Looking for info on flexi schooling

[SuperSue77]

Just wondered if anyone had got their child’s secondary school to agree to this at secondary and if it worked? My year 7 ASD/ADHD son is finding it tough but doesn’t want to be out of school either - just wondered if this might be a better solution to maintain his MH and stamina for school. No EHCP and haven’t got the energy to fight for one since our request to assess was refused. He’s really bright, just struggles with how overwhelming a 1000+ secondary school is.

No EHCP and haven’t got the energy to fight for one since our request to assess was refused

I think you need to find the energy before making any big changes like this

Is he diagnosed ASD / ADHD?

Virtually all EHC needs assessments are rejected initially. It's a (disgraceful) cost-saving exercise to try to weed out people who aren't knowledgeable about the system. I agree with PP to try to get going with this then you will likely have greater success with getting any adjustments like flexi-schooling.

Sorry, should have been clearer, you need to appeal the refusal to assess.

Yes, diagnoses of ASD in year 4 and ADHD in year 5. Applied for EHCP in year 6, refused as they said school was meeting need - his SATS scores supported that, 120, 117 and 114. But primary school was much smaller and could put more support in place than a secondary can. Even a supportive secondary like the one he is at. If we go for an EHCP again, I think there is a 12 month restriction before reapplying - though maybe being in a different key stage means we could apply again straight away. If not we’d need to wait to next year as last request was submitted Feb 23. Round here EHCPs are taking around 18 months once you’ve gone through appealing every stage of the process. So realistically we could be looking at 2 years before we could get an EHCP in place - he could well be out of school by that stage due to EBSA.

That’s why I wanted to see if anyone had tried this for their child, pros and cons, how willing is school to consider it etc. I believe it’s something they want to consider for just a limited time, if he could do it to GCSE option stage then he’d be back in full time focusing on the subjects he is interested in and once he has more maturity. At the moment he’s like a 9 year old trying to cope in a school of 1000 teenagers.

I’ve missed the window for appealing the refusal to assess - you have 2 months, it’s now been 6. What do I do the in meantime though? I’m not prepared to allow my son to reach crisis just to get the LA to agree to give him the support he needs.

Op I think it’s 6 months you have to wait to reapply. Do speak to SENDIASS. I think less than 5% of refusal to assess appeals fail.

So if they refuse again, you just appeal and you will almost certainly get assessment

Vanishingly unlikely that a school would agree to this without an EHCP.

You say the issue is that he finds the environment overwhelming. Is it the noise? Or the crowds? The visual glare?

There are lots of things the school might be able to put in place to support your D's without an ehcp. Eg. Let him out of class 2 mins early so he doesn't have to be in busy corridors. Chance to spend break in a quiet, calm environment such as send hub or library. Ear defenders or mini ear phones like calmer to block out noise. Quiet place to eat lunch so doesn't have to go into noisy lunch hall. advance warning of bells Etc.

OP, sadly I think it's very unlikely a school would allow this (for one thing, a part time timetable generally isn't legal) and it will impact their attendance statistics.

Although no harm in asking if they'd allow it till Xmas. What were you thinking, mornings only?

What have they tried so far?

At my school we'd have: given time out card; access to SEN space; reduced homework; placed in nurture classes; offered TA-led group at break or lunch; and a small group of the most struggling students go to a therapeutic farm for a week.

Double check you're not able to appeal the refusal to assess. Ask Ipsea. Or failing that @thomaswastortured will know!

I do sympathise. Come over to my EHCP support thread if you like.

There is more to EHCPs than academic ability. Request an EHCNA and appeal if refused.

There isn’t a 12 month restriction on requesting another EHCNA. You can request an EHCNA again at any time. If the LA previously carried out a needs assessment within the last 6 months, they could refuse to undertake another one and there wouldn’t be the right of appeal, but that won’t apply to you if they refused to assess. The EHCP timescales are statutory and can be enforced.

In the meantime, if DS can’t attend school full-time because of SEN/MH the LA has a duty to ensure he receives a suitable full-time education.

