Alternative Provision, Special School, dual registration for anxious DD -help!

[TwasTheNight]

DD13 has been finding it difficult to attend lessons in her mainstream secondary school for the last year. She attends some lessons, attempts to attend some and spends others working in a small SEN hub. She has an EHCP for anxiety, dyslexia, dyscalculia and sensory processing issues, and is awaiting ASC / ADHDi assessment. Some days she is very anxious about attending at all, but generally does. The EHCP specifies some in-class support, and she is currently technically receiving more than her entitlement. The EHCP does specify access to a quiet working space, and I understand why DD likes the calm of the hub, but it is felt that she needs to return to in-class learning. She finds this particularly overwhelming in some, but not all, classes.

I have a feeling school's patience is wearing thin, and they have expressed that they are keen for us to explore alternative provision or a special SEMH school. DD doesn't want to change schools at all as she likes her friends and teachers. She feels under a great deal of pressure, as she's also not able to 'just stop' being anxious. I'm due to meet HOY and assistant SENDCO to discuss options in a couple of weeks.

A couple of questions:

a) I really don't want to be steam-rollered into agreeing any course of action without having looked at what all the options are. How can I ensure we're not rushed or otherwise manipulated into effectively signing away her school place? I don't want to hold things up on purpose, but feel I need time to process, consult, seek advice and weigh things up.

b) How does dual registration work? I don't want her to feel effectively ejected from her school community, but am equally open to aspects of alternative provision being potentially beneficial ‐I just don't know what might be suggested yet. Ideally, I would like her to remain on roll at her school and have the option to access parts of the curriculum there, as well as whatever AP is felt to be of benefit. She and I both agree that there are really good aspects of attending her school which she very much benefits from. School is more than lessons, and her sense of belonging in her school community, a
doing the things she does feel able to do, with peers who model what school without anxiety can look like, and kind of pull her along, is so valuable. It seems such a shame to lose it.
Also, I'd like her to have the option to, at a later date, decide to try again at her school.

c) Can school effectively say "That's it, we've done our bit, need exceeds our capacity to meet it, jog on."? In the event this is the official line, can I as a parent dispute it?

d) Is there realistically any way back from this position ‐if school has decided that the plan is to move my daughter off roll via the route of SEMH alternative provision / special school, is there actually any point in disputing it, or is it a sure sign that any goodwill has gone and we'll just be a perpetual thorn in their sides from this point in? DD really depends on the relationships she has with staff being sound, so feeling 'unwanted' or like an inconvenience would finish her off.

I'm sorry if these questions seem really obvious and basic; my brain is a muddle trying to research options, especially as we're in a situation where we are in what is perhaps in an enviable situation of potentially being offered alternatives (or perhaps just off-rolled by stealth).

I would really welcome any thoughts and insights as am feeling overwhelmed and am second-guessing myself.

Is the upcoming meeting an early review? If not, it sounds like you need an early review of DD’s EHCP as it isn’t currently meeting her needs and sounds poor. Does it include any therapies?

In order to amend the placement an early review would need to be held, then the LA decide whether they were going to amend or not and then finalise any amendments. Following the actual review meeting the LA has 4 weeks to inform you whether they are going to amend or not and if they are send the draft then if they amend a further 8 weeks to finalise. So, you will have time to consider what you want to do. Many LAs don’t meet this timescale, especially without a lot of chasing, so you will probably have longer.

Dual registration can mean attending both settings for part of the week.

The school could say they feel they can no longer meet DD’s needs. However, assuming the school isn’t wholly independent if the school remains your preference the threshold for the LA to not name your preference is high and the school can remain named against their wishes.

The school suggesting other placements may be better doesn’t necessarily mean the relationship has broken down. It will in some cases, but in others the staff genuinely think they are failing DC and somewhere else will meet needs better but are willing to continuing trying to make it work if that is parental choice. Also, even if management are trying to manage out, staff DD will have contact with day to day may not think/behave the same.

One thing to think about, as DC move up secondary school the pressure and expectations tend to increase. If DD is struggling now, how will she cope with that?

Thanks, Lego. Lots of food for thought.

Next meeting is a sort of 'pre-AR' casting about for ideas.

ELSA type SEMH support is specified, and she does receive a weekly intervention to this effect.

Increased academic demands will be challenging for DD, but it has been hinted that she would be eligible for a sort of GCSE Lite option which would involve part-time attendance at a local college while still on her school's roll. That's another year away though, and the talk of AP etc as imminent is more recent and a little unexpected. DD is by no means the least able student academically, but is sensitive to pressure.

I'm torn as I think there are possibly other placements which might suit her, but she's adamant she doesn't want to leave her current school. She has very lovely support staff and really likes some of her teachers, as well as great friends. A naturally conflict-averse person, I'm worried that I might get manoeuvred into a position where we agree to a managed transfer or similar, and that too turns out to be problematic, but can't be back-pedalled.

Interesting to read your take on the extent to which parental choice influences decisions. I didn't realise. What about pupil choice?

Also, should school say at annual review that they're unable to meet need, is the process then more likely to go
a) finding ways in which school can implement strategies or allocate resources to meet need
or
b) move straight on to finding an alternative placement that can?

No mention has ever been made of reduced time-table, reduced school day etc, so I'm wondering whether these are things which should be explored too?

Poor DD ‐her ideal would be to just sit in the corner of the 'quiet space' and tinker away with a worksheet or task.

You should request an early review of the EHCP. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

DD’s EHCP needs a lot of improvement. She needs therapies e.g. OT and a MH therapy of some sort such as animal-assisted therapy or art therapy. You could look at a care farm. Or if DD hates the thought of that what does DD enjoy? Sports, gaming, art?

Whether another placement is looked at straight away or whether the current school with an improved EHCP is trialled first depends on your views and the placement you want. If you want a specialist placement, the LA is likely to want to try everything possible in MS first, although that doesn’t stop you appealing. DD’s views will be taken into account, but at her age the legislation gives weight to parental preference.

A reduced timetable or part time school could happen, but you would want something on top of that to ensure DD receives a full time education. Whether that is at another school, an AP or education otherwise than at school. On that note, have you considered EOTAS? I know you said DD wants to stay at school for the socialising, but socialising can happen with EOTAS. How would DD feel about online school with opportunities for socialising and therapies on top? From your sentence about DD’s ideal, I wonder whether she would like the idea of an online school.

Not coping with the pressure isn’t necessarily about academic ability. I have 2 DSs with EHCPs. Both academically able. One has EOTAS as he couldn’t cope with school. The other is in MS and was thriving but is now struggling (even with a far better EHCP than your DD) and attends an outwards bounds AP twice a week and we are looking at other schools despite DS being resistant. We are of the view DS can’t make a rational decision. To him, the thought of change outweighs anything else.