DD out of school since October

[OldSkoolLikeHappyShopper]

DD is 12, ASD and been referred for ADHD assessment. No ECHP but I have just finished the appendix A to begin the process. She’s in year 8, and I took her out of her last school before October half term. She is still on the roll there.

Long story as to why I took her out, but in short, they were beyond hopeless at providing any sort of support for DD. She was being bullied and was self harming, she started truanting lessons regularly and the last 3 times she went in she was suspended each time. This behaviour only started when the bullying started towards the end of year 7, before that she was coping with secondary OK, and she was fine throughout primary.

I cannot take another school to take her. I appealed for our most local school, also in catchment, as they were full. Unsuccessful, they were oversubscribed and said her SEN would disadvantage the other pupils. There is one other school in catchment, and they are full for her year group, and the school also has a terrible reputation WRT to behaviour and bullying. DD mirrors behaviour so I really don’t think that would be the right place for her, so don’t see the point in appealing to try and get her in (they will probably say no anyway).

I am right on the border of 3 different counties, and I found a space in a school in a neighbouring county, which had spaces in her year. Great…went to look round, really liked it, did the application which I thought was just a formality as they have spaces. Found out today they don’t want her either, I guess because we are not in county they can refuse to take her.

At a complete loss now. I have a disability which would make daily school runs, particularly if it was a fair distance, impossible for me. I have exhausted all nearby options. She really needs to be back in school, it’s been 19 weeks now. She is still on roll at her previous school but I haven’t heard a peep from them since she left in October. Previous to her leaving, they were organising some alternative provision for her for January, 2 days a week, but it was at a PRU as that’s the only AP they had links to. I thought that would be the most terrible idea in the world for her as she mirrors behaviour, so I declined on that one.

I have a SENDIAS case worker but it’s so hard to get hold of her and she doesn’t really have any suggestions when I do speak to her. At this point I can see DD being out of school for the rest of this year until we get an EHCP (IF we get one of course), and she’s floating around bored out of her mind and falling further and further behind.

I really don’t know what to do next 😞

You don’t need to complete the LA’s form to request an EHCNA. You can send IPSEA’s model letter, which is often much quicker to complete.

Firstly, if you haven’t heard from the school since October I would check she is actually still on the school’s roll and what the absences are being recorded as. Have you not contacted them?

If DD can’t attend school including because of her SEN the LA must provide alternative arrangements to ensure she receives a suitable, full time education. This should have begun once it became clear DD would miss 15 days. Email the Director of Children’s Services explaining the situation and requesting provision under s.19 of the Education Act 1996.

PRUs vary, not all are for those with VCB.

Being in another LA doesn’t change anything. Why was a place refused? If there is a pace they can only refuse based on DD’s behaviour if they have good reason to believe DD may display challenging behaviour and they have a high proportion of pupils with challenging behaviour or previously permanently excluded pupils compared to other local schools and they consider admitting someone else with challenging behaviour would prejudice the provision of efficient education or use of resources.

Be careful with SENDIASS some are good but too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies. IPSEA and SOSSEN are better.

Thanks for the response. Sorry I don’t know what an EHCNA is?

She’s definitely still on the roll because I get the automated message each morning saying she’s absent. No, I haven’t been in touch with them since I had a meeting with the head to tell her exactly what I thought of her shitshow of a school (I was more diplomatic than that, don’t worry).

This is the email I got yesterday regarding a place at the school we wanted. Looks like it’s saying it is due to her behaviour but then the reason given is distance, and they’re just trying to offload me back to Somerset.

I got an email back from the LA today telling me to carry on applying for schools (there are literally no others within reasonable travelling distance), and WRT to AP they are telling me to get her school to arrange it as she’s still on the roll.

An EHCNA is an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment. It is the needs assessment you first request as part of the process of getting an EHCP.

As well as emailing the LA’s Director of Children’s Services as per my pp, I think you need to email the current school because getting texts suggests the absences are being recorded as unauthorised.


The duty to provide alternative arrangements for those unable to attend school lies with the LA, not the school.