Probably gifted, yr 10-11 missing lots of school self study GCSE help please?

[Lelivre]

We’re looking for practical ideas and resources to support a highly able student who is missing significant school time but still aiming for strong GCSE outcomes (she is ambitious) without excessive cost.

Our daughter has been academically advanced from early on she grasps concepts very quickly, is strong across subjects, and is confident and articulate. However, full-time school attendance is extremely depleting for reasons we are still trying to fully understand. When she self-studies, she finds much better balance, though she still needs careful pacing due to physiological fatigue issues and possibly some cognitive load factors.

A recent psychology report pretty much discounted ND (although some traits are there, just not enough) and suggested very fast cognitive processing alongside perfectionism, consistent with a gifted profile and recommendation for EHCNA. Anxiety and mental exhaustion appear linked to this and require ongoing management.

We are currently awaiting Educational Psychologist involvement and an EHC needs assessment, but delays mean we need to build workable strategies now as we are in the thick of year ten already.

She currently attends around 50% of the time yet remains in top sets, so the academic ability is clearly there. The challenge is maintaining progress while avoiding burnout.

She has an excellent memory and works well independently. We already use exam-board revision guides and printed materials, but school online provision is limited. She has some physical health stuff feeding into this so sometimes we need to watch or listen to material whilst resting.

We would really value suggestions for:
-effective self-study structures for high-ability students with limited attendance
-low-cost online resources or platforms that work well for GCSE level
-ways to prioritise content efficiently when lessons are missed

-techniques that support deep learning without perfectionism leading to exhaustion

Any ideas, systems, or resources that have worked in similar situations would be hugely appreciated.

This looks great - thank you!

Yes it’s just all taking so long. I’m trying to pace her not just through the day, the week but the course and be proactive and supportive as possible. I don’t think they know how to best support her, she doesn’t want to move schools.

When you say s19 provision is taking too long, when did you request AP? Is the LA ignoring you, refusing or unreasonably delaying? Who have you spoken to at the LA?

The inclusion manager is supposed to be liaising with school to do a school led provision because she can manage some school but I feel like each passing day with not long left in schoolthe pressure is mounting upon her and I am trying to be proactive and supportive.

The LA is fobbing you off. It is the LA who is ultimately responsible for ensuring CSA DC unable to attend school full-time receive a suitable full-time education. (Or where full-time in any form is not appropriate, as much as is appropriate.) It is still the LA with ultimate responsibility even if DD can manage part-time school. Go back to the LA. Email the Director of Children’s Services. If that doesn’t work, look for someone with capacity to take your case for a pre-action letter.

@Lelivrehow many GCSE subjects is she doing? Have you considered cutting back to core subjects only or plus one or two she wants to continue with? If she cuts back from say 10 to 7 subjects which is still perfectly adequate, that’d save so much anxiety over revision etc.

Are you familiar with Atom Learning (lots use it for KS2 and 11+ prep)? I’m sure I heard that they have now expanded to GCSE level

Thanks existingcoffee how do I look for someone with capacity please.

Re GCSE and reduced subject load. She has dropped one and it is a relief, but it is difficult to persuade her to drop any more at the moment.

She feels (at the moment) that if she is supported sufficiently with content for missed lessons she will be okay and can manage.

Thanks, I will take a look.

It is a matter of perseverance. Emailing/phoning firms. You could try Lawstop, Simpson Millar or Leigh Day.

SOSSEN do pre-action letters, but there is a wait, and some LAs are now sometimes ignoring these because they know you will still have to find a legal aid firm with capacity and that kicks the can down the road. Not all LAs and not all the time, but some and sometimes.

Thanks existingcoffee, it sounds like yet another battle that might be completely fruitless. I’m just aware of the time slipping away.

Perhaps I’ll try the head of children’s services first. I do feel school could be a little bit more communicative around missed lessons in the meantime. I don’t want to lose good will there. What leverage do I have with the school, is contacting the governors appropriate?

Is she staying at the school for sixth form?

Hi OP,
I've been thinking about this and really the school could and should be doing more, irrespective of section 19 and ehcpna.

First thing I think would be helpful for you to conceptualise in understanding school's duties is that your daughter's condition meets the definition of a disability under the Equality Act. That may feel very odd, as she is gifted, but read the definition below. I think it fits:

https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010

This means that she is entitled to reasonable adjustments.

Guide to reasonable adjustments here:

https://www.norfolksendiass.org.uk/informationzone/send-resources-3/sen-support-resources-2/reasonable-adjustments?q=rea

(That is my local SEND info and advice support service. It will be worth your speaking to your local one - search your area and IASS)

It should be straightforward for teachers to send home the slides and worksheets etc that they use in lessons. This would be a reasonable adjustment and if nothing else would let you know what topics DD is missing so that you can use resources signposted here to fill those gaps.

There is a template letter here for requesting reasonable adjustments. Chatgpt may also help.

Template Letter Education (Requesting To Make Reasonable Adjustment).docx www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/717/kw/templates%20education/session/L3RpbWUvMTc3Mjk1OTgxNi9zaWQvYURnalZScnI%3D

Hope that is helpful.

And I think start by sending it to the head/head of year and then to the Governors if not response after 14 days.
For me, sending a legalist letter got me a phone call from the head (after weeks and weeks of having my nicey nicey emails and phone calls ignored).

You are all so kind trying to help me nudge everyone into action. She is so able that she has been left to it all this time. Until now this has been fine but things are shifting as she progresses in the course/s. I feel she needs more signposting and a bit more in the way of check-ins from subject leads. More than none anyway.

loncake, I will read that properly. Thank you.

No sixth form.

I think it is worth pursuing section 19 provision.

The school must make reasonable adjustments as per the Equality Act, they must make their best endeavours to meet DD’s SEN as per The Children’s and Families Act 2014 and the must make a sickness return as per the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024. So, yes, I would go back to the school. At this point, jumping straight to the governors is unlikely to be helpful. I would go back to the SENCO. If that doesn’t get you anywhere, I would speak to the member of SLT with responsibility for SEN, then the HT. However, the school does not have to send work home, and even if they did, the LGO is clear this does not relieve the LA of their duty.

Yes, I agree - pursue s.19 (letter to LA DCS) alongside going back to school requesting that they make reasonable adjustments such as sending work home.

We did this. Helpful! Thank you. Still no actual provision and her health is not going in the right direction but we feel more optimistic. The DCS suggestion was good. We will keep up the pressure.

If emailing the DCS hasn’t resulted in provison being provided, I would look for someone who has the capacity to write a pre-action letter.

Thank you. We are not afraid to do that.

They are now engaging much better. We will wait a few days more, we have been very direct and used the understanding and steer you have given. It has helped keep the message simple and firm around immediate, interim provision whilst they figure out other matters that were being used as reasons not to deliver her need.

@Octavia64please would you advised if your dc has a HR monitor for this or just the app. I can’t quite figure out what kit is required if any. She has an Apple Watch and iPhone. I think it might be very useful to her. Thank you.

@Octavia64I think I see what’s needed now, it’s just saying it’s designed to be for over 18s only so I would have to adjust her birth year to sign up.

she has a band thing hat she wears on her upper arm

I am going to chase the EHCNA today. I did not realise I had to request assessments. Please would you kindly advise?

I will ask for Paediatrics, OT, Physio, ED Psych.

Please would you advise about SLT. She is incredibly articulate she is confident both public speaking and 1:1 interpersonal interactions with all ages. How might it help her?

I've just had a wall of silence since the EHCNA was requested citing delay with Ed psych. How can I best nudge this forward. They know she has deteriorated and sec 19 in progress.