What goes in Part 4 of DS's statement if he can't manage school ATM?

[pannetone]

Just got DS' proposed statement - he is 12, Y8, HFA and an anxiety disorder. He has been out of school since Jan - though remains on the roll of his state comp. He is currently 'signed off' by his doctor at CAMHS as medically unfit for school. He eventually got home tuition in July. This Sep he started at Interhigh (online school - for which we are paying) and the home tutor still comes twice a week (LA fund.)

The statement has Part 4 blank and the accompanying letter says we can name a LA maintained mainstream or special school, or an independent special school. But DS can't manage school yet - he tried in June but was too anxious even to do one lesson. (That was an independent school that doesn't call itself special, but has small classes and will take children with a range of SEN like dyslexia, HFA and ADHD.)

We decided that internet school might be a 'bridge' to returning to 'brick' school and he would benefit from being in a class, albeit an online one. DS, after a few hiccups is settling into Interhigh and we want him to continue there for the time being - quite possibly for all of his Y8. And we'd like the LA to pay!

Does anyone know if the LA can name an online school in Part 4? If not, what can they put in?! It would seem crazy to name the state comp where he is still on the roll - he won't go back there as the statement says he needs small teaching groups.

You're perfectly entitled to ask for home tuition plus internet school. But make sure everything in part 3 is properly specific and detailed so that, if he needs anything like therapies, you can ensure they are delivered at home.

Education otherwise than at school. Look at code of practice if it's a draft statement not EHCP it will be old code. You can include in this home tuition and interhigh subscription (which LA should be paying). Ed otherwise is a valid placement under Ed Act and new Act. It's what ABA progs are funded under. is 2 home tuition + inter high enough? He's entitled to a FT education or as much as he can manage - a full curriculum offer.

Thanks Icimoi and Agnes - DS has a proposed statement so I will look at the old SENCOP. I was concerned the LA wouldn't pay for Interhigh and home tuition - but I now understand that they have to provide as full a curriculum as DS can manage.

DS is still on the roll of his MS comp - should he remain on the roll or do they remove him as he will 'officially' be eduated other than at school? ATM the home tutor is meant to be liaising with the school for work to do with DS but it is farcical as he has been away from the school for so long and she obviously can't condense the curriculum into 3 hours tuition a week. It is now more helpful for the home tutor to support him with his Interhigh work.

So it should quote Ed Act, just checked our wording in Part 4 - yours should say something like:

xxx will be educated via education otherwise under s319 of the education act 1996: he will receive xxxx hours per week home tuition for xx weeks per year and [internet school]. (Someone on here will have wording for internet school.)

Childrens Commissioner, Local Govt Ombudsman & Ambitious about Autism all done reports on children out of school.

There is also statutory guidance confirming it should be as FT as possible. This is the case even without a statement, the home tuition should be FT (bear in mind FT 1:1 does not = FT school hours as its more concentrated - you can learn a lot more in 1 hour of 1:1 than 1 hour of group learning. But still it should cover the whole curriculum).

If the LA has just put in the minimum home tuition with no evidence this is all he can manage you may have a valid complaint - first through corporate procedure and then to LGO. You may be able to get your internet school costs back and perhaps more. Look on LGO website for similar cases. You might want to complain now if you think going to be delay in sorting statement.

You can also word the statement as Ed O/w with transition into a school and then name e.g. an indi SS as the school you want to ultimately work towards - that way you can try and get for e.g. the indi school to start working on a transition plan e.g. by sending staff from school to get to know him at home / work with him at home with view to a carefully phased transition back to school. But perhaps thats one for next year!

I doubt he would stay on roll as Ed O/w but I'm not entirely sure. I would think only if thats the school you were working towards a transition back to.