GCSEs online if no place in school can be found

[Squirrelseatcake]

Does anyone have experience with doing GCSEs online?

DC has SN (around MH and cannot cope in a mainstream environment) but extremely bright and academic. We are trying to find a school via EHCP but all local APs which offer an academic setting are full. We are now staring into the abyss of not having any sort of education anymore at all (child is currently in y9). One school we visited suggested we approach the LA for online schooling. Has anyone done it?

How isolating is it for the DC? I work and and DC would be all week alone at home just with a laptop and I worry their mental health would spiral further downwards it surely that is better than no education.

Any other idea how an academic child can access at least 6 GCSEs (that's is what all local sixth form colleges require for A-Levels). 4 or 5 GCSEs won't cut it. DC want to study science or engineering at uni.

Appeal for a place, don't accept "we are full". Ask, under FoI what the number if pupils on roll where for previous 5 years. If there were additional pupil(s) in previous years why not now?

I will bit the waiting times are a year. Appeal won't be heard until Spring next year when y10 is almost over. Child wont be able to do decent GCSEs by being out of school for most of y10 and only having teaching in y11. Currently not in school either (waiting for EHCP). Appeal won't help us. We need to get their education going. one way or another.

Where are you in the EHCP process? Is the LA sticking to the timescales? If you have to appeal, if DC isn’t attending school, you can request an expedited hearing. Still a wait, but not a year.

Are the schools you want wholly independent?

If DC isn’t in school, the LA should be providing alternative provision. If this isn’t in place, IPSEA has a model letter you can use to request it.

Online schooling can be funded via an EHCP. It can also be provided under section 19 provision. Other provision could be provided alongside it so DC isn’t isolated.

We are at the draft stage and waiting for a temporary PRU place to fill the gap until Ehcp is ready. So far the LA stuck to the time lines but I know they tend to stall when it comes to finalising. I have friends who have been waiting over a year locally. They don't pick up the phone, don't respond to emails. It's impossible to get hold of anyone.

Can I request that they name the old mainstream school where DC is still on roll even though they said they cannot meet need? Just thinking DC may be able to go in some of the time whilst I appeal for a specialist place. They are so desperate to attend school and to be able to learn.

Sciences will be tricky online because of the practicals.

would that need private tutors then?

You don’t need to accept the LA waiting a year to finalise. If the LA fails to finalise by week 20, you can force them to act, via judicial review if necessary.

Chase the section 19 provision.

You can request the mainstream school and there are limited reasons the LA could refuse to name it if it is your preference. However, if specialist is your preference, you should say that. If you say both the specialist and mainstream, the LA is likely to name the maisntream because it is cheaper.

Science doesn’t have to be tricky. Lots do iGCSE science, but if you want to do GCSE it is possible - for example via Tutors and Exams and one of their partners.

It's possible to organise practicals,

If you sign up with one of the online schools they offer various days and weekends you can book to do them.

Same for a level.

I think you need to concentrate on her mental health rather than a preoccupation with decent GCSE's. Also if she is struggling in mainstream secondary - how well will she cope in sixth form? Online study (from what you describe) sounds very isolating. What does she do at the moment when you are at work? Can you talk to school about a reduced timetable? In the present climate you really will not hurry the local authority, get them to provide specialist provision - no matter how informed you become about time scales etc. Hope this works out.

I’ve heard good things about Minerva online school - it’s private so you’d have to ask LA to fund it. But they seem to have a high proportion of kids with Sen/MH problems so they’re very well set up for that.

Where mainstream further education wouldn’t work, some continue to have other provision made for them either in SS or EOTAS/EOTIS/EOTISC/EOTASC. Although who can’t cope with mainstream secondary find sixth form easier.

Online provision can be alongside other provision. It doesn’t have to be isolating.

Knowing the timescales and how to force the LA to act, including via judicial review where necessary, does actually help. It means the LA won’t get away with dragging out finalising for over a year.

I think you need to concentrate on her mental health rather than a preoccupation with decent GCSE's

DC is focussed on that. They are highly academic and all the reports list access to a high quality education as a 'protective factor'. If we cannot access an education things will go downhill. I appreciate it's difficult to understand without knowing the child. They can cope in school and learn. They work so hard in lessons. we just need a small setting. there are a handful of suitable settings locally but it transpires now all of them are full and the LA has not come up with any suggestions. they are just stonewalling.

I work 2 days from home. they rest they are just alone doing nothing. It's not been a good time :(

For the GCSE science subjects which normally require practicals (or for subjects with coursework) you would take iGCSEs which are fully exam based…

“The IGCSE was introduced 30 years ago by Cambridge Assessment International Education. IGCSEs were created to give students overseas access to a qualification of the same standard as GCSE. Since then other UK awarding bodies, such as Edexcel, have joined suit and offer a range of subjects at IGCSE.
IGCSE have become very popular with distance learning students at both home and abroad. GCSEs have historically included coursework, which always proved problematic for students studying remotely, so having access to a qualification, which on the whole removed this barrier, was very popular.
Apart from that there is no real difference these days. There is a lot of overlap in the syllabuses, both qualifications are the same level, and they are treated as equivalent to one another by all colleges, universities and employers.”

