Bloody awful mess and no post-16 place - any ideas?

[AnythingLegalConsidered]

DS has HFA, intelligent and gradually becoming more independent (eg travelling to and from school on public bus) but erratic in his behaviour.

Secondary school started well but went downhill with regards to behaviour - the school and its SEN department had a lot of problems eg with staff turnover which didn’t help but we didn’t want to move him before GCSEs. He had huge problems jumping through the hoops and producing written work in some subjects in the run-up to mocks and we all knew that getting good grades would be a gamble - on his day he’s exceptional but on a bad day he’d just walk away.

He was offered a place for A levels at a different sixth form (previous school had no sixth form) which I accepted on the telephone and it went on his sixth form. GCSE results ranged from 2-6 but includes 6 passes at level 4/5. I received no contact from LA or allocated school but when I chased 6th form they said that he hadn’t made their required grades.

After long discussions with LA he still doesn’t have a place. He hasn’t been in school since March.

He wants to resit GCSEs so that he can take A levels, but previous school says it’s not in his best interests to return there (they have a point TBF, but it’s the same syllabus and a familiar setting). All his former teachers agree that A levels are the right route for him rather than BTECs, but it would be a huge ask, so resits would be his best option to get where he wants to go. The obvious answer is to HE for a year with online tutors etc but I think he needs to be out of the house, and we’ve been doing a frankly poor job of motivating him to do school work so far - he needs teachers. We could afford to go private if necessary but I’m not sure anywhere private (especially not a crammer which would be the obvious choice) would offer the right support.

I think LA is going to make us appeal but I’m honestly not sure what to appeal for. Even if we did force his way into a sixth form for A levels it’s a huge ask after missing the first month.

I’m absolutely desperate - can anyone offer any words of wisdom?

Does he have an EHCP?

Yes, it names the sixth form which has offered him level 3 BTECs which we don’t think are the right route.

How far off the requisite grades is he to do A levels?

Two fives and a four and he’d need sixes.

Does it actually specify A level studies in his plan?

Yes it’s a Year 12 Outcomes, although it’s not specified in the placement.

Do the grades actually reflect his ability? What did the school predict? This year's results were a bit of a dog's dinner from all accounts.

Any possibility he could resit the GCSEs at the sixth form school?

Wheeabouts in the country are you?

They reflect the average of the work he was producing on a bad day (very little) and his potential, which is solid 6/7 on a good day.

Sixth Form school has totally rejected the idea of repeating year 11 with them, partly on grounds of syllabus change.

We’re in London

They're not exactly being very helpful are they? Why can't they make a "reasonable adjustment " and let him have a go at A level studies -maybe doing two subjects instead of three? His previous teachers all thought he was capable.

Are the A level subjects he wants to do the ones he got Grade 6 at GCSE?

The A level subject grades are 4 and 5s and the subject he got a 6 in isn’t a goer unfortunately.
No they’re not being very helpful - they’re working on the assumption that the CAG grades are optimistic so he’s probably a 3/4 student in real money and we’re just deluded.

Hmm... I'd think I'd be questioning if this is the right school to be honest. If they're this unhelpful over his courses what else are they going to be inflexible about?

If he has no school to attend, under Section 42 of the Children & Families Act the LA is still legally responsible for the provision in Section F. So they should be making alternative arrangements until you can find a school. Do not say you will HE as that will absolve them of all responsibility.

Information here:
www.ipsea.org.uk/home-schooling-and-education-otherwise

If your son also needs to learn independent living skills/social skills/employability skills you could consider this place:

www.priorychildrensservices.co.uk/find-a-location/farleigh-further-education-college-frome/

They do GCSEs and A levels and some of their students go on to university.

Our son went there for 3 years and achieved far more than we ever thought possible. It's fabulous.

Thanks for your thoughts Ellie. I really don’t want to let them off the hook, because I’m furious with the LA, but of course my personal petty feelings are not what matters here - if us paying for private tuition is the best thing for DS then that’s what we have to do.

Farleigh looks lovely but he’s too young to live away from home, even without a resurgent pandemic on the horizon.

They do go home every other weekend. (It's part of the travel training) and I believe some students go home most or every weekend.

It may be worth considering further down the line.

Hi - I’m sorry to hear about your trouble with provision. Which LA are you in - Is there a Supported Internship in your area - ??

why are A levels the right route and not BTECs. It would probably be too much pressure and too much independent study based on his GCSE grades - why not do the BTECS?