How would I be able to HE as a single parent financially?

[Anothernamechanger1]

Dc is in year 6. Has had a lot of problems. He was at home most of year 5 and the attendance board were involved. Very stressful. He's doing ok at the moment, back at school for now. He has dyslexia and ASD. He has severe anxiety and under Camhs for it. I'm trying to basically think ahead, and I know I can't see in the future but I'm not sure he will cope at secondary school next year. I have registered him and he wants to go which is great.... however I think he will struggle which will mean his mental health deteriorate. (He's had suicidal thoughts) BUT im a LP. I wouldn't be able to work if I ended up having to take him out. I have another younger DC at school also. Their father is not on the scene and both my parents work and I don't have a support network so no one to look after him whilst I was at home. I couldn't leave him alone due to the ASD so that isn't an option! I need to work 16 hours to qualify for working tax credits. I won't be able to get a child minder for him term time only. Even if I could he would hate being around crying babies all day. I was thinking a tutor? But then you don't get ofsted registered tutors do you? (So I can get help toward the cost) any earnings I get won't cover a tutor...... are there any other options?!

Hi Another

Just looking at your story from a different perspective as a mum with a similar child who did fall apart on transition to secondary education

Have you applied for an EHCP for your son, this would allow you to place him in the most suitable school for him

You ask about interhigh, DD is now there under an EHCP at least 20 LA's and schools do fund places so precident has already been set, it's been fantastic for us

We initially paid with dla monthly until our LA agreed to fund her placement

Bristol actually have interhigh available as part of their local offer so other LA's are more likely to support an application

Hi user yes I applied earlier this year and it got rejected. They said they couldn't assess him as he wasn't in school (he wasn't when I applied) and then he's been back since September but the school say he 'isn't bad enough' to need one. Head says children worse than him have been refused lately as since the change to ehcp its harder to get it. Do you know if LAs would help if there wasn't ehcp? WhT are these interhighs? Is it an actual school they have to go to ?

Hi Another

I'm afraid you have been fibbed to! An assessment can be made even if your child is out of school, in fact it strengthens your case

Consider contacting ipsea or a local charity for support and re-apply

Interhigh is a school over the internet, if you google it you can watch a video that explains how it works, lots of kids like yours are there and they seem to thrive

That's what the actual LA said! I rang them after I had the letter!! Are you kidding me?! I'm fuming! The head said they need to have 3 lots of 'school action plus' before THEY can apply but I have since been told that is incorrect. He's at school now so irrelevant but makes me livid as I would be more likely to get it then than now!

I'm presuming that is a massive expense if you can't get LA to help?

One point you do need to be aware of is that you cannot claim any help towards childcare from tax credits IF that childcare is as part of your compulsory education.

So even if you could find a ofstead reg tutor you wouldn't be able to claim the childcare element towards it.

That's true.

However, a childminder who isn't providing an education could be used, and the OP could provide an education during the hours when she isn't at work. In practice a CM can provide a very rich educational environment - personally I think the distinction between "childcare" and "education" can be fairly arbitrary as I feel that children learn from everything around them - but technically a CM who doesn't claim to be educating the child is "only" providing childcare.

Some CMs specialise in older children, so he won't necessarily have to spend time with babies and toddlers. Some home educating parents are childminders. I made use of such CMs when I worked. They took the kids to HE activities, had plenty of good resources around the home, and didn't have to haul all the kids off on school/nursery runs as they had no mindees at school or nursery.

Thanks both. We are quite rural here and the child minders all have babies and toddlers (I know who most of them are) I could look further afield of course but I think it's unlikely I would find that. The ASD causes the main problem as if he's not happy with a situation and hat makes him anxious he will end up in meltdown which wouldn't be fair on him, a minder or any other children.

It isn't possible to have the assessment without being in school, but the system is geared towards school involvement. (A HEing friend has recently gone through this. Their child has never been to school and they made it clear they didn't want LA involvement. The assessment was triggered through the NHS, who contacted the LA. . That was "what they normally do" and the individuals concerned didn't have enough brain cells to work out a way to do it without LA involvement. )

*is possible

What would be the benefit of having an ehcp when you HE? i want him to start secondary school but I want to have my back up plans in place in case it doesn't work (although I'm pretty sure it won't, i obviously haven't told him I think that) he's already voicing concerns over it, about he homework and he thinks he will get expelled etc

To better understand any conditions/difficulties their child had.

If I manage managed get him his ehcp but did end up taking him out during secondary, what happens then?