Are the schools you think are suitable wholly independent? Knowing if they are or not is important if they are claiming to be full.

1 academy, 3 independent. There is literally nothing in my LA for academically able children with SEHM needs. The academy is a very new setting which opened due to the gap provision but doesn't have anywhere near enough places. all the independent ones are at full capacity and won't even look at consultations for that reason.

I would be happy to send DC to a maintained school. but it doesn't exist.

Plenty of places to access online/at home GCSE or IGCSEs. We home educate, and you can learn with online classes such as £2 Tuition Hub or private tutors or online but 'at your own pace' recorded video classes. The great thing about this is - you can go at the pace of your child. There is no time or age limit on GCSEs, and IGCSE sciences do not require the practical sign off so go for those for sciences. A great place full of lots of info is the HE Wiki - https://he-exams.fandom.com/wiki/HE_Exams_Wiki
Your child won't be stuck at home in a bubble; socialisation happens with every interaction out in the world and outside classes, or meetups if they would like those, online buddies, after school classes/hanging out with their friends etc. The wonderful thing is - you can go at your own (their own) pace. Not just summer of Year 11 for sitting GCSEs in a block. My son sat 2 last year in Year 9 age 13, 2 for this year, and a bunch more next year. Spreads the stress and allows real immersion in a topic so the enjoyment is there. You do have to pay for the exams yourself though. Education is compulsory but school is not, and you can fit the education to your child's needs and abilities. And there are so many exciting GCSEs out there to study; schools can't timetable the hundreds of options out there but you can.
In the meantime, there are plenty of free resources out there such as Oak Academy, Seneca, Khan Academy; your child can start today if they are desperate to be learning in that way!
As for mental health - we found this improved no end away from the restrictions and stress of school; you can go to the toilet/have a drink/eat/go for some fresh air or a run/read a book - all whenever you want to, and go back to studying refreshed and ready. I wish you all the luck in the world.

what would you make then of an independent school who claims to be full?

If the academy is your preference, the LA must name it in the EHCP unless the LA can prove:
-The setting is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs (“SEN”) of the child or young person; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others; or
-The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.

Being full is not defined in law, and on its own being ‘full’ is not enough of a reason to refuse to name your preference. The LA has to prove the school is so full admitting DD is incompatible. The bar for this is higher than LAs and many schools admit - there are numerous reasons for that. The school doesn’t have to agree to being named. They can be named against their will.

Are the independent schools wholly independent or section 41 independent schools? The latter are treated the same as the academy and an offer of a place isn’t required. An offer of a place is only needed for wholly Independent schools.

how do you facilitate meetings and such in the real world (DC has no friends, is selectively mute and huge social anxiety and won't leave the house alone). I won't be at home during the week due to work. DC would be on their own and I am very limited in terms of support and taking them out as one of the siblings is severely disabled and takes most of my non-working time. Would such an arrange as you describe it need a parent at home? Just from a practical point of view?

The independent ones aren't section 41.

The academy (which is the preference) is arguing this point:

'The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others" as admitting DC would push the classroom beyond capacity (both physically - it's a small setting and literally no physical space as students there need more space) and it will 'overcrowd' the classroom. One of the USP is it's a small setting with a max amount of students.

Have you also looked at placements in any other LAs within travelling distance?

Support for things like selective mutism, social anxiety, accessing the community, etc. should be included in the EHCP. Is there therapies and other provision around these included in the draft?

Similarly, if DC requires support during the day as well online schooling, that can be included in the EHCP.

Is DC known to the young carers service? And have you had social care assessments.

Push for more information around the academy’s consultation response. Have a look at this case law. The bar is high, higher than an “adverse effect”, “impact on” or “prejudicial to”. This is why so many appeals are successful because the LAs arguments don’t meet the high bar.

One of the independent ones is in a different LA but there isn't much else there.

I had a carers assessment which resulted in 6h respite per month for my severely disabled child. DC is known as a younger carer but there is no extra support for that. Even getting the 6h took 5 years of fighting and a suicide attempt..

Hi. I understand you work full time and plenty of HE parents do too, particularly if the children are older like yours. Can she be at home to work alone? She will find online friends in classes (you can be muted and no video, and work up to using them if wanted) and perhaps that will allow her the freedom to engage more. Home Ed meetups and days out are all inclusive and generally have lots of SEN children involved, but I can understand that would be difficult to navigate. My kids do those, as well as join in evening sports classes which other kids attend. There are Saturday meetups you could go to together. You may well find, with being at home and the stress being less, your child is able to relax and be able to let some of the difficulties go. I wouldn't worry about 'socialising' right from the start but allow their mental health to recover. Are they the kind of child who can be at home alone - online classes/reading/videos/textbooks/worksheets - and then after work you can discuss the day? Education does not have to be school hours at all - takes place whenever! Whether a parent is needed at home is tricky to answer as of course 'it depends'!

I would request up to date social care assessments. A carer’s assessment for you and assessments by the children with disabilities team for both DC. If you have to appeal the EHCP, you can include social care needs and provision in an extended appeal.