Mainstream secondary not working.

[mumbrain37]

I would really appreciate some advice.
I have an 11 year old DS who has an autism diagnosis, high anxiety and separation anxiety. He is currently not attending his secondary school due to anxiety. He managed in Primary school but did have 6 weeks where he didn't attend at the end of year 5 due to an incident at school which led to a panic attack. He was seen by a psychologist who recommended an autism assessment and he was diagnosed. We think the incident at school may have been linked with autistic burn out.

Anyway the current situation is he is in a very big secondary school because it's where all his friends went and he was insistent he wanted to go. He went in the first day because it was only year 7. Since then he has been too anxious to go most days. We have had lots of meetings with the school, until this week they have been flexible and helpful, reduced timetable, moving seating around so he can sit with friends, pastoral care support to get him to his lesson. None of it has worked, he has managed 2 hour long lessons and some tutor lessons.

The last meeting was a very different tone, where they basically said "you need to get him in, lie and say you have to go to work, drop him off whatever state he is in and we will help him". Insinuating that I just wasn't trying hard enough and because I didn't work full time, he knew he could stay home. The reason I don't work full time is because of my son's anxiety.

Anyway we have just been refused a EHCP assessment, we want to appeal this. We find ourselves in a situation where it's obviously the wrong school for him but can't deregister him as we need the EHCP. If I home educate, they will say his needs are met. There is a smaller School but the class sizes are the same, teacher, student ratio the same. What we want is an autism unit off this smaller secondary school but we need the EHCP.
The School are getting the early help team involved.
How do I keep him on the School roll, when I know it's too much for him?

Any advice would be so appreciated.

Definitely appeal. You can request an expedited hearing on the basis DS isn’t in school full time.

Personally, I wouldn’t, but if you did want to deregister and EHE, you can and still pursue the EHCNA. Instead, I would request alternative provision if DS cannot attend school full time. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Check how the absences are being recorded. They should be coded as I and thus authorised.

If your area still has a specialist teaching service, has the school asked them for advice?

Thank you so much, that's really useful advice.

He needs an education, though, otherwise if he falls academically behind, school will be even more overwhelming and he's unlikely to return, EHCP or not. Can you home educate him while you stay enrolled with your current school, appeal for an EHCPA and request AP? You are then not EHE. There is Oak Academy and Khan Academy for free online lessons, or you could enroll with online schools like Minerva Virtual Academy. Some parents use private tutors together with KS3 books, at least for the core subjects. You can also test this way whether it is autistic overwhelm in school and he really 'can't' go to school, or whether he just doesn't want to work hard. If he engages and works hard at home, you have proof it's the school environment that needs changing and adapting. If he refuses to work hard at home and just wants to game, dragging him into school might be appropriate advise.

I don’t think dragging a child into school is ever appropriate advice. A far better approach would to investigate and understand why the child is unable to engage/work hard at home and modify the approach in order to get them to a point where they can engage with learning (in whatever form is appropriate, which may be via gaming provision). Dragging a child is likely to cause further trauma.

Hi. I am a mum to a 11 year old boy with autism and ADD, he also has a EHCP.

I 100% advise pushing for that EHCP but I’m going to be completely honest with you, because I was made to believe my boys EHCP was going to be a life saver for his education…. It’s not.

mainstream just does not work for my son. We went through 3 primary schools and we didn’t even make it to the half term break with his secondary. I have no idea how long he is going to be out of education now because the LA are requesting a Change Of Placement. I know he needs a SEND School but being approved for that is near on impossible in my location.

Make sure you appeal his EHCP request either way and I’m happy to advise about the legal requirements on his EHCP

@Canecorsomummy have you requested s19 provision whilst you go through the process of securing SS? Where are you in the process of amending the EHCP? Have you already had an early review meeting? Is the LA sticking to the timescales?

The LA is also still responsible for ensuring any provision detailed, specified and quantified in F is provided.

If you have to appeal to SENDIST, you can request the hearing is expedited on the basis DS is out of school.

We are waiting in a agreed date with the school for the emergency review meeting

If alternative provision isn’t already in place, you can request that.

My LA sent an email to the school yesterday after also informing them that they must provide work for home for him but were yet to hear anything back

Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996, responsibility for ensuring CSA DC unable to attend school receive a suitable full-time education ultimately lies with the LA, not the school. Work sent home from school does not relieve the LA of their duty. You can request s19 provision from the LA.

Similarly, it is the LA with the responsibility under section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 for ensuring any provision detailed, specified and quantified in F is provided.

Yes I know. I’ve have put in writing to the LA that if work is not provided by the end of tomorrow, then I will be enforcing S19 x

Could you try to move DS to the smaller school in the interim since the big school are being unsupportive. I know that you want DS to attend the SEN unit attached to the smaller school but if the big school are cranking up the pressure it won’t do you or DS any good. In the meantime appeal the refusal to assess to hopefully get your son into the SEN unit. I must warn you that the system is completely broken with almost all LA working months outside timescales. It took me 84 weeks to get an EHCP for my son (two appeals both conceded). Therefore, I would think of a plan B whilst you are pushing plan A.