learning for at least maths and English even if it's only functional skills level)
Have you looked at your local college offer for age 14-16 EHE?
You will have people tell you that the local authority can't 'demand' evidence but they can ask for evidence of suitable learning taking place. That doesn't have to be structured lessons etc, but you should be able to evidence that your children aren't sitting gaming or sleeping all day.
Keep a journal of what they do manage to do, then the EHE team has to review it even if it's currently ceased to be recognised.

Alternative provision? Do they go to any type of AP?

Have you tried anything they lead?

Have you looked at things like the Khan Academy, that has a coding course on it along with maths and english and is entirely learner led and free.

You should be getting support from the LA not grief. What is the local offer? Could they engage with 14-16 provision in a college?

If they are unable to attend school there should be alternative provision in place.

Start to turn this around and ask them (the LA) for help.

Speak to your MP, GP and everyone that you can to say you are doing your best but they won't engage and YOU are not being supported.

What do they do all day?

What do they do during the day at home when they are not doing educational work?

Home education doesn't have to follow a curriculum.

Is there something that will capture an interest? A coding course or gaming animation, if computer games are of interest. Something practical like learning a skill like carpentry. Would he watch some YouTubes and have a go at making something?

It's unlikely, at this stage, that they are going to engage with traditional maths and English etc. It doesn't mean there isn't anything that they can learn but with ADHD and not attending school it needs to be something that interests them and keeps their focus.

When you say your EHE offer has already been deemed unsuitable, what state are you at? Have you already received a Notice to Satisfy? Or have you not got to that stage yet, and the LA is asking for more information as a further informal enquiry? Or have you moved beyond NTS?

It will help you to read the government’s EHE guidance. It doesn’t need to be traditional education. Progress doesn’t have to be progress in the traditional academic sense. It doesn’t have to be sat at a desk at all. Neither do DC have to sit qualifications. It can be self led. What do DC do? What do they enjoy doing? (Even gaming can be used towards report.) What are their aspirations? How do you support their SEN? What resources have you made available?

Be careful with DS working with his dad during the week. The law about CSA children working still apply to EHE DC.

You don’t need to send photos or copies of work. You can demonstrate suitability without those. Many EHE organisations advise against it. You do need to show literacy and numeracy, but that isn’t the same as English and maths and can be delivered in many ways, including through normal activities of daily living.

Do DC have EHCPs? Have you thought about pursuing support via that rather than EHE?

Sorry I don't know how to reply to individual answers, Thank you for your comments. x

As op has decided to Electively Home Educate she's removed liability from the local authority to provide the education. The LA can give guidance but it's up to the OP to deliver that education. EHE isn't alternative provision. Education Other than at School listed on an EHCP or AP delivered under Section 19 (where a young person is unfit to attend school) would be alternative provision. Elective Home Education is where the parent has decided to deregister the child from the school roll (for whatever reason) and therefore from the local authority being responsible. The LA have now voiced to the OP that the education isn't suitable because of lack of evidence of learning taking place so either the OP would need to provide evidence to the EHE team, complete and In Year Admission application for a new school, submit and application for an EHCNA or do nothing and wait for the LA to issue warning letters and ultimately a school attendance order naming a particular school (a process that takes a while due to the legal process) Local Authority can only offer advice on types of evidence (on line links, where to get work books etc) they can't deliver EHE for the OP

They aren’t the only options. The OP can inform the LA that she no longer wishes to EHE and pass the responsibility back to the them. If she did this, she does not have to make a in-year application for a MS place if DSs could not attend. Section 19 provision can be made without.

The Arranging Alternative Provision government guidance from last year states EOTAS made via EHCPs as per section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is not alternative provision. Although some EOTAS/EOTIS/C packages include AP providers. And some people do class it as AP.

Home educated doesn't have to be sat at a table doing " school" work. Have they been to a library? Museum? Out for walks? Swimming? Art gallery? Home education group? There is learning in all of these things. Facebook has loads of Home education groups. Find one in your area.

@2x4greenbrick absolutely there are other options, local authorities tend to organise themselves differently! But, section 19 is based on them not being able to attend (and yes parent can take LA to task if this is the case and the LA isn't providing but the LA do have to be made aware that this is the case by parent asking for Section 19 provision)
There generally seems to be a lot of things classed as AP which aren't necessarily.

@Lightuptheroom despite what some LAs claim, the law is the same in all LAs in England. It is irrelevant what local arrangements LAs would like to have to have or how they would like to organise themselves. The law still applies. There is nothing in law requiring a pupil to be on the roll of a school or even for an application to be made in order to receive s19 provision.

I know, it's part of my job! But often section 19 provision is commissioned through the local authority (caveat, not always) As you've often said on threads like these, local authorities can try and bend things (they definitely shouldn't but they do)

LAs acting unlawfully doesn’t change the law. OP needs to know the lawful information so that she isn’t fobbed often by LA misdirection.

Give them the choice - engage with home ed or return to school. It’s their choice.

Be led by their interests. Online functional skills for maths English as a foundation. There are some great gcse level provisions online for other subjects - southwest science, humanatees, learn tec.

What about a council gym membership to hit the physical and social aspect.

Also look at other provisions and settings