I want to deregister Y10 DD, we'll probaby lose EHCP

[Elephantstatue]

DD is in Y10 and really not coping at school. She has EHCP for cognition and learning - mainly dyslexia and learning anxiety. She goes to school but not really to classes so isn't learning.

Last year she was anxious and self harming. Private therapy really helped with that v. expensive though. She is currently depressed and has suicidal thoughts. Is known to CAMHs but shes stuck in cross referrals between them, well-being service and gp.

As whole point of KS4 schooling is to push her through GCSEs and given the fact she has missed most of first 18 months, failing has become self fulfilling prophecy. I think we should get her out of there. Unschool her, allow her to follow her many talents and interests and try again in college at 16+

What do you think?

I love the idea of home ed, but have never actually done it, so I'm not the voice of experience here.

However, I did used to work in secondary schools (also one primary) working with children with EHCPs and SEN. I definitely think conventional school settings do not suit every child.

There are alternative schools in my area which are specifically for children who did not suit standard secondary. They are more relaxed with timetables and much smaller class sizes. If you can get her into somewhere like that, would it be an option?

Also, children with EHCPs in the school's I worked in were allowed to drop all but five core subjects at GCSE in extreme circumstances to take the pressure off. It wasn't advertised, but if parents spoke to the SENCO it could happen.

If you do want to home ed, and I totally see why, would you be getting her to do her GCSEs?

GD had an EHCP and went to a school of 40 pupils. She had missed 18 months of schooling but in small classes - 3 for Maths and 1-2-1 for music - she got 6 GCSEs and is now at FE college studying Animal Management and coping very well. I would think that a small special school would be better than being home educated as they will help her learn to cope with being out in the world.

I m doing my senco training currently, so apologies if there are any errors.
As I understand it, in extreme circumstances when a graduated approach has not worked for students with an EHCP and they are struggling to access their school, you can apply to have the school removed from section I of the EHCP and you can ask for a “personal budget” which is essentially where you can use the money attached to the EHCP to employ tutors at home and the like.
i expect though that the LA would want to see that everything has been tried, how are the school supporting your daughter with learning if she can’t be in the classroom?
Again apologies if any errors, I m sure someone more knowledgable will be able to correct me if I m wrong.

Talk to your local authority and SENDIAS. You can do something called EOTAS and as for a personal budget to be allocated to enable this. You shouldn’t lose your EHCP 😊

The EHCP won’t cease but the LA won’t be responsible for delivering the provision in F.

Personally, I wouldn’t EHE. But neither would I carry on as you are.

I would request an early review with a view to pushing for amendments, including the inclusion of therapies in F (as DD has an EHCP you don’t need to pay for private therapies) and attending a school isn’t suitable pursuing EOTAS. The reason I wouldn’t EHE is because unless you are very rich EOTAS can provide much more than anyone EHE’ing can. That’s not a criticism of anyone EHE, but a statement of what is available via EOTAS. Sometimes EOTAS looks very much like EHE as that is what is suitable.

In the meantime if DD can’t attend school the LA must provide alternative arrangements and anything specified and quantified in F.

Don’t trust what the LA tell you, especially about EOTAS. And be careful with SENDIASS, some are good, but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.

After seeing my DS really struggle in mainstream your solution sounds reasonable to me.

At 16 your DD could start a level 1 or 2 course in something that interests her.
You could keep her on roll at school but medically signed off and ask for support at home or you could do as you suggest and de- register.
You won’t lose your EHCP.

I think we should get her out of there. Unschool her, allow her to follow her many talents and interests and try again in college at 16+

I have done this with one of mine, it's been life changing for her so from that POV I would say do it if you can. We have come to terms with the fact that exams are not going to be for her and even college for vocational qualifications seems out of reach although it's early days.

I don't know anything about EHCP though because I'm in Scotland.

You absolutely won't lose your EHCP!!!

Just the LEA is no longer responsible for funding the provision within it. You are. But it is acknowledged that that might be different from the provisions within the EHCP as long as you are meeting the need within the EHCP.

