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Post by mudlark on Oct 28, 2017 15:49:09 GMT
I have been flexi schooling my two since they started school in reception, so 4 years. This has always been with the support of the school.
The school is an academy.
I heard just before half term, on the grapevine, that one of the other Mums who flexi schools her son one day a week has been told that our county council no longer support flexi schooling and she has to stop.
I emailed the school 'worried' and received an email back saying we need to meet after half term to 'discuss'. I thought Academy's could use their own discretion in these matters. Or I wonder if they are 'using' the County's position as a convenient way to put a stop to flexi schooling. ( We have had a change of head, senco and deputy head in the last few months).
I think I am in a relatively weak position and am at the mercy of the schools discretion. But I wonder are their special considerations they need to give to ' adopted children'?
I want to continue flexi schooling as long as it feels valuable for the children and right now does not feel like the time to stop.
Any insights gratefully received.
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Post by serrakunda on Oct 28, 2017 19:17:08 GMT
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Post by mudlark on Oct 28, 2017 19:59:18 GMT
Thanks, some useful stuff.
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Post by mudlark on Oct 31, 2017 12:02:21 GMT
Meeting this morning, regarding flexi schooling and this is my response, I am not sure the school understand the guidelines from the DfE which their EWO seems to have stumbled upon and is now causing a problem. Just wondering if any one else here is having a hard time flexi schooling?
Dear X I have had a look at the DfE position on flexi schooling and it is somewhat confusing, but there does appears to be room for discretion and to consider ‘exceptional circumstances.
In February 2013, the Department for Education issued “categorical” advice that a school could not agree to a flexi-schooling arrangement. However, in March 2013 this advice was amended to state that “where parents have entered in to flexi-schooling arrangements, schools may continue to offer those arrangements”.
The then Parliamentary Under-secretary of State for Education and Childcare, Elizabeth Truss, outlined the then Government’s policy on flexi-schooling in response to a parliamentary question on 10 June 2013: “Schools may enter into flex schooling arrangements provided they correctly mark children as absent in attendance registers when they are being educated at home.”
The current Department for Education non-statutory guidance on school attendance, last updated in November 2016, states that as a rule schools can’t place pupils on part-time timetables but that “in very exceptional circumstances there may be a need for a temporary part-time timetable to meet a pupil’s individual needs”.
So, I understand the concern about the phrase ‘temporary basis’ - and to answer it, my understanding has previously been that the arrangement with St Michaels is temporary and we have reviewed it termly with the school to assess its continuing benefit to the children. It is however very difficult to place a time frame on children who have been as emotionally and psychologically damaged as K and C
I will seek guidance from Families for Children the adoption agency who still support us and the professionals who work with us in providing therapy for the children.
Our view is that we have had such excellent support from St Michaels, which has been of enormous benefit to the children and we would like to continue the previously agreed arrangements including the regular review meetings to assess the value of continued flexi schooling. To recap, we do not see Flexi schooling as a ‘long term’ solution’ we see it as an essential pathway to the children being able to successfully attend and engage in full time education. Having missed 3 and 4 years of development, nurture and care, we are working hard to retrospectively fill in those missing years, so they can move forward with the same security and confidence as their peers.
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Post by esty on Nov 1, 2017 20:32:02 GMT
Excellent letter Mudlark
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