We have done zero seconds of home schooling and I am not at all ashamed of that, I carry no guilt. Charlie’s school journey, is so incredibly fragile that one more crack and it might shatter it completely. For those that are new to us and haven’t read the beginning blog, Charlie was permanently excluded from mainstream primary at 5. This was his 2nd mainstream school after I removed him from his first. After, Charlie went to a Pupil Referral Unit while we worked on an EHCP. He then went to a 3rd primary mainstream school, on an EHCP whereby he was permanently excluded once again by 7. Charlie bounced back in the PRU which coincidently broke down as a placement a few months later. The LA named a SEN school 35 miles away, that was inappropriate not only for the travelling and his high anxiety but there are no onsite therapies and a timeline for progress, Charlie would be in the nurture group and if he was unable to access the main school after 12 months I would have to change the placement!! The placement was only up to 14 also.

So I took the LA to tribunal and won! I won an independent specialist provision 5 miles away with onsite therapy , which Charlie can attend until he is 19. Also, there is no pressure to move out of the nurture unit he can stay there, especially in Primary until he is ready for secondary. Academically he is working at aged 5/6 however