Help! Urgent advice needed re Y12 missing school

[MEgirl]

I need some advice about how to tackle our situation. I'll try to be brief but it may get a bit garbled.

DS, Y12, was admitted to hospital almost 3 weeks ago to investigate a headache with associated neurological issues (twitching, arm and leg spasms, weakness on one side of the body). This was the week before half term and he missed 3 days of school. Current diagnosis, possible migraine. We're still in the process of following up.

This week, following half term, has been mocks week. DS attempted to go in to school to do some revision with his friends even though he wasn't recovered enough yet to actually write the exams. He was sent home and told not to come back to school until he is ready to write his exams.

The school will not allow him to even sit in any lessons until the mocks have been written. That may take some time as currently, when he attempts to write for any length of time he has a relapse. While I understand that he shouldn't be in lessons when they go over the tests, keeping him away after that means he misses new material that is being taught. He can't write properly at the moment but he can listen.

We have letters from the GP confirming that he is currently unable to write the exams and yesterday his neurologist signed him off indefinitely though that could be just for another week, depending on the results of tests which will be done this week.

The school have stated that without the mocks he will not be allowed to enter for the external exams at the end of the year.

I am baffled at the hard line that the school is taking. New material won't be covered in the exams though I suppose it build on material already learnt.

I could do with some advice about how to tackle this as the longer he is out of school the harder it will be to catch up. When I asked about the possibility of repeating the year should it come to that I was told that it would be up to the headteacher's discretion as to whether that would be allowed.

All of this worry could be for nothing as by the end of next week, after all the tests have been carried out, he may be able to return to school but it could be he'll need more time off.

I'm sorry I don't have any advice but bumping for you.
The only thing I can think of is contacting your local education board or Mp ?

It sounds like you've had a awful time Op & your poor Ds,I really hope he's better soon!
I hope someone else will have some advice for you.

Why not say he'll do the mocks with a scribe?

Is he really well enough to go into school, would it be so bad if he resat the year?

The school don't think he should be in and neither does the neurologist. The school should be able to tell him what work is being covered in the lessons and he should be able to use textbooks and photocopy friends' notes to keep up (unless reading causes problems too?).

I don't think you should be sending him into school until he's better, and then he can sit the mocks.

He would possibly be well enough to go in on Monday to attend lessons but the thought of having to do exams is stressing him out. Staying at home and missing lessons is causing stress. It's all a bit of a viscous circle. The neurologist said not to go back to school because of the requirement to sit the exams not because he is still unable to sit in lessons. I'll make another call to the school on Monday morning to see if they can be more acommodating.

He needs time to revise before taking the exams which will only extend the time at home even though we are trying to encourage him to do bits and pieces as and when he isn't feeling too bad.