Is it good thinking for year 11 (GCSEs)

[Nixxy73]

I'm at a point where I am considering H/E for my child who is nearly 16!!! She has health complications which has impacted her attendance at school massively so she is missing out. I don't know what to do for the best at this point. H/E or keep trying to get her into school and hope she catches up. Her Mock GCSEs start on the 29th.

Wby not see how she does in her mocks? What is the difficulty with getting her into school is it mental health wise or physical health wise? To be honest I have a son in Year 11 who fkr various different reasons might not reach his potential in the GCSEs this year. We have just told him go, do your best and if you dont get what you need do them again next year in college.

Hi, thanks for the reply. She is struggling mentally and physically. It's mainly the physical that stops her from going but the mental side of it is making it harder to get her in. Without going into too much detail she has a skin condition that is debilitating. Her attendance as I said is not good and I am worried things will get worse when she can't achieve what her friends are and what she is capable of.

Why would HE help? Do you tutors lined up? Can you teach several subjects yourself? How supportive are her school?

Having her on a reduced subject timetable, concentrating on say 5 subjects would possibly be a much better idea, then if she wanted she could either pick up a couple of others next year or move straight to a level 3 course at school/college.

What does she want to do next? DS only needs Maths and English for the course he wants to do at college so we are focusing on those revision wise and the school have been supportive of this approach. There is always next year. I think in times gone by they very much used to push the idea if you didn't pass your GCSEs at school you were screwed but this very much isn't the case anymore.

In short, no, starting home education at the stage in Year 11 is (most likely) a terrible idea. I say this as someone who home educated my son through GCSEs (from year 8 to year 11).

Have a read of this: he-exams.fandom.com/wiki/Starting_Home_Education_in_Year_11

If you do pull her out, be prepared to switch to different exam boards and specifications, reduce the number of exams she takes or take an extra year to do some (which might be a good idea anyway given her health issues) and pay for everything that taking exams privately involves.

If you do decide to home educate her, speak to her current school about whether they'd allow her to take her exams as a private candidate with them as that way they might allow her to use the science practical work that she's done already and the english language speaking assessment. That would help the situation.

Rather than EHE is medical needs tuition in place as DD can’t attend school full time? Does DD have an EHCP? If she does have you considered EOTAS?

If she is struggling because of missed time in lessons it might be worth stepping back a year. If she is not ok in physical school, and if you could afford it she could consider a correspondence type of course ( no, they don’t rely on the postal service any more!), tutor services, online schools, something like the NEC or just getting hold of text books and past papers. She could try iGCSEs instead - it’s all just the exams at the end so no coursework component, and no physical science required ( but I think if she wanted to do A levels you’d have to get practicals arranged - there are services to provide that but at cost again)
There are many different types of Home education - explore the options before make a decision. The HE Exams Wiki is a good place to explore, or check out private exam centre websites, they have partners that they work with and might even offer a little advice based on you situation.
I hope she does really well and makes a good recovery as far as possible.

How much has she missed?
my dd had 27% attendance in year 11 due to illness. It was decided to drop two subjects to protect the others. School provided all the resources required for continuing learning from home (tbh they were appalling, and I had to chase for absolutely everything) but dd managed to get through with decent grades. She’s now at uni

In case it is relevant, for child benefit to continue when EHEing it needs to begin before 16 unless there is an EHCP.

You don’t need to EHE to access online school or tutors, it can be provided via medical needs tuition and an EHCP.

It's more common than you might think for DC to be unable to attend FT and for school to help them, not just slap fines on you. There's also a middle ground of her going in for some lessons and having school's blessing to stay at home for others. Unless thinghgs are irretrievable I would try to work with them - if there are medical needs they should support her studies even if some or all of them need to be done at home.

