How do I get my son 1/2 day off school a week?

[figleaf]

Ive put this on the education area too as I dont know where the MN expertise lies. My son (in Y3 aged 8) has seen a developmental pedatrician, an Ed Psych, the school nurse and two Occupational therapist for a specific learning difficulty that he has. He is very bright (L3 in last yrs SATs) but cant write. We have been given an exercise prog from the OT lot (for bilateral integration)and told by everyone else that we must teach him to type. This would enable us to take writing out of his education. DS doesnt like school but we wouldnt home educate for social reasons. We thought an afternoon a week would give me some time to concentrate on the more time consuming OT exercises and on his IT skills (I was a secondary Technology Teacher before I had DS).
Any ideas about how to go about getting the time off? Do parents have any sort of rights etc?

I think you certainly could do this. Legally he needs to be in education, not at school, and many LEAs now operate flexible arrangements for children with SNs. I would speak to your LEA. BUT FIRST, wait until any other MNers who know more about it than me come along!

Hi
My son has an afternoon off per week to see his therepist at her house. I spoke to the headmistress and also wrote to her to say this was happening. She was fine about it but his first class teacher wasn't, I just did it anyway.He isn't marked absent on these days and I try and rearrange things if something special etc is going on at school.I think it helps if you are flexable

I'm really sorry, I haven't any idea what the situation is but was wondering if I could ask you how you go about teaching a child to type ? My DD is just 7 and has dyspraxia and I feel this would be a very useful skill for her to have.

Another thing figleaf, would it be possible and/or desirable to do your session somewhere in the school if they are resistant?

There is some very detailed info on the web about flexi-schooling but I have no idea where (its a report you can print off with all the legalities and examples). I used to have a copy but have a new computer (so no hard copy) and threw the other out. Google flexischool perhaps?

There are lots of software packages Kitipickle. You choose one that sounds like your child may go for. We are using Easi Keysi for keyboard familiarity and will soon move to Timon and Pumbaa for typing (need the chunk of time to do properly though).
MrsB I'm willing to be flexible like you were/are. I'll be sure to slip that into any discussion we have with the head. Good idea Davros. I'd prefer to work at home with our IT ect butdoing it there is better than not doing it at all. Will google jimjams - thanks

figleaf yoiu should be able to do this, i home ed my son in the mornings and he goes to school in the afternoons.

HTH

Jenk 1, Weve typed a letter to be delivered to the head tomorrow asking for an afternoon off. Not sure how it will go down but Ive got alot of good responses from here and the education thread.Obvoiusly your head went for it, perhaps mine will too.

No reply to my letter yet. It upsets me actually,they must know its important to me. To make matters worse DS still hasnt been shown or signed his new IEP. He hasnt been doing some of the activities off the IEP either ie it says that X,Yor Z will happen daily and DS (reliable) says he hasnt done them. What would you do?

I popped in to see the head today and asked her if she had had time to think about my letter. She wasnt amazingly keen to give us the half day off but has agreed with a review at Easter. I have said that Ill probably want to go on for the rest of the year (were nearly at the half way point now). She says that her main concern is that Im emotionally concerned with DS and that this may not be the best relationship for his learning. We`ll see. Thanks all of you who offered advice that enabled me to do this.

Cheeky moo, if you ask me. At least if she's willing to "pilot" it that's good and it will probably work best for you too as it may not turn out how you expect, so a review at Easter would be useful for you anyway.

I think that once we are up and running Ill find it easy to get the 1/2 day for the rest of the year. The OT lot are due to review Ds in March and the Dev'P in April. They both think the time with me will do DS good.I think school would have to find me doing somthing wrong to stop me once Ive started.