So I’m in a predicament, I have a 13 year old who is in mainstream. If anyone is awaiting assessment in the Lanarkshire area you’ll know how long the wait is, currently working on 2021 my child was referred in 2023.
she’s in 3rd year and hasn’t been in school since May.
it’s been a gradual decline since around P6 with attendance but this year has most definitely been the worse.
she becomes completely overwhelmed in school closes down becomes tearful and is usually found in the toilets in tears. We’ve tried part time timetables, only going in for selected subjects but I feel it’s all come to a head. They mucked up her class choices then said they would fix it the week before the new timetable started, she went in on the first day of the new timetable in May to be told she couldn’t get the class even though the agreed the week prior then had boys chucking things at her in a class, a teaching assistant had to take her out a different class and walk the corridor with her as she was becoming overwhelmed, then spent the afternoon in the toilet in tears and hasn’t been back since.
she’s under paediatric and dietitian care for Arfid and because she’s not coping whilst we await the assessment. I’ve spoken with both at detail and along with myself the general consensus is she’s not suited to mainstream. But that’s easy for us to say try telling the local authority that!
I’ve requested input from Ed psychologist and been asked why so the school can justify it, I’ve requested school do a placing request and been told no because she should have had it done in P6. I’ve requested work at home in the meantime and thus has also been refused.
I contacted enquire who told me to make sure everything between myself and the school is in writing from now on and to request a meeting.
we have weekly catch ups with a FESA from the local authority and I have reached out to a support worker from Neurodevelopmental Services, all who visit us at home or by telephone weekly.
we have been working with the FESA for over a year now, whenever I directly contact the pupil support teacher she never replies so the FESA asked me to start copying her in, which I have but the pupil support teacher now only responds to my emails by sending them to the FESA, bizarre behaviour!
I emailed the pupil support teacher and deputy head on 8/9/26 to request help and a placing request on the advice of Enquire who helped me with what I was entitled to ask for. To date no response - 6 weeks. They have received it as they acknowledged it with the FESA when she chased it up.
on 22/9/26 I emailed the head teacher with a copy of the email from the 8/9 expressing that I was concerned I had had no reply and requesting a meeting with him, again no reply!
so Monday I wrote to the education board with copies of the emails requesting a meeting, I’m actually disgusted. I have a young girl here who wants to learn and the school aren’t interested in helping me achieve that.
as far as I can see from Enquire and the councils own website I’ve followed what they want, by making contact with the school first before going to the head office.
is there anything anyone can suggest that I am missing? Or anything that I should be doing?
my heart is breaking for my daughter, I just want her to be happy and settled in school. The FESA even said today on the phone that it’s unacceptable what the school aren’t doing and even she can see that my daughter can’t go back there, what can I do?
thanks for reading this far!