I wouldn't go in saying you need everything to be mapped out between now and June. Start by asking for a temporary reduced timetable. There will be paperwork if she is on a reduced timetable for more than 6 weeks, but it is doable if the need is there. Supporting her with doing some subjects from home, or by school sending work home or providing a tutor, should be possible, though it'll be a fight. But if she stays on roll at least she can sit her exams at school. Ultimately while she is on roll, school has a vested interest in maximising her grades. Presenteeism followed by her breaking down and being unable to revise or sit her exams is not in their interest either.

I really think medical needs tuition would be a better route for you than EHE. If DD can’t attend school full time, it is the LA with the duty to provide a full time education, not the school, so the school don’t have to send work home and even if they do it isn’t legally considered enough, the LA still have a duty to provide education once it becomes clear 15 days will be missed. The days don’t need to be consecutive or already missed.

Part time timetables shouldn’t be used long term. Pupils should be in school full time or the LA should make alternative arrangements instead of or as well as school.

Out LA had that duty to provide education for my DD, they didn’t do it, we complained, they and the school apologised! Nothing came of it, DD still disadvantaged. Unless you do something yourself the system won’t

Keep her in if possible- can you work with the school to sort out half days, home study or anything?

When my DD is off school for ASD / anxiety she does revision from GCSE books and catches up on work. She usually learns more than at school that way.

She’s chosen to stay in the school system rather than homeschooling after we figured the organising and travelling involved for her taking exams independently was beyond us (location wise and we get overwhelmed easily!)

It would be a lot more straightforward if your dd can sit all her exams with everyone else since she’s so far along.

Make sure she has revision books! They have everything in them.

You could have forced the LA to provide provision under s.19 of the Education Act 1996 by beginning judicial review proceedings.

And also applied for an EHCNA and complained to the LGO.

I tried, they said they’d get round to her but they were busy! . I made an official complaint to LA and School, both were upheld, and apologies issued. But they were pointless. I spent the entire of her yet 11 emailing and calling the LA to put things in place for her, together with her medical consultants we got absolutely nowhere!! It was pointless, a total waste of energy. The only thing which worked was me going into school once a week and refusing to leave until I had a weeks worth of work from every subject teacher, sitting with her and teaching her my self. The system simply isn’t there to care

I think the problem was you didn’t threaten judicial review and follow through with the threat. As that would have resolved the situation. In this circumstance you don’t want to go via the LA’s formal complaints policy as it is too slow, you need to threaten JR and then follow through with a pre-action letter if that doesn’t work.

You could have also complained to the LGO.

The only thing which worked was me going into school once a week and refusing to leave until I had a weeks worth of work from every subject teacher, sitting with her and teaching her my self.

The duty is the LA’s not the school’s, and work sent home doesn’t negate the LA’s duty. The LGO are clear on that.

But this would all take considerable time and the OP's daughter is in year 11.

Medical needs tuition must be provided once it becomes clear 15 days will be missed, the days don’t need to have already been missed or consecutive. If the LA delay or refuse to provide provision JR is a relatively quick resolution.

And if she applies for an EHCNA and secures an EHCP that can continue until 25 or 26 in some circumstances.

The problem is when you have a really sick child, that’s enough, and they know that, they know you’re vulnerable and they play you. The system is awful. They don’t care. You don’t know all those things that you’re all telling me now at the time. There really is no help. The authorities are just paper pushers. As are the schools

Medical needs must be provided……. What a joke…..:

Sorry… medical needs tuition must be provided…….. what a joke……..

LAs don’t provide anything unless forced. I’m not saying it is easy but it is possible to force the LA to provide the provision. Parents shouldn’t accept the LA acting unlawfully.

Unfortunately DC whose parents know the law and can advocate for them get better support. It shouldn’t be like that but it is. The system needs to change but I don’t see that happening any time soon.

If the LA refuse parents can force provision to be provided via JR if necessary. Often the threat or pre-action letter works but if it doesn’t JR proceedings will.

And that’s just wrong

I agree, it is wrong and as a result the system is failing many DC. It shouldn’t be that way. Unfortunately it is and parents should be supported to enforce their DC’s rights rather than accept the LA’s unlawful practices.