Post by mamab on Apr 27, 2014 15:10:57 GMT
Much to my utter amazement last Friday our LEA agreed to my 5 year old son being back yeared and even acknowledged the "clear academic and social reasons" for doing so.
Really just wanted to post this as the message I got from everyone every step of the way - the LEA, Parent Partnership, Social Services, the school, friends who had looked into it, research on the forums (with the odd exception) - was that it was so unlikely to be agreed that it wasn't worth the battle.
So I guess my message is just don't take no for an answer - I didn't. Well I did initially. In fact when I read the LEA criteria for considering this sort of request I just thought it wasn't worth pursuing. Basically the areas where they required "clear evidence" were worded in such a way that it set the barrier so high it would be impossible for anyone to meet the criteria. Then after a while I thought - no - you want "clear" evidence? I'll b****y well give you clear evidence! And now my son has a fighting chance of having a halfway decent school experience instead of the daily struggle to keep his head above water in class where he is socially and emotionally way too young to cope.
So if you are in the same boat - go for it - and just don't take no for an answer. I honestly didn't think they would agree first time round but I wouldn't have given up and had already thought of what I would do next. I still can't quite believe that it's been agreed but so relieved that it was.
Really just wanted to post this as the message I got from everyone every step of the way - the LEA, Parent Partnership, Social Services, the school, friends who had looked into it, research on the forums (with the odd exception) - was that it was so unlikely to be agreed that it wasn't worth the battle.
So I guess my message is just don't take no for an answer - I didn't. Well I did initially. In fact when I read the LEA criteria for considering this sort of request I just thought it wasn't worth pursuing. Basically the areas where they required "clear evidence" were worded in such a way that it set the barrier so high it would be impossible for anyone to meet the criteria. Then after a while I thought - no - you want "clear" evidence? I'll b****y well give you clear evidence! And now my son has a fighting chance of having a halfway decent school experience instead of the daily struggle to keep his head above water in class where he is socially and emotionally way too young to cope.
So if you are in the same boat - go for it - and just don't take no for an answer. I honestly didn't think they would agree first time round but I wouldn't have given up and had already thought of what I would do next. I still can't quite believe that it's been agreed but so relieved that it was.
Heard of it happening either 
