Help! DD1 only in school for 2 hours a day. How can she become full time

[Larrissaa]

My DD1 is currently in reception she is 4 years old she will be 5 in 2 months. She was diagnosed with delayed language development. At the moment the school is only willing to accept her for just 2 hours a day as they have no extra funding to increase her hours. She has a paediatric assessment soon. The echp was not approved for her, the school said they needed more evidence that she requires extra help hence the paediatric review. She currently attends both private and nhs speech and language development. She is making progress she can express herself and sometimes starts conversations but she is not making friends in school. I am at my wits end, I have to go back to work. How can I get her to start full time school, I feel she is missing out greatly in school. Academically she is ok, her reading is at level 2-level 3, she knows her sums, numbers to 50 and can spell some words and also go with high frequency words. All these I have taught her. I am on mat leave but will be resuming work soon. Should I take her to a private school, or can I contribute toward the funding required by the school. I really need advice and help. I am desperate for her to start full time school

@KateGrey I know they are illegal -that's why I queried your 8 weeks maximum advice.

@KateGrey I'm happy with ds school in terms of his 1-1 is really nice & so is his class teacher, he enjoys going, he does have 1-1 support at all times when he is there and they do work hard with him, everything is tailored to him & he really loves his 1-1. He's settled well & he is making progress.

Really the only issue I have is I'm just a bit miffed on the hours situation. I was happy to start him on part time but it's just been going on for so long and ive no actual idea of when he's likely going to be attending full time. I would even be happy with him attending until 1pm. So he has 4 hours learning time opposed to 2 hours.

I just think he's 5 now at the level of a 2-3 year old and he desperately needs the input, while he's on 2 hours per day his peers are attending 4 extra hours per day so 20 extra hours a week of education, add that to the fact ds is already bordering on 3 years behind his age group, he's falling further behind which there is no wonder really. Just makes me worry.

@KateGrey what happened with your dc and mainstream school if you don't mind me asking?

We had an ehcp and funding for a ft 1:1 but faced a lot of discrimination. We weren’t allowed to start at the same time as the other children. Her hours were stupidly reduced (30 mins then after a week 45 minutes by the end of the year the school only let her in for three hours), I had to drive her for school trips, she was locked out of classrooms or in them (confirmed by outside professionals), she wasn’t allowed to partake in formal learning only playtime (rest of the time she was alone), PE alone, lunch alone locked in the classroom. There was so so much. We went to tribunal for discrimination.

Your school need an integration plan. And need to be advised they’re in breach of the law.

Our County have a specific set of guidelines for reduced timetables and a checklist that has to be signed off on by school. Don’t sign anything, including an integration. You can ask for one but don’t sign anything because it’s illegal.

Good luck. It sounds like your school don’t have a clue what the law is as they’re also misappropriating his funds and denying him the right to his education.

danni, you need to refer the school to the Hampton Dene case I referenced up thread and tell them you will have no choice but to take judicial review/disability discrimination proceedings if they continue to act illegally.

Please , I need advice regarding the ehcp application. I have sent off the application and I have received an acknowledgment letter. the LA has requested that I send additional documents to support my application. In the initial application I sent a letter from speech and Language therapist, Behavioural support specialist and documents from school. Please what other document do I need to off . Do I need to request for an EP to assess her or will the LA do that themselves. We are still at the stage in which the LA wants to decide if to assess DD1 or not. I really want the application to be successful so that she can start school full time in a different school.