Letter from school re attendance ....

[Frazzledbutcalm]

Dd is in year 10. As many of you will know she's always struggled with school. Cutting a long story short, she's not attended for short periods a few times in the past 12 months. Because of this it has now been decided she needs an EHCP!! Finally!! So County have agreed to assess and are in the middle of that now.

Since going back after half term she's been in 1 day, then off for 2 weeks, did a couple of days for only 2 lessons, off again for a couple of days, did a full day, off a couple of days ....

I've now received what I imagine is a standard worded letter saying her attendance is too low, school can't authorise any further time off, they've referred us to the EWO, and if we want more time off for dd she needs medical evidence to prove she can't attend!

I'm pretty outraged. Surely this is disability discrimination? Should I contact the head of school (who the letter is from) to discuss the letter or just ignore it and carry on as we're doing? We're in contact with the Senco team through all of this.

TIA

It's a standard letter they have to send. It's not discriminatory to send it but how they act following it could be.

Call the EWO yourself and explain EHCP in hand and keep a diary of attendance/non-attendance just in case you later get questioned.

I’d email the HT. Thankyou for your letter confirming dd attendance is too low as her needs aren’t being met. That will be really useful as we go through the EHCP assessment.

Whichever professionals assess will be able to confirm why she’s not attending (anxiety etc)

Submit the letter as evidence that she is not coping at school as her needs are not being met, for the EHCP assessment.

Thanks everyone! I'll follow all the advice.

I have no idea about the EHCP process .. we've seen an EP so far who was lovely! Very understanding and just 'got it'.

Can't you get medical evidence? If she can't attend due to something like anxiety your GP should be able to certify it.

I have no idea about the EHCP process .

This tells you everything you need to know.

www.ipsea.org.uk/what-you-need-to-know/ehc-needs-assessments

Well today we had a visit from EWO and a policewoman!

ellie ... thanks for the link .. I've tried to look at it before but I get so overwhelmed just looking at it

Hope it wasn't too awful

I think you do need to be more proactive, have you contacted your local independent supporters (they vary as to how independent they are...)? Or request a call back from IPSEA.

We've made progress, thanks to an absolutely fantastic educational psychologist!

Dd goes in for 2 hours, 3 days per week at the moment with a view to upping this slowly. Her attendance at other times will now be authorised as circumstances.

Would she cope with tuition at home? She's entitled to it as she has a right to full time education.

She would LOVE to be home schooled ... but she's so bright I couldn't educate her ... and I'd get no help at all from government.

However, GOOD NEWS .... she has today been granted an EHCP!!
No idea how it will help but I'm so relieved we've been given one without a fight!

I wasn't suggesting you should educate her, Frazzled: but you could push for her to have tuition provided by the local authority to supplement the 6 hours she's getting at school. They don't have to make it up to the equivalent of school hours, but I'd have thought they could and should provide at least 10 hours a week tuition. Quote s19 Education Act 1996 at them, and don't get fobbed off by nonsense about getting the school to send work home - that isn't education.

Ah ... I didn't know that deep ... thank you!

School refuse point blank to send work home so it's good to know more CAN be done about her getting education at home also. Would this be something to be worked out on her EHCP?

No, local authorities have a duty to provide education for children who cannot attend school irrespective of whether they have SEN or not.