I want to take DS out of school for a week for intensive private OT. Will the school kick off?

[OddFodd]

DS has a private dx of severe dyspraxia and sensory processing disorder. He is also being assessed through CAMHS and the NHS but it's painfully slow and his mental health is suffering as a result of not getting the support he needs which I why I took him private.

The OT I took him to at the end of last year thinks he will make significant progress if he does really intensive OT over a week's period and it's just not possible to do that without taking him out of school for the week.

Our HT has a zero tolerance on absence so I need to frame this in the right way so that she won't kick off. I'm thinking of writing to her (the school's SENCO has the report from the OT so they know about the recommendations) telling her that I'm going to take him out (ie rather than asking - or will that get her back up?) and saying that I will liaise with his CT about what work they are doing and I will make sure he doesn't fall behind. Basically I'm proposing to homeschool him for the week (during the time he's not having OT).

Has anyone ever done this and is it 'allowed'? I've looked on our LA website but it doesn't address this sort of situation.

I haven't come across this kind of intensive OT programme (my DS has SPD but his sensory diet programme is one that is woven into his everyday life, as it were). However , if that's what your OT is recommending, I'd say that you have a very strong argument that sorting out his sensory needs will make a huge difference to his ability to access the curriculum in the long term, which will far outweigh one week of missed school.

DGS has every Monday afternoon off school for riding (RDA) and we take a couple of days off for trips to Brainwave. They are fine with this because it's part of his therapy. He is in the second year of reception and is 5

'Exceptional circumstances' Where an absence from school is recommended by a health professional as
part of a parent or child’s rehabilitation from a medical or emotional issue.

There's an Ofsted approved code on the register for medical appointments and absences the HT so can use that without incurring any LA/inspection penalties. You wouldn't be asking permission if he needed a week to have his appendix out so why should you for this?

Write a letter informing the HT of the dates of the treatment and that it is something something that will be of lifelong benefit to his cognitive development.

It's necessary medical treatment, not a trip to Disneyland. imho not taking a child to medical appointments counts as neglect.

Thank you all - I'm still ridiculously cowed by rules and regulations! Pathetic at my age!

How would this letter be? (obv I will replace all abbreviations with names/full terms)

Dear HT

In October, I took MiniOdd to see a private OT specialising in sensory disorders in an attempt to get to the root of MiniOdd's evident LDs. The report (which SENCO has a copy of) recommends that MiniOdd has an intensive week of sensory integration therapy, followed by weekly OT sessions.

The OT is convinced that this intensive therapy will have an enormous impact on MiniOdd's learning difficulties and significantly improve his ability to participate positively in the classroom environment.

The therapy will take place during the week of X and MiniOdd will not attend school that week as the therapist is in London. I will however liaise with CT to ensure that MiniOdd does not fall behind with his classwork and will work with him on his reading/writing/number goals outside of the therapy sessions.

Ongoing OT will be local and I will endeavour to get these sessions booked after school hours if possible.

Yours,

OddFodd.

sounds fine.

include a photocopy of the appointment date confirmation if you've got one.

Good thinking - I'll email them and ask them to confirm the appointments in writing

We've done this with Physio but for a three week stretch at a time, and up to three times a year. We did it all the way through Yr and Y1. School we're fine about it, but I didn't give them much choice!

The place we went to for Physio was close enough for him to attend school for part of the day, although still over an hours drive away. However often he was too tired and I wouldn't send him in at all.

Intensive courses of therapy can really make a difference so go for it. DS often had the code for educated off site marked in the register, but sometimes it was the code for medical appointments.

That's good to know Hairy - I didn't think I could be the only person who's been in this position!

I've got my letter all ready to go - I've also printed out the report recommendations as the SENCO is useless not great at communicating

I would approach school and ask if he can be coded as "educated off site" and why. Schools tend to be supportive if they are clear that it will not contribute to absence figures, if it doesn't it in their interest to approve it. I would verbally have a chat before writing to clarify this, and if they look confused recommend they discuss it with their ewo (educational welfare officer).

I am a senco and have done this myself. If they code it as a medical appt it is an authorised absence which will bump up their absence figures for ofsted. It's a little used code that schools are often not aware of.

Thanks FourHorses - I've looked into the 'educated off-site' code and came across this on the DfE site:
"On 22 February 2013, the Government published revised advice on school attendance. The advice clarified the Government’s expectations on how various school attendance codes should be used to record pupil school attendance.

Schools should not mark a pupil as attending school, using the attendance code B for off-site education activity, unless the school is responsible for supervising the off-site education, and can ensure the safety and the welfare of the pupil off-site.

Schools are ultimately responsible for the attainment of every child registered on their roll. Whilst being home educated, parents and carers are responsible for pupils, not schools.

Where parents have entered in to flexi-schooling arrangements, schools may continue to offer those arrangements. Pupils should be marked absent from school during periods when they are receiving home education.

The reference in the Government’s revised advice on school attendance, that was categorical that a school could not agree to a flexi-schooling arrangement, has been removed."

So I might just leave it up to the head to decide how she wants to code it - sounds like a bit of an ofsted minefield!

well try it...like our ewo and me she may be unaware of that guidance

I jus dropped the letter in yesterday and didn't mention it - I'm not sure she's the type who would appreciate me advising her on coding (I'm not a fellow professional after all). I saw her today and she was perfectly nice and made a joke about my DS's lack of urgency going into school so I think it's probably all okay.