You should still have an annual review with the LEA to review the provisions within the EHCP.

But YY to looking at EOTAS. Consider provisions like Interhigh which can have great success with anxious school destroyed girls

Thank you for fast replies.

She is on reduced timetable but that mainly means up giving up things she likes in favour of things she hates because they are core.

I've been in touch with EOTAS, there are self managed learning colleges round her and one expensive independant with tiny classes.

But I am questioning thw wisdom of forcing her through GCSE at 16. She is easily bright enough and will get reasonable adjustments but its wrecking her mental health. I think with some time out and some maturing she may be in a bettet place to do it at 18.

It sounds like an excellent plan to me. You've given school a really good go and it is clearly just not working for your daughter. Time to try something else. Parents of children like yours often say that mental health trumps everything. In other words, if they are suffering, don't bother second-guessing where their education may be going and what's the ideal education. First do what you can to address mental health needs. An education can always come later.

(Personally, I feel that unschooling - or "autonomous education" as it is more often known in the UK - really does offer an excellent education. But even if you doubt that, with a child in such distress, you seem to have no choice at the moment.)

You know your daughter best. The unschooling approach is often recommended in a case where the child has felt overwhelmed by learning demands. At the very least, have a complete break from all adult-led formal learning for a number of months to give time for recovery.

You can always reassess that later if you want. One good thing about home education is that you don't have to keep in lock step with what others are doing. Get off the treadmill and have a break. If your daughter does do GCSEs, that can happen at any age. She can also start college later than 16. It's true there are some age-linked funding restrictions; I don't remember the details but I do know there are a few years' "grace" - I think it may be necessary to start a Level 3 course by the age of 19 to get funding(?)

When you say you have been in touch with EOTAS, what do you mean? EOTAS isn’t a place.

DD shouldn’t be on a part time timetable long term. She should be in school full time or if that isn’t suitable the LA should be making suitable alternative arrangements as well or instead of part time school.

I mean I have been in touch with EOTAS service in my LA and asked about provision. They have explained what they provide and said they will take referrals for can't attend school re anxiety. They did emphasise it was meant to be short term intervention. But my main problem with EOTAS is its core subjects for GCSE.

But I am questioning thw wisdom of forcing her through GCSE at 16. She is easily bright enough and will get reasonable adjustments but its wrecking her mental health. I think with some time out and some maturing she may be in a bettet place to do it at 18.

This is exactly what stopped me from home education for much longer than it should have. I had to realise that there is no time limit on exams, they are not for everyone and despite DD being academically able her mental health is far more important than a pice of paper that says she did a course on maths. Her brother is highly academic and sailed through it with straight As and is at university now. Her path isn't the same, she needs time and understanding and the pressure removed. If she never sits an exam i don't particularly care anymore, so long as I have my daughter.

It sounds like you have been in touch with the medical needs tuition service which provides EOTAS under s.19 of the Education Act 1996. This is different to EOTAS via an EHCP.

EOTAS via an EHCP can be long term, more than just core subjects (or no subjects as it completely depends on individual needs) and what is provided is depends on what is in the EHCP not on what is normally provided locally.

Thanks percypp and others who've been through this. I've known for ages that exams - and especially exams now aren't important. But bizarrelly DD likes school, she's well liked by her teachers and I'm not in a position to support home ed. Need to work full time. So we've put decision off for a long time.

Both of my kids have been unschooled, though for different reasons. The eldest sat one GCSE at 19, one at 20, and then went to uni to do an arts-related degree where they are doing brilliantly. I feel that pushing them to do GCSEs by 16 would have damaged their health severely. Having time to focusing on their areas of interest enabled them to develop excellent skills and portfolio.

The younger one is 16 and does not yet have any formal qualifications, but is learning all sorts of useful things. She has a learning disability and needs to go at a slower pace than other kids. Key for her is that she didn't spend 30 hours a week being implicitly compared to a classroom of other kids whose academic aptitude was higher than hers. She can read now, and it doesn't matter that she developed that skill at 14. She never felt inadequate about it in the preceding years, during which she was succeeding in other areas. She is confident and happy.

