Long term medical absence in Y10

[Todaythiscouldbe]

I'm looking for some advice, I have tried to speak to the school but nothing seems to be moving quickly.
My son broke his leg 3 weeks ago, it's a complex break and he is in the 3rd cast now due to complications with swelling and other issues. It is a full leg cast that is straight and needs to be kept elevated as much as possible.
His school have said they can't accommodate him as the lift is broken and the classrooms do not have space for him to keep his leg elevated. 2 weeks ago I was told that a tutor would provide an hour of maths, english and science at home per day, this hasn't happened. I've asked for work to be set, this hasn't happened. I've asked for an idea of the subject being studied, this hasn't happened.
I had a meeting arranged last week but when I got to the school I was told nobody was available to see me and I had to rearrange, to date nobody has responded with a date.
I'm trying to juggle working, constant visits to the hospital and speaking to school and I'm at the end of my tether.
Sorry this is so long, I really want to know if anybody has any experience of this or any advice as to what I need to ask for.

Children’s hospitals often have a teacher/play assistant that can at least set him something age appropriate to do. For the really long stayers (cancer etc) they liaise with school and sort programmes of learning. Clearly some kids illness means they aren’t able to study ‘normally’. But your son should be bored witless by now... he may be well up for some quadratic equations!

Who in school have you contacted? Form tutor? Pastoral support??

I've known kids with injuries be accommodated in the library - their teachers have sent work down, and hopefully their friends may be able to go and join them at breaks/lunchtimes. It's not ideal but better than just waiting a month to make a start on trying to catch up. I think you're entitled to do some serious hassling of the school if they're doing nothing.

He's not in hospital, although I think it would be far easier if he was!
I've spoken to head of year, pastoral, medical and attendance officers. Next step is the head, but getting to him is a mission in itself.
I'm glad you haven't said I'm being unreasonable expecting support from school, I was beginning to wonder.

DD has to have an op on her knee at the start of year 10 which resulted in 4 weeks off school. Whilst her school does have a lift, she wasn’t able to get herself about until the leg brace was taken off and she’d had the first few physio sessions.

Her school signed her up for an online learning system (I think it was called edlounge but I could be wrong) which she was able to use to cover topics in most of her subjects. It also meant that if she spent 4 hours a day on it she wouldn’t be classed as absent.

My DD was ill in year 10 and I think the hospital teachers told us when she was discharged that once she had missed school for 2 weeks, the schools were legally obliged to provide work? Perhaps you could get advice from the hospital school (if there isn't one, try phoning one of the children's hospitals for advice?)

School Have a duty to provide work.

Phone the HEAD OF YEAR tomorrow morning and ask each department to provide a revision booklet he can work through. Say you will be in school to collect it Wednesday at 3pm. Also ask for this ro be a meeting with the HOY as a hand over. (Ir end of school day). Thank you etc.
I find if you go with specifics, it is harder to be fobbed off.

Revision book or text book.

That is rubbish by the school op, so sorry.

I had a student in my year 10 group broke his leg (spiral fracture??) playing football and couldn't come to my classroom so he was accommodated in Learning Support (all on one level) and I and other teachers sent him work to do. (he didn't do it but that's cos he was a lazy article).

Surely the school should be able to sort out similar? Could he get to school and sit somewhere?

It’s not ideal but while you wait for the school to actually provide him with work get him to text his friends and ask what they’ve been doing. What are they studying in English? You can get him the book they’re reading for example. What have they been studying in science? Get him to watch YouTube videos of experiments, bbc bite size is also a good resource.
It’s so difficult but school are failing him and provision needs to be made. As a pp suggested, phone hoy and set a date to collect work.

School will have a supporting children with medical needs policy.

A decision is made regarding an Individual health plan

Not all pupils with a medical condition will require an IHP. It will be agreed with a healthcare professional and the parents when an IHP would be inappropriate or disproportionate. This will be based on evidence. If there is not a consensus, the headteacher will make the final decision. If these is needed they have 2 weeks to put this in place.

I suggest your child won't fall into this category but read their policy and it isn't rocket science to be emailing work home

Contact the local authority. It's their job to provide home tuition under section 19 Education Act 2019.

Sorry, that date should be 1996.

Completely unacceptable behaviour from the school.

You need to put all communications with them in writing so that there is an official record of your interactions.

I would start today with an email along the lines of your post above addressed to Head, H of Y, Form teacher and copied to governors. List the promises they have made and highlight their failure to deliver.

Ask why no action has been taken despite repeated promises?

Say you expect a written response and a plan from the school by close of play on Tuesday.

Follow up with phone calls.

Remember if you do not have a written record of your interactions, it is difficult to show that they actually happened.

Thank you for all of the advice. I have all of my emails to and from the school. We're back at the hospital today but I will be emailing again as soon as I get home. I feel really let down, and my son is getting more and more stressed about the amount of school he is missing.

Yes, the LA are the ones responsible for providing education for your DS.

You may find this document helpful.

Thank you. Interesting reading. I've emailed (at 10am) and phoned twice. No response as yet. Now got a number for the education access team so I'll go directly to them.

As @rempy said. Large children's hospitals will have a school. Home education is usually arranged by the hospital school. Though they do vary. The hospital I trained at would have children who couldn't go to their own school as day pupils in the hospital school. My current hospital arranged home tuition instead.