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Post by lankelly on Jun 30, 2015 22:28:22 GMT
Has anyone experience of successfully negotiating time off school for their child to assist maintain ing their child's mental health and emotional security? Wondering how to describe our need and Moptop s inability to take on more stress by attending when he feels wrung out. Today it was last minute colly wobbles 're sports day. Couldn't countenance sitting in the Sun for three hrs. Or being involved in any way.
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Post by serrakunda on Jun 30, 2015 22:43:26 GMT
I believe there is a legal,option called flexi schooling where the child attends school part time and the rest of the time is home educated. I don't know too much about it but I think the head has to agree. Not sure whether is has to be a regular arrangement or can be done on an ad hoc basis, could be worth looking at
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 9:24:25 GMT
Don't know, but if Moptop has been seen/assessed by CAMHS could they not advise you/school?
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Post by flutterby on Jul 1, 2015 10:50:33 GMT
My older daughter, not adopted btw, has mental health issues and only attends 4 out of 5 days on average. This has been going on for a good year. There is no official agreement that she can stay away. She has been under cahms for over a year. I have very good communication with school, who because of Ofsted requirements to remind parents that they need to send in their kid to school or else, send a semi threatening standard letter, which never results in anything. Whenever these letters arrive, I make an appointment with school to discuss how we can best support my daughter while she is going through therapy and the need for her to have a day off here and there as she would otherwise be completely unable to go to school and have even more time off. Either that or I home educate her.
Go to your GP to your to if you haven't done so, explain why your child needs regular time off and get their backing. Stress to school that you are doing this to maintain as high as possible attendance and to expect your child to attend every day would result in deeper crisis with even less or no attendance at all. Schools do not like flexi schooling arrangements because of Ofsted rankings, so may prefer the informal route and not necessarily the same day off each week.
Pm me if you want to chat more.
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Post by mudlark on Jul 1, 2015 21:42:10 GMT
We have successfully negotiated flexi schooling which is a routine of 3 days at school two at home.
Also we also have an agreement for mental health days which are for those days when for whatever reason one of them cant manage school. However Since instigating flexi schooling we haven't needed any MH days.
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Post by mudlark on Jul 1, 2015 21:44:09 GMT
What I meant to add was that is it within the schools gift to agree to these things, it's arguing the case for it, and having a teacher or senco that is sympathetic.
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Post by chotimonkey on Jul 2, 2015 17:00:45 GMT
I've worked with several children, who for varying reasons, couldn't manage a full timetable.... I think if you go in with docs note saying the child needs this the school would have to accommodate...
If it was less than once every 8 weeks or more I'd just use my own discretion and decide when they needed time, but if it was more I'd go through official channels. Schools hate unauthorised absences, the borough is on their case and ofsted always look at attendance, if you have a medical note then they can write it up as medical, and you shouldn't get hassled about it.
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Post by caledonia on Jul 8, 2015 12:06:54 GMT
I have never had an agreement with the school but have just keep DD off when she was not able to cope and said she was not well. I have never explained the type of 'not well' and have never been asked. however, I have not had the support of school or medical profession about DD's emotional wellbeing as some as you will know so I have not felt able to seek support. It will be interesting to see how things go after summer when we move south of the border as Scotland seems to be more relaxed about absenteeism than England.
Cale
x
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Post by milly on Jul 10, 2015 13:17:57 GMT
We have got an Ehc plan meeting with school soon and this is a possibility we may raise with them, depending on what they suggest (or not) re support for dd. Not sure if it can be officially agreed - will see.
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Post by twoplustwo on Jul 13, 2015 7:48:13 GMT
My BD (Mental health problems) had a note from the GP. However she was signed 'off sick' for quite a long period of time rather than on an ad hoc basis.
With Stig, if he wasn't coping with something emotionally I used to do the same as Cale and just say he was 'sick' but not specify the actual illness.
It depends on how often it's likely to happen - schools like to maintain their attendance figures.
One possible way round it - if you know it's going to be regular thing for a few weeks - is to get the backing of the mental health worker and tell school LO is having a course of therapy - say every Weds afternoon for 6 weeks. They don't need to know that the therapy is being at home having quiet time with you. Defintiely more therapeutic than being in school and not coping. That way they can mark the absence as medical.
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Post by twoplustwo on Jul 13, 2015 7:59:05 GMT
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Post by caledonia on Jul 13, 2015 9:04:00 GMT
I think it depends on the head teacher but again perhaps that's in Scotland. DD has headaches and feels sick when she is really stressed and these can build up to migraines if I don't catch it in time so I would tell DD to say she had a headache if anyone asked and that's what I would have said if challenged but I just put "please excuse DD from school yesterday as she was unwell" and nobody queried it.
cale
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Post by lankelly on Jul 21, 2015 19:32:04 GMT
Thank you all I will try and post a link sent to me...tomorrow. ;-)
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