Mainstream whilst waiting for SEN

[failedatlifee]

My daughter is home educated whilst I wait for special school but have to go to tribunal, I don’t want to home educate anymore. Ipsea have said I should send a template telling them that I am requesting alternative provision, what exactly would alternative provision look like? Is it just a place in the nearest mainstream school? also will this affect tribunal negatively and them say keep her in mainstream? Or will it help? I feel like me having her at home is what the LA wants as it means they can wash their hands of her, so feel like I have to put the pressure back on them and let them see for themselves that mainstream is not right. Thanks

Possibly EOTAS.

Alternative provision covers many things, including 1:1 tutoring. Contact your local authority fair access team, they should be able to at least guide you as to what's available. State by email/letter to the Elective Home Education team that you are no longer willing to continue as the local authority has a duty to provide education if you have stated that EHE isn't continuing. Also speak to your planning coordinator at your local authority as to what's available and what funding is available.

AP can be tutors at home paid for by the LA or flexi school with just one or two lessons a week in school. It can also be EOTAS, where there is a package of learning provided by either tutors or by correspondance courses at home. There are a lot of options.

I you want to not have to do the work at home any more and if you want to be elsewhere while your daughter is educated by someone in a setting then that is a bit harder because there is a huge shortage of special schools. I'm not sure what happens then.

There are a lot of private facebook groups that you could join if you google EHCP or EOTAS.

Thanks yes I dont want it to be at home. I need a break, she’s been home for 3 years and I dont want to wait another year.

Alternative provision doesn’t have to be at home.

I replied on your other thread about AP, but just to point out an EOTAS/EOTIS package via the EHCP is only legally possible if it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school. If you are appealing to SENDIST for SS, that presumably doesn’t apply to DD.

An EOTAS/EOTIS package via the EHCP under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is not the same as alternative provision in the eyes of the government. Although some DC with EOTAS/EOTIS may have some time at one or more APs as part of their package. This is explicit in their AP guidance published earlier this year. They don’t consider flexischooling to be AP either.

Thank you, yes would need something out the house and I don’t think EOTAS would apply to us.

How is she likely to cope in a mainstream school? I mean I guess her going to mainstream could help your case - I mean if she goes and it all falls apart then that's extra evidence she still can't cope and a school that has seen her recently that can verify her lack of coping! The issue I guess is might she look like she is coping, but actually not be? Then they might declare she's ok when she isn't.

No she wouldn’t cope and she doesn’t mask so she wouldn’t do that I’m more just worried they would see it as me being ok with mainstream if I agree to send her

They won't if this is agreed as an interim measure. You've said that it needs to go to tribunal - why is that? You've also mentioned that she's been at home for 3 years, was this because they couldn't meet her needs? At the moment, my county is vastly over timescales for EHCP's so they are having to arrange interim alternative provision and provide the funding because they aren't meeting statutory time scales. If you need advice specific to your circumstances and time scales then I'd really suggest talking it through with your planning coordinator (or has the EHCP been declined at the moment?) Apologies if the questions seem nosey, it's just that different legislation and provision would apply depending on where you are in the system. Also, post on the SEN board as the parents over there are very experienced with this sort of query

You don’t need to force DD to attend an unsuitable mainstream, you can pursue alternative provision instead, but if you do send DD to mainstream (I am presuming there is one currently named in the EHCP?) SENDIST won’t see you sending DD to mainstream whilst waiting for a hearing as you agreeing that it can meet DD’s needs.

Have you requested an expedited hearing?

I wouldn’t rely on the LA for accurate information. They are renowned for using local policy rather than the actual law.

Because the LA has said mainstream can meet needs. She was electively home educated I don’t wish to continue with that so she needs something as tribunal isnt till march.

As long as OP informs the LA she is no longer EHE, section 19 provision, which is what IPSEA means, applies. It doesn’t matter where in the process she is, although from her posts she appealing the placement in section I of the EHCP (and hopefully B&F as well). Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 would apply too.

I haven’t asked for an expedited hearing yet as sendiass said I should wait one month after the evidence deadline then ask

I wouldn’t wait until after the evidence deadline.

Don’t knock mainstream.
this week one of our year 10 students with autism and other needs did his work experience at an Alternative Provision Unit. They couldn’t cope with him and he was discharged back to us after 2 days. We adore him and he is comfortable at our school. Thank goodness he has stayed with us.

Not knocking mainstream, she's been to one just don't want one for secondary (she had a mainstream primary) not sure where I've knocked mainstream? Just that she wouldn't cope and I know her best.

I totally sympathise with you, but I actually think letting her go to mainstream might help your case. Not knocking home ed at all, but more that if she is home educated they can always say "we've provided a place that you are choosing not to use." If you actually let her go to mainstream, there would be real teachers, a SENCO, a head saying what happens in an actual school that they aren't able to deal with.

She’s been to school and this is all being said but they are ignoring due to funding I guess. SENCO from her old school is still involved as I still have children at the school, she’s wrote letters and emails to the council, SALT and paediatrician have both said they feel a special school is best but LA won’t budge so has to be tribunal. I’m more interested in AP whilst we wait and what that would be I think.

With respect, how do you know they cannot meet her needs in mainstream. They can make a bespoke arrangement at a mainstream school and some have special units too. If that proves unsuitable they will look at other provision of course but 3 years since she’s been in school neither you nor they know whether she will be ok in mainstream. We were offered alternative provision for year 10 but refused because they had no track record of GCSEs, the bespoke arrangement gave her space within the school where she could independently work or attend lessons.

I can't see anything in your thread that's knocking mainstream. The slight difficulty with home education is that schools tend to go by 'evidence'
Thanks for clarifying which sections apply @perpetualplatespinning that's really helpful (I work within fair access but predominately in year admission applications so whilst I hear a lot about section 19 I don't work with it)

I don’t want to go into personal details and I don’t need to prove it to you I know my daughter best.

Yes they do so we are waiting for a private educational psychologist, SALT has recommended provision that would be extremely difficult to meet in a mainstream school so hopefully that’s a positive as well as the educational psychologist.

Also to add to this the secondary school themselves said they cannot meet her needs, the LA have chose to override this.

I just typed into Google "Complete list of alternative provision in England" and the AI overview came back with a helpful list of all the different types with links.

Once you have more idea what you're looking for, you could search again with your LA name.

I know you shouldn't have to do this, but if you don't know something exists, you can't ask for it.

Check the evidence. It isn’t about what is ‘best’. There is no duty to provide the best possible education. Only what is appropriate and reasonably required.

What AP involves varies. It can be at a formal AP setting (e.g. tuition centres, care farms, outward bounds places, gaming AP…) or it might not be at a formal AP setting - it could be tuition (doesn’t have to be academic tuition) at home or in the community (e.g. in a library, church hall) or it might be online provision. Or numerous other options depending on the child’s needs. It must be suitable otherwise it doesn’t relieve the LA of their duty.

neither you nor they know whether she will be ok in mainstream.

Unless you have access to the OP’s Tribunal case you have absolutely no idea if that is correct. None at all. Not all children’s needs can be met in mainstream. It is possible to prove MS is unsuitable for DC who aren’t in mainstream schools or who have never attended mainstream schools or even ever attended mainstream nurseries. Individual arrangements with MS and/or ARPs don’t work for all.

AP doesn’t have to mean no or few GCSEs. Although in OP’s case it would only need to be until the Tribunal hearing.