Changing School

Cuilean

We have had part time students in my school in the past, but it's always been as a short term solution to benefit the child's welfare, for example:


Child 1 - Child moved to the UK from rural Africa and had never received formal schooling. We started him on one afternoon a week and increased half a day each week until he was full time. Dad would take support materials and help his son with the basics like numbers and reading.


Child 2 - An academically able child with a very disturbed background who liked to climb over the fence and off the school premises where he would be collected by the police who'd inevitably find him riding his BMX and smoking a cigarette. For a few weeks, we had him in school for four days a week, and he took work to do on the day he was not in school.


In both these cases, the Head was able to grant part time "Flexi Schooling" because there was provision there which would mean that if the arrangements for home education were not working, the child would be in a position to keep up with their class.


I would imagine that your child's school will want to work with you to help keep your child's education on track. Your child's mainstream school will still have an obligation to provide education if you flexi school them, and when it comes to assessment and formal tests like SATs, your child's data will still be entered on to their systems because your child will still be on their books. With so much emphasis on league tables, they will want to ensure that your child and every child achieves well because it will reflect on them. League tables are not designed for the benefit of the child, unfortunately




You really do need to discuss this thoroughly with the school - I'd make sure both the Head and SENCO are present for a meeting where you propose this.

Tigsteroonie

As above OP - your child will still be expected to be 'learning' during the time not at school. You can't just give them a break in the afternoons.

croyland87

Cuilean wrote: »

We have had part time students in my school in the past, but it's always been as a short term solution to benefit the child's welfare, for example:


Child 1 - Child moved to the UK from rural Africa and had never received formal schooling. We started him on one afternoon a week and increased half a day each week until he was full time. Dad would take support materials and help his son with the basics like numbers and reading.


Child 2 - An academically able child with a very disturbed background who liked to climb over the fence and off the school premises where he would be collected by the police who'd inevitably find him riding his BMX and smoking a cigarette. For a few weeks, we had him in school for four days a week, and he took work to do on the day he was not in school.


In both these cases, the Head was able to grant part time "Flexi Schooling" because there was provision there which would mean that if the arrangements for home education were not working, the child would be in a position to keep up with their class.


I would imagine that your child's school will want to work with you to help keep your child's education on track. Your child's mainstream school will still have an obligation to provide education if you flexi school them, and when it comes to assessment and formal tests like SATs, your child's data will still be entered on to their systems because your child will still be on their books. With so much emphasis on league tables, they will want to ensure that your child and every child achieves well because it will reflect on them. League tables are not designed for the benefit of the child, unfortunately




You really do need to discuss this thoroughly with the school - I'd make sure both the Head and SENCO are present for a meeting where you propose this.

My child is not accessing the curriculum and the targets set for him six months ago he has not achieved any of them. And school have said it in the past 5 months on many occasions that they want to part time my child as a last resort. But I objected to it and said that the local authority should be pushed that he goes to a Special School after the Easter brake but unfortunately all SP schools are full and they can only take him on in Sept. As a parent I have tried to fight him a place earlier rather than going with what the school said but now I feel I have no choice every single day we have to go into school sometimes twice a day the school is 10 minutes walk from are house my wife has to do 8 rounds a day backwards and forwards. Try and understand my situation which we are going through as parents. Thank you