I've had the same problem with my dd runkid: she has barely attended school for the last year, and even before that we had intermittent attendance problems. At one point I took her out of school completely and attempted home ed with her (which was pretty much a disaster!). She then went back to school, but it only took a few months before she started playing truant. I had a strange response from the school tbh. The pastoral care officer was very kind and sympathetic, but ultimately there was no support on offer, and as a result the school imposed an escalating series of suspensions with the obvious (but unstated) aim of racking up the necessary number of temporary exclusions to justify a permanent exclusion. I spoke to the pastoral care teacher about this and she advised me to deregister dd and make alternative arrangements for her education, as a permanent exclusion would be a huge blot on dd's record.
I followed this advice and deregistered dd earlier this year. Social services and the local EWO got involved - and I must say they too have been helpful and sympathetic as far as they can be - and a meeting was arranged at which dd was offered a number of options. Amazingly one of these was to send dd to an independent school funded by the LEA! I was surprised at the number of options available tbh. They included:
- attempt to find a place in year 11 in a new state secondary (nigh on impossible where I live)
- enrol dd on a part-time college course scheme (limited places available and more aimed at kids with limited academic ability)
- enrol dd at an independent school to be funded by the LEA
- enrol dd at the LEA's "pupil support centre" - a facility for kids who had either been excluded or could not (for whatever reason) attend full-time school
- home ed
- make our own arrangements to be supported by ad hoc educational support from the LEA (e.g. to complement a paid job or apprenticeship arranged by us)
Dd has opted for the pupil support centre and we have an interview there next week. It will be part-time - 2 or 3 days a week at most - and kids are taught in small groups according to ability. The educational aims are flexible according to the age, ability, motivation and wishes of the child.
There's no guarantee that dd will attend this facility either, although she claims that she will. I am praying that she does, and that it works out at least until she is 16 (next May).
But ultimately I agree entirely with 3littlefrogs - if dd doesn't get any qualifications at all next year (when she should be taking her GCSEs) I have little doubt that at some point in the future she will choose to go to college in order to sort this out for herself. I think it will be important that this is her own choice rather than something she is forced into. I myself am studying for my first degree with the OU, so I'm living proof that it's never too late.
I've rambled on at length here about myself, but hoped that by sharing our experience it might give you some ideas for your dd runkid. Good luck!