Guidelines for reduced timetable?

[chillberry]

DD Y9 has been struggling to get through the school days and is at risk of EBSA and autistic burnout. Our SENCo has put her on a reduced timetable, pulling her out of three classes that put the most sensory demands on her. She'll spend this time in the SEN support space instead. The plan is to see how she does over this half term and then gradually reintegrate her into the full timetable.

Does this sound reasonable?

SENDIASS said there should be weekly reviews but school has said they don't have capacity for weekly reviews.

I've also suggested some EHCP provision that could be delivered during her time out of classes (EF skills, touch typing) but I'm not sure how well received this was.

Not sure how to proceed as OTOH a reduced timetable will hopefully relieve the stress she's been under, but I'm not sure how reintroducing her to the same environment is going to solve anything.

It isn’t mandatory that the school holds weekly reviews.

DD isn’t on a reduced timetable in the sense that she isn’t attending school full time, where the DfE working together to improve school attendance guidance states a part-time timetable should be reviewed regularly.

It sounds worth a try. It can always become a longer term accommodation with other provision added in during that time. The alternative in the moment right now is being on the verge of being unable to attend school at least some of the time. Have you considered an early review?

Is the provision you say could be delivered during that time detailed, specified and quantified in F?

My DS (ASD with an EHCP) had a similar adjustment in place when he was in KS3 at secondary. He didn't have to take part in some subjects such as drama which he found too challenging/overwhelming. Those subjects were having such a detrimental impact on his ability to attend school on those days it was agreed that he didn't have to go.

He is in an autism resourced unit which made things easier in that there was a space for him to go to and he had full-time support. It sounds like there is a space for your DD to go to so that's good. It's also encouraging that the school is prepared to make those adjustments as I know some parents have a real battle.

In my DS's EHCP it says something like 'requires a bespoke timetable in order to access education'. It will be worth you going through your DD's EHCP to see if there's anything like that in her's.

I think that given that your DD is in YR9, depending on what those subjects are that she's dropped - ie ones that aren't core and she won't be doing for GCSE, you would have an argument to suggest she drops them for good.

My DS used that 'free' time to get homework support and also for his speech and language and to work on other things in Section F of his EHCP. As BrightYellowTrain has said, you need to be looking at the wording of your DD's Section F of her EHCP. It should detail eg - how many hours a week she should be learning to touch type and who is going to be delivering it. If it does, then you should be pushing for that to be delivered in those periods where she's out of class. Your suggestion may 'not have been well received' as it may well be a pain for the school to find people to deliver the interventions but they have a legal duty to do it (providing it's in Section F).

You could also look at speaking to the Senco about other reasonable adjustments the school could be making, for example homework could be differentiated/given longer deadlines. Does your DD need a 'time out' card for when she's feeling overwhelmed in lessons?

Thanks @BrightYellowTrain and @Toomanyminifigs. DD is still finding it hard even with a handful of fewer classes to go to. We're currently appealing her EHCP content as it isn't written that well but our SENDCo has assigned her a new LSA to work on some SEMH and executive function things when she's not in lessons, so that has been a positive development.

I think we will probably have to do an early review, as I don't think the situation can carry on like this until the tribunal hearing in the spring.

You can submit a SEND7 (not forgetting to seek the LA’s views first) requesting to amend the appeal to include section I too.