DS (supposed to be) starting college next week

[HarHer]

Hi,

My youngest DS is 16. He has an EHCP stating Social, Emotional and Mental Health issues as his primary need. He was also subject to a Child Protection Plan until very recently and will be on a Child in Need Plan if/when he starts college within the net two weeks.

He has not attended formal education since Year 9. He experienced extreme anxiety and his education was fragmented. He had 5 hours (in reality 3) of home tuition a week for the last year and a half and began attending the PRU for this, with 1:1 tuition during the last term. He sat 2 GCSEs (English and Maths) and gained level '2' grades.

he had interviews for college places. He ran away from one; hid behind the car for the other and sat in the interview and said nothing for yet another interview. However, he did attend an interview for a Level One Sports course and he was offered a place.

The course is offered at a college about 15 miles away from where we live, so my son will need transport. He is eligible for this from our LA.

However, I think the chances of my DS hopping into a taxi and participating in a full time course at college are very low indeed.

His EHCP states that he needs a structured transition - he has had none. It state he needs a designated person with whom he can build a rapport - he has nothing of the kind. It states he will need small groups - this has not been discussed.

I realise that it has taken some time for the offer of a course to be obtained. However, the LA have apparently 'consulted' with the college, but no meeting with respect to support has been arranged. I have contacted learning support and safeguarding and left them the names and contact detail of our social worker and our Assessment and Review officer, but I have heard nothing back.

To add to the distress, my eldest son had exactly the same experience. In mainstream school, he had 1:1 support in all classes due to autism and mental illness, but once school broke down, it was as if the system gave up on him. He is now in a residential unit for people with mental health issues and learning disabilities. He has no learning disability, but he has no academic qualifications . I do not want the same thing to happen to my youngest.

I am really tired, but i want to know what to do if/when my youngest does not attend college in the next few months.

Thanks

What are his feelings about this college and this course he has been accepted on?.

I would be on the phone to the LEA first thing tomorrow. I would personally want written assurances from both this college (from both the Principal and head of this sports course) and the LEA that your son will be supported before he even sets foot in the place. If not no dice. I would not want to send him anywhere near the place particularly when a structured transition to college has not occurred let alone important considerations as well like small groups and a designated person whom he can form a rapport of sorts with.

I have at first hand seen how college life can go so badly wrong and very quickly as well even if there is an EHCP in place so would not want that for anyone else.

Thank you,

I think the situation is sort of resolving itself. DS is very anxious and says he wants to go to the local college. I have e-mailed the specialist careers adviser and the Assessment and Review officer for the LEA to see if something at the local college can be planned. At least at the local college, i can walk down with him and he can run home if he really panics.

It does not bode well that the college who have made the offer have not asked to speak to my son, considering the amount of documentation that follows him around.

I hope that he can attend this local college you write of. Again I would want cast iron written assurances from the college before he sets foot in there that he will be properly supported.

Re your comment:-
"It does not bode well that the college who have made the offer have not asked to speak to my son, considering the amount of documentation that follows him around".

Indeed.

Thank you,

I have received an e-mail asking if I can meet with the Assessment and Review Officer and our social worker tomorrow afternoon. I have juggled a few appointments and accepted the appointment.

My son is very anxious at the moment and firmly refusing to go anywhere near the college. I have contacted learning support and asked them to explain that my son will not be enrolling today and I will contact after the meeting tomorrow. They seems fine about this and will pass the message on.

I also know how badly things can go wrong. I helped my eldest to apply for a course last year. I kept everyone informed but no support was put in place and communication was chaotic, to say the least. When the placement broke down in the first few weeks, I was accused of 'setting him up to fail'.

Was wondering how you got on yesterday.

Hi,

The Assessment and Review officer is going to contact the SENCo at our local college to see if my son can be offered a place on any course there. I am currently waiting for the Assessment and Review Officer to phone me as I type.

Hello,

Just a quick update. My son was invited to talk to a specialised Information and Guidance officer and the manager of Learning Support at our local college yesterday. I walked down with him and he listened and talked politely (which is a positive sign).

They explained that: (a) he must tell people if he felt like leaving the building, (b) he should ask at Reception to see the manager of Learning Support or anyone from LS if he felt anxious, (c) there would be learning support assistants in his class and they would help him with any problems. We were then asked to wait for a tutor to arrive.