I disagree with a PP who suggested that home ed does not enable kids to cope with being out in the real world as well as school does. If you forget the name "home education" and think about what it really IS, it's apparent that kids who are not educated at school literally ARE out in the real world. They have the time and opportunity to mix with the rest of society more freely than if they spent most of their time in an institution which is separate from society.

For example, my eldest had the time to do voluntary work, paid work, and hobbies alongside adults and see first-hand how the world works in a whole variety of environments. They helped older adults learn to use the internet, advocated for disabled fellow members of a ladies' choir to be allowed to perform more safely, found me a cheaper insurance deal, set up a database for a local small business, researched and costed and carried out DIY projects in our house... how is that not the real world?

But none of what you have written is unique to EHE. All of it, and much more, is available with an EHCP.

I had to deregister my year 10 child from school. The Head of Year (an aggressive unprofessional plonker of a PE teacher) demonstrated no understanding of mental health issues and took a heavy handed approach (he said to either attend school or deregister) and pushed my socially anxious child to crisis behaviour involving suicidal thoughts. My child was desperate to return to school but needed proper help to do so.

It’s been a long journey since. My linked LA home Ed person has been great, aware I’m doing the best I can to support my child through a tricky patch. After the initial relief of leaving it took a while for my child to process school based trauma and the regret of not being with school friends day time.

im sure you’re aware the wait for CAHMS is awful. Access weekly teen counselling privately in the mean time.

We have slowly built upon my child’s interests, cookery, crochet, pottery, a small Saturday job, DIY and seeing friends out of school. There are lots of opportunities in the home Ed community to meet others and join various interesting groups. If your child is self motivated they could do igcse’s online, one or five igcses? Some colleges also do GCSEs and vocational courses with children 14 years upwards.

Please join your local home Ed facebook group and ask what’s available in your area.

There isn't a local EOTAS service.

EOTAS is a package of funding you request. So you cost up a private tuition service (eg interhigh), therapy (eg physio counselling), outside school etc and request that provision as part of the EHCP. Often it takes some pushing and you may need Solicitors. when we were looking at it at at transition to secondary LEA were looking to agree it because it was cheaper than him being in school, this time its going to tribunal (although ironically DS is now too sick for EOTAS either unfortunately). More people are asking for it because it works. It's a long term solution as an alternative to traditional schooling.

I think you are actually talking about the service for medical absence. As a service its really more designed structurally for a child who, say, is having chemotherapy and needs to keep the core subjects going.its temporary. It is working to reintegrate the child back into school. Do not let the LEA convince you this is EOTAS. It absolutely isn't.

he said to either attend school or deregister

You didn’t need to listen to the school’s scare tactics, these aren’t the only options.

Eotas sits as a hybrid. Its home education, you are responsible for it, but it is still funded by the LEA. (Which homeschooling usually isnt)

In many areas medical needs tuition is called EOTAS because that is also what s.19 of the Education Act calls it. But it is different to EOTAS via an EHCP.

although ironically DS is now too sick for EOTAS either unfortunately

I would be interested to know why you think this because EOTAS packages are bespoke to an individual’s needs so can meet all needs. They don’t need to include any formal provision.

I never understand why schools do this with part time timetables. They timetable disliked core subjects and not enjoyable subjects which would give a better school experience and better engagement. It seems schools struggle to truly centre the child and their mental health.

Its home education, you are responsible for it,

No it’s not! Parents are not responsible for it, can not be compelled to organise, facilitate or deliver any part of it. Although LAs will often tell you otherwise.

If you daughter is interesting in some of her GCSEs and likes school... but cannot cope with core stuff...
And you cannot home school as are at work...

Would it be worth looking at the courses she's currently doing, picking out what she enjoys and might well succeed in and tell school she is doing those only. If that means she is only doing art and music or whatever she enjoys it gives her something to focus on this year, keeps the council responsible for her EHCP and keeps her in the system. She can maybe sit the functional maths and English papers if that keeps them happy without too much work is she's reasonably OK with the basics of these subjects. She can then go on to college and pick up whatever next year?