Join the Not Fine in School Facebook group. Contact Sunshine Support for a free 30 mins phone call. It doesn't matter what your local policy is- the law states that there are 2 conditions to accept an EHCNA referral and that's possibility of (or in your case confirmation of) additional needs and a potential to (or in your case evidence of) need support in school over and above a typical child. Please appeal this or reapply now.

Part time timetables should be progressive and working towards the goal of reintegration but there's not a legal definition of how long this takes. My daughter is academically able and autistic and has been on one for 9 weeks and counting since starting secondary... she sounds very similar to your son. Meet with your Senco and the Head of Year if you'd like to pursue it. It'll need approving by the Head and the LA need informing but school will do that. Flexischooling isn't something we've looked at at the moment as she is attending 60% of lessons abd completing homework and she is completely wiped by this.

Sorry it's so rough.

I was thinking a day or two a week when he would home school rather than be in school. They do 2-week timetables and I was looking for a day when there is no maths, English or the subjects he enjoys to select as the day at home. I could only find one day on both weeks that would fit.

I met with the SENCO in July, with a rep from the LA and the Head of Year. We talked about potential adaptations but nothing out in place when he started and I have not heard from the SENCO since. I’ve done everything so far - sent all his subject teachers his one page profile at start of term, requested he be shown where the inclusion centre is and given a pass to be allowed to go there. Asked for him to be moved away from pupils who trigger him (the one time I didn’t because I was conscious of how often I was contacting them, it resulted in the pupil goading my son so much that my son swore at him and got put into isolation for an hour.

My son needs a laptop for writing tasks - we have provided it and whilst some teachers allow him to use it, they’re not really set up for him using it and I have to figure out work arounds for it to work.

The school is an inclusive and supportive schools and all the teachers I’ve contacted have responded quickly and supportively, the only one I’ve not heard from is the SENCO and I imagine it’s because he’s so stretched. I’ve been told by someone outside school that they think I need to step back and let school do all the work I’m doing - but I don’t have faith that they will. Not because they don’t think it’s acceptable or worthwhile, but because they simply don’t have the resources and time to do so.

I tried contacting IPSEA but after hours hanging on the phone and after e-mailing being told I just had to wait for an appt to show on the website (it didn’t no matter how often I looked) I just don’t have the time to pursue it.

The reason I didn’t appeal the refusal to assess was because at the time I was putting all my effort into appealing his secondary school place. I tried to get him into our local secondary that is closest to us and all his friend have gone to, including his friend with same diagnoses but who has EHCP (he lives further away but got in sure to his EHCP) but appeal refused. 24th on waiting list last time I checked which was just before half term. So I didn’t just give up when we got the refusal to assess, I had just run out of everything, emotionally and physically. I have a stressful full time job and two other daughters to support, there is only so much one woman can do! He’s at a different school to his sisters as they are at an all girls school. I was also trying to get him into an independent school which was smaller and small class sizes but they turned him down as they were more bothered about their profit than children’s well-being.

Can you tag your EHCP thread so I can check it out? Just read that I can reapply for EHCP, another poster said that the restriction in reapplying seems to be if you’ve been assessed and they refuse to issue. But to do so I’d need to update his info, and presumably get school onside too.

I’m in the Not Fine in School Facebook group which is where I heard about flexi schooling! The idea occurred to me because we decided not to send him to school this Monday as it’s all non core lessons and 3 hours of physical activity that wipes him out. We’re going to get him doing his homework during that time as he struggles with the concept of “homework” but if it’s during hours when he would normally be in school I think he’ll be more willing to engage.

In an ideal world, he’d be doing less subjects, and be in a smaller setting, as he can’t have that I wondered if flexi schooling could be an alternative that achieves a similar outcome. Less exposure to stresses, and an opportunity to focus on the subjects he enjoys and excels in, in a safe environment. He does an hour a week of coding mentoring, which he has to do after school currently, which he loves but it really takes it out of him after a full day at school (it also coincides with an after school coding club and we can’t change to any other night after school as all other evenings are booked up, but during the day would be available).Being able to do this during the week day would stop him being worn out for the next day at school.

There are flexi schools near us but only primary, it is perfectly legal and not to do with p-time timetables.

Secondary you're going to struggle I think.

Bums on seat = money for the school at the end of the day.

Plus they may be concerned about whether he will be able to sit exams in Y11.

Worth a conversation but I wouldn't hold up your hopes too high OP.

I would have liked to do this with OP but he has an EHCP and the flexi school we applied to (and primary) said no - too complex with EHCP funding apparently.

Could you home ed? Is that an option? And try what pp have suggested as reasonable adjustments for his SEN?

I don't have flexi schooling but have managed to get rid of some subjects for my YR9 DD. No art, music, Spanish or PE. School not happy about this but it has helped and they were 'better' when she struggled to rejoin after summer hols. I think they thought I was exaggerating.

We are mid EHCP process for info (EP was in yest). I hear you re the fight, it's just hideous and all encompassing. I wish you luck with whatever you do. I am not sure what will happen with GCSEs next year and am already hassling school to meet re this.

Free lessons alleviate pressure for my DD.

https://www.theschoolrun.com/what-flexi-schooling

https://nasen.org.uk/news/can-flexi-schooling-children-send-support-educational-outcomes

Try and look at it from the head teacher's point of view.

You'll have to persuade her/him to be on board as they have the final say (LA may also be involved).

Contact the SENCO again. Request an EHCNA even if the school is not supportive of that.

Alltheyearround with an EHCP, if full-time school is inappropriate you can get part time school and part time other provision written into the EHCP. It’s not flexi schooling and you don’t require the school’s permission. If the LA won’t amend the EHCP to include that you can appeal when you next have the right of appeal.

distinctpossibility as you say, part time timetables should be short term aimed at reintegration. Longer term, if DC cannot attend school full time the LA should be ensuring alternative arrangements are in place to ensure they receive a suitable full-time education under s19 of the Education Act 1996. (Where possible, in a small minority of circumstances full-time education (not the same thing as full-time school and the scope of what is considered educational provision is far wider than many realise and many LAs care to admit) in any form is not in the pupil’s best interests.) Is the LA doing that for DD? This should begin once it becomes clear 15 days will be missed.

@BlueBrick ah that is interesting. Learn something new every day here!

Our DS can tolerate it and not in crisis but we would both have preferred p time, but possibly that's not a strong enough argument!

He attends a special provision within a mainstream so its more adapted to his SEN and not as hectic. I think he still finds it a challenging environment but only 2.5 years to go.

Please forgive me for asking, but why was the indie school more bothered about profit than a child's well being. Surely an indie school would want "bums on seats" (as a pp says) precisely to get a greater profit, so it might be easier to get into? I'm sure I'm missing something. Sorry.

We live in a very affluent area so the indies can pick and choose as there are enough people lining up to pay the fees. The one we tried a second time with has a reputation for being nurturing and supporting kids with SEN, but they seem to be trying to manage those kids out now and turning any new applicants down. It’s a real shame as the number in the whole school is the same as the number in DSs year at his current school! It’s also much closer to us and we could have walked it instead of having to get in the car. Also close to his sisters’ school.

Thanks for sharing this - I’ll have a read. I’d already found the school run article on a Google search but this one looks really interesting.

Full time EHE is not going to work logistically for us and we want our DS to interact with others and make friends and the other benefits that come from attending school.

It’s funny, I have always been such a strong supporter of schools as places of education. My eldest has never missed a day of school (barring Covid) and my other daughter rarely misses days (she has asthma so had a few days off sick, but still attendance in the high 90%s.
But with DS I have a completely different mindset, he’s totally challenged my view of it all. I’d never have thought I’d be the parent to give him a “mental health” day. I’m rather traumatised by watching my sister’s eldest deteriorate in front of their eyes. They’re in college now but only 3 days a week and can’t manage all of those. EHCP only awarded after multiple trips to A&E and self-harming. I don’t want my son to go through that.