Daughter's education - help please

[alicejones1972]

My daughter is 17 and suffers from severe depression. she's at sixth form but not at all well enough to go at the moment. we're meeting with the school to talk to them but does anyone know if they can actually force her to go if she's not well enough? advice please

They can't force her.
BUT what are you doing to help her mental health? Has she been referred to CAMHS?

yes she is with camhs

Good.

I would go in and frankly discuss with them what they can offer to support your daughter. And talk to CAMHS and get their advice.
Options include: brief break from college, restart college next year, move to a new college, etc. The key thing is to get her mental health better, then you can look at options including: a new course, Princes trust, if she was then old enough an Access course instead, distance learning etc.

As mummytime said be frank. Ask how they can help you - what do they suggest. Where i used to work they would try to get students to leave which was totally unacceptable as there is a lot they can do.

• defer to next year (places at 6th form are funded until the year your DC will be 19)

-modified timetable -quiet room to escape to

• smaller room to do exams in
• send work home/try to help support work at home

Helping her get better is the main thing. You can always take A levels later as an independent candidate or take an Access course for the University type course you wanted to do if you miss taking the "A levels" at college and there is the OU for introductory courses (as well as degrees)