The tutor explained that the course being offered was and Entry Level 2, 'Independent Living' course. She said there would be a bit of cooking, travel training and English and Maths. My son asked if the course might be a bit 'basic' for him (his words). The tutor then began to ask a few questions which indicated she had received no information at all about my son.

When my son began to tell her a little bit about his interests and achievements she said the course she taught would be unsuitable for him and she went off to consult with colleagues.

After some time, the tutor came back and said that the only course the college would offer was the Independent Living course and that my son had to 'prove' to the college he could attend and then, after two or three weeks, she would probably recommend that he transferred onto a higher level course (she did not say what subject this would be but offered to support my son to choose a subject whilst he was under this 'assessment' period).

I really do not know what to make of this. My son has agreed to this arrangement, but he often agrees to things and then refuses point blank to engage at the last moment.

However, I worked in FE some years ago and there was a great emphasis on placing students on the correct course. This course is not correct for my son: it is pitched three academic levels below his current level of ability and teaches subject in which my son is already competent (he can cook, look after himself, and (when his mental health is OK, travel independently). Added to that, i know the young people will be lovely, but Independent Living courses at Entry Level 2 are designed for students with severe to moderate learning disabilities, most of whom will be 19 years plus (having just left special school). This means, my son will probably not be able to form the peer relationships that would be so important for his progress.

Yet, it will be a course that is not academically challenging and it will give my son time to decide what he wants to do. It will also provide me with two full days and two half days to work to start expanding my own life a little more.

If my son refuses this offer, there is no contingency plan, so today, I am going to arrange another meeting with the Assessment and Reviewing officer and our social worker to see what else may be available.
[I apologise for the long reply]

HarHar

And I thought my son's college experience was crap; your son hasn't even started there yet and you're both being given the complete runaround. It would not fill me with confidence for the future either. There is no joined up thinking and the various bodies within the college simply do not talk to each other.

He simply cannot do a course that is not suitable for him to do; they're going to have to do a lot better than this.

So sorry you're both going through this and hope that the Assessment and Reviewing officer comes up with something.

How are you getting on?

Hi,

So far it has gone much better than I expected. He was moved from the original course to a Level One Employability course. Yesterday, he attended, but I was told he did not participate in anything. However, I brought his results in to college and one of the tutors who knows my son from the PRU spoke to the Learning Support Manager and the main tutor for the course. It has been agreed that if my son participates this week, he will be able to move to the Level 2 Fitness course.

I explained to my son what participating meant (talking to tutors and doing the work set) and today he has spoken to the tutor, spoken to two or three students and done his work.

I am really proud of him and just hope he can keep this up. It would make such a difference to him to have somewhere to go, something to do and other young people to meet.

Thank you for asking. How are things going for you?

HarHar

Am glad to read that things are going well for your son. I hope that he continues to participate and indeed gets moved to the level 2 fitness course.

DS is working full time now as an engineering apprentice in their apprenticeship programme. He will move sites every few months or so for the next couple of years. He is still getting used to the longer working day on top of the commute!.

Well, it has all gone a bit wrong. My son attended for three of the four days last week, but he attended no class this week. We have had several meetings with the learning Support Manager and today with the learning Support Manager and a curriculum team.

Basically, son says the course is too' basic' for him; he cannot interact with the other students and he does not want to attend. College have said it is that course or nothing. My son insists he will not attend and we have been advised to consult again with the Assessment and Review Officer to see if there is anything else available at any other college.

I have very little faith that anything will be found and I have started looking for jobs in car washes just so that my son may have an opportunity to do something.

Hi HarHar

Very sorry to read this and I hope you made some headway with the Learning Support Manager and the curriculum team. How did that meeting go?

Has your son himself looked for jobs also?. How does he feel about you looking for jobs for him?

DS got his English remark this week and there was no movement in his grade or final mark (he missed a C by 1 mark). I only wish I could have five minutes with the person who actually marked his paper!.

Hello,

Sorry to hear of your DS's results. I can remember being at a standardisation meeting where it was advised to try to avoid giving borderline grades, especially when the grades are critical e.g. a borderline 'pass' or a borderline 'C'. This was not for GCSE exams, however.

After the meeting, my son was told to hand in his ID badge and lanyard. He is essentially removed from the course, and from what I can gather, from the college.

I am quite appalled, but I hope the meeting next week with the Assessment and Review officer and Learning Support Manager will be more fruitful.

Am very sorry to read of this latest development, it sounds like they do not want him back at all. How is DS doing now?.

Do let us know how you get on next week.