Does anyone homeschool?

merlin68

I agree with onlyroz. My daughter has had a statement since nursery school, but it still took me all of primary school to be able to get her into a special needs school and she was on a band d. It was only when the catholic school advised the LEA that she wouldn't last six months, that they accepted her. So without a statement you will get nowhere.
If you have a statement any school has to accept them.

property.advert

These things don't come around and force you to make a decision in 20 minutes do they ? The OP has had years to move within the catchment area and months at the very least if not years to get to grips with the nuances of the application procedure and especially the way it caters for children with special needs and how they rank above distance.

However, as is often the case, that wasn't done. Not mentioning the disability was not helpful and rather foolish.

I can see from here that home schooling is not a viable option for this child. The OP states that her partner does not possess either the requisite skills or a suitable temperament and the OP cannot do it even if she were capable. It is just a "pie in the sky" dream to fix a problem which should not have arisen.

Get on with the appeal after reading up sufficiently. Get the medical evidence together and put forward your case. Consider getting help to present your case as well.

Nicki

merlin68 wrote: »

If you have a statement any school has to accept them.

That isn't true I'm afraid. If the LEA names the school you want on the statement then they have to take them or have the statement changed, but the school will be consulted before it is named and can refuse if they have no places or feel they are not equipped to cope with the child's needs. If the school refuses to take the child then the parent will need to go to the SEN tribunal. The LEA can also refuse to name a school the parent wants if for example it is out of borough.

mandragora_2

What arrangements has the primary school put in place for your child's transtition to secondary school? If your son has specific difficulties (school action/school action&) - and it sounds like he has, they should by now be contacting the SENCo of the secondary school, and liaising with them about your sons needs, regardless of statement or not. It would be worth asking if you could visit the head of special needs at the designated secondary school - arrange a visit, talk to them and see what they do. Don't write off the next 5 years as if he will definitely be 'bullied' - go there, see how they work, and talk to some of the students who are already there, rather than going through an (understandable) knee-jerk reaction and writing off what may actually turn out to be a very positive and rewarding 5 years for him. Before you worry yourself and him unecessarily, go and find out exactly what's on offer. Many secondary schools are fantastic, and even if 'headline figures' of exam results aren't the best in the county, they can have outstanding SEN provision and outcomes. If, when you've investigated the first offer, you still decide it's not right for your child, investigate what the alternative offer the lea can suggest will do for your son.

If there is any chance of him secruing a ststement, get the primary school onto it NOW, before he goes up to 'big' school. You were badly advised to ignore this process, as it secures extra help and support for your children, by securing additional funding in many cases, and ensuring he has his own individual education plan in place, with clear recommendations. If you wait till he goes to secondary school, to be honest, it slows things down terribly, and in some cases means that it never becomes a priority, with other more serious cases rising to the surface. At the moment your child may be one of 100 or 200 students in the school - at secondary he could well be one out of 1000 or 1500.

bestpud

I've recently started home educating my 9 year old.

Tbh the social side of it is easily fixed and we've found it is more a case of choosing what to do rather than finding things to do with other children.

I have come across a few families with a child on the autistic spectrum and they find HE better for them.

Its not the same as trying to make them do homework as you can tailor their education to suit their interests and learning style. Plus you can cover a whole lot more one to one than a school can manage so there is no need to spend 6 hours a day at a desk 'teaching' him.

That said, it's a huge decision and one you must all feel comfortable
with.

My advice is to find as much info as you can and contact local home ed families in your area. Do this as well as following the great school advice above and you will hopefully end up with that will work, even if it wasn't your first choice.

Good luck - secondary schools can be a nightmare and I know just how you feel.

kafkathecat

I was just going to say what bestpud said but she put it better than me. There is also a book 'Home educating your autistic spectrum child' which some libraries have. Ds recently made a very short film about home ed with a group of other boys, including one with Asperger's syndrome.
There is so much to do and it really doesn't have to be sitting at home doing school.
Fwiw I am not very patient and I know lots of home educators with limited education, it doesn't matter there are so many resources and people out there that can help.

celebrate

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

You mention your son has special needs. Has he had them diagnosed by a professional and had it written down, did you state it in the application.

If so you stand a good chance of winning appeal, but you will need to fight hard. Do visit the appeals thread on the families board.

Given your circumstances, I do wonder if homeschooling is wise. I wonder instead, if you can squeeze your household finances a bit more and look at a local private school. A few of my friends have and they deal with their special needs really well. It doesn't have to be ultra expensive.

hth

hi my kids go to a private school and i am looking to remove them!
be careful -private schools aren't the best just because you pay for it!!

ours is all about fancy plays ,concerts, sports events, galas, parents eevnings where NOTHING negative os said about your child not even constructive criticism, my kids are gifted and talented and the school is not providing for their needs at all, it took them a year to assess them and realise what they were capable of, when i tackled them about it they just got defensive.

My sons handwriting is AWFUL and even though they have smaller class sizes his cousin in the state school (which i removed the from) is now doing beutiful joined up wiriting.

My friend has had a child who is underperforming and 3 years on after no-one at the school picking it up finally they have accepted she has some special needs (awaiting psychol assessment) she may have a problem but say they will NOt fund indivisual one to one support-she will have to pay for it!!!

Silaqui

Just wanted to add, have you actally been to visit the school that he has been allocated to? Many schools do deal with students with SEN really well, and particularly if they are aware and prepared for the student starting (which they should be, as the SENCo's ought to be starting to pass all the info on round about now).

I think it might be worth applying for a statement now if you are able - not to 'label' your son but as a kind of back up to ensure he gets the relevant help. Students on School Action or Action Plus tend to get help where possible, those with a Statement are almost always top of the list.

Try not to worry too much about bullying too, obviously every school is different but where I work there is a lad who started with us in year 10, who has quite severe Aspergers. I was amazed at how so many of the students did not react in the slightest to his 'funny ways', no mickey taking or anything (and this is not a particularly nice area). He is now in Year 13 and although he has never really been able to make friends as such, he is never short of someone to sit with and although he sometimes struggles to understand the nuances, he is always included in conversation.

Sadly, more kids seem to get bullied for looking different than behaving differently.

kazd

pinkshoes wrote: »

Could you rent a house near the school so you fall within the catchment area?

Its people who do this that have caused a major issue in our area. The kids in our area have been kicked out of their local walkable outstanding school to having to take a fourteen mile round bus trip to a school that has been put on special measures.:mad:

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi,

My 12 year old son was diagnosed with a chronic illness 18 months ago and has not been in full time school since then. He has had several periods of being off school completely, the longest of which was 3 months. We have had periods of home tutors but essentially I have been his teacher a lot of the time.

You really need to think about the impact this will have on you as well as him. If you arent happy its just not going to work. You need to think about leaving your job and losing the social contact with other adults. You will be with your child all the time and even if you have a great relationship this isnt always easy. If you are lucky enough to be able to network with other home schoolers then thats great but in reality everyone else around you may be at work so it can be very isolating.

I admire anyone who does it successfully because its not for me. I have enjoyed spending time with my son and being there for him when he really needed me. As he gets older I am more and more aware that he needs to be with kids of his own age and I can really see the social benefits of school. If I am honest I am also looking forward to getting back to work and having a life of my own again.

It sounds like you have some difficult choices to make so I hope it works out for you.