HE with a statement

[worrywortisworrying]

Hi,

This is a bit of a hypothetical question, but I'm trying to get my ducks in a row before going too far down this path.

I have just applied for a statutory assessment for DS (4, and due to start school in September). In my mind (or in the minds of both the nursery he currently attends or the school he is due to attend) there is no doubt that a statement is required.

DS is scarily intelligent but refuses to participate in group activities, does not make friends easily (he has one, though he is good friends with his siblings), he has some sort of fascination with locks (opening them) and escaping from different environments. The nursery he attends (2 mornings a week for the last 3months) have had to change 6 security procedures because he keeps letting himself out (or letting other children out). There is a lot more I could write, but for the sake of brevity, I won't... Safe to say, DS is a danger to himself and to others and will almost certainly need 1-2-1 (at least to start with). It's taken till almost his 4th birthday JUST to get him into ANY nursery and he dislikes going intently.

Right, all that said... I am still toying with the idea of HE. MANY of the behaviours which are problematic at nursery are simply not an issue at home. We have 1-2-1 'tutor' sessions with DS which he very much warms to, and he can read and write, but there is no way he would do that in a group setting / left to his own devices.

I'm trying to understand what rights I would have to remove DS from school and HE if he is unhappy at school.

Sorry, this is really long. It's taking up most of my time (worrying!) at the moment.

Sorry, that should read AND his nursery and school. Not OR.

I don't disagree with the nursery and school.

bump

If you were to have him assessed for a statement, and if a statement were to be issued, the statement only covers Local Authority provision.

So, if the statement said, for instance, that your DS needed 1-1 support for 15 hours a week (for the sake of argument), then any Local Authority school in that LA would be required to give him that support.

If you removed him from LA provision, and educated him at home(or privately by any other means), then the LA would not give you the support written into the statement, as you have then 'opted out' of the LA.

You asked about your rights if you remove DS from school. You have the right to do so, and the right to then arrange his education at home in a way that you see fit (some LAs will want to see some simple plans for this, but many are too busy to bother!). The LA, however, have no responsibility to educate your child once you have deregistered him.

Having said which, from what you've said, your DS learns well at home, and not so well at nursery (and possibly at school), so by HE-ing, you won't need any LA intervention (which is why most people do it, TBH!).

Hope this helps, and good luck!

If DS has a statement you can still remove him from school/nursery and HE. You are not obliged to provide what is in the statement at home. If he were to get a place at a special school you would have to request permission to remove him first. With just a statement, in a mainstream setting, that is not the case.

My DD had a statement at nursery (she's deaf) but never went to school, as we wanted to HE. As it turned out, at her last statement review (just before she finished nursery) it was agreed that she didn't need the statement any more. Had she been going to school I might have argued that she did need it, but everyone was happy to cease to maintain it. I was pleased because our named officer knew absolutely nothing about HE and I could see her becoming even more of a PITA.

Thankyou all for your replies.

I DO want to send DS to school as I don't want to assume he can't / won't cope with it. But, if it turns out he can't / won't, I don't want him to be unhappy. I would prefer to HE... At home, DS does not display 99% of the worrying behaviour he displays at nursery (and when I say 'at home' I mean when he is with family. Apart from aeroplanes, which have proved a bit of a nightmare, DS is perfectly happy to travel / stay in different places / has no problem with routine etc.)

Thanks again for your replies. They are very much appreciated.

Hothead - did you request PT school / PT HE? I think (but do not know yet) that the proposed school is going to offer some sort of extended transition from nursery to school. Ideally, I would like DS to attend school for social interaction and HE (or 1-2-1 learning in school) for his education.

Not sure if I'm on a hiding for nothing though!!!

Might be worth posting on the home ed section of the education board as well - I know there are some parents of children with sn who have home edded from the start.
The only situation I know of where funding for tuition at home for a child with sen has been given is where the parents have proven that say ABA in a home setting is the only way that their child can learn. If you have a look at the sendist case histories on their website you will hopefully find it.

Actually, another example which has just occurred to me, is given in the autobiography written by Kenneth Hall, a gifted Asperger's boy from N.I. www.amazon.co.uk/Asperger-Syndrome-Universe-Everything-Kenneth/dp/1853029300
Describes the difficulties he had at school and the progress he has made with home tuition. Interesting read but does make you wish his parents had written the companion volume "how we won this support at tribunal - the inside story"

Pinkorkid - Thankyou. I have done that. I will check out your link now.