School isn’t working out. He has an EHCP. How do I fight for tutoring at home instead?

[MyVIsForVendetta]

I’m totally lost.

My son has an EHCP, when we got it he was out of school for months. As soon as he started secondary school everything went to absolute shit.

When we got the EHCP finalised we named another much smaller school and he started there.

He’s been there for about 7 months and he is still only part time.

He struggles in most lessons, can’t apply himself and spends the majority of the time in isolation and he’s about to be suspended.

Hes generally very behind in work and all I want is for him to have maths and English.

The school have tried to support him but it’s like he has just totally given up.

Hes missed so much he doesn’t understand what’s going on - he’s in year 9 now.

My only hope, and always my last resort, was tutoring at home.

this is going to cost me an absolute fortune.

I need to try and fight for home tutoring before he is expelled entirely.

i know it’s nigh on impossible to get but I have to try.

I don’t know where to start.

The school has offered me an emergency EHCP review meeting.

what do I do/say/prepare for.

As they see it, it’s just behavioural.

which it is, but of course it stems from far more than that.

Can i ask what you think will be different at home that will make him more likely to apply himself?

I think you need to pin down what it is that is stopping him - is it unmet needs, is it that the level of the work is too hard, is it lack of motivation to do it. If you can find the problem you can work out how to fix it.

Also is screen addiction an issue? Does he prefer to spend a lot of time on screens?

No screen addiction issue.

He basically feels like all the teachers are against him.
He gets grief from his classmates.
He says the teachers shout at him.
He says being in isolation is easier as the teacher there is kind to him.
He doesn’t want to do topics like history 🙄

All the above I have worked with the school to try and remedy.

School was good when he was in primary. When it was one room, one teacher, one main focus.

Now it’s many teachers, many changes and he gets overwhelmed and pissed off and highly anxious.

If I can get a tutor, we can focus it down to two core subjects. No room changes.
No constant changes of teachers.

Consistency and narrowed down.

He would cope better.

What support, including therapies, is currently detailed, specified and quantified in F? And is it being provided?

What support has the school already tried?

If DS isn’t attending full-time, is alternative provision in place?

Have you considered special schools, including those out of area and independent and non-maintained special schools?

If it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school, look at EOTAS (also known as EOTIS). That can involve tuition (although doesn’t have to). A good EOTAS package consists of so much more though - therapies, other therapeutic provision, sport/exercise, music, accessing the community, cooking, mentoring, equipment/resources/memberships/subscriptions, professional time, sessions/days at an AP…

EOTAS/EOTIS can work well for those who it is inappropriate for provision to be made it a school. It is bespoke to their needs.

What does DS enjoy doing?

You will need the early review. During that process, if you want EOTAS, you get discuss why it is inappropriate for provision to be made in a school and reference your evidence. Then you can discuss what such a package would look like and again reference evidence. Ultimately, for a look EOTAS/EOTIS package you may have to appeal.

The school were very upfront about their ability to give what the EHCP was asking for.

They said they wouldn’t be able to provide all the things listed.

I was so desperate to get him into education that I agreed that he didn’t need half the stuff as he was then medicated (ADHD), the laptop for example.

So they took him on.

There is a local(ish) specialist school but he cannot access that until he is 14 and even then it’s very very hard to get into and I worry we will have exactly the same issue.

Theres others but they will take over an hour to get to and I work full time and it feels like that would be even a bigger fight for him to have the same issues.

Plus he outright refuses to consider a specialist school because he doesn’t want to feel or be different.

Help? ☹️

The LA is ultimately responsible for ensuring provision detailed, specified and quantified in F is provided. However, provision can only be enforced if it is detailed, specified and quantified. If it is vague and woolly, it isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

The wording in your photographs is quite vague and woolly. For example, change ‘requires’ and ‘will need’ to ‘must receive’, ‘trust adult’ needs amending - who exactly, what job title, training/experience/qualifications, ‘30 minutes’ needs adding to - e.g. is it once a day, once a week, once a term, once a year?, what does 'most suitable’ actually mean?

DS needs far more support, including therapies, than is in your photographs.

A laptop absolutely can be provided. The school is fobbing you off by saying that one can’t be provided.

Unless the school is wholly independent, they don’t have to offer a place in order to be named in an EHCP. They can be named even if they object. And they are named in an EHCP, they must admit. So the school ‘took him on’ is slightly misleading you.

The maximum recommended travel time for secondary is generally considered 1hr15. Although some travel further. So, don’t rule out placements based solely on travel time. Transport can be provided.

It is worth reading IPSEA and SOSSEN’s websites to understand more about the law surrounding EHCPs.

If DS can’t attend school full-time and AP isn’t in place, request that. IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

That is incredibly helpful and gives me somewhere to start.

THANK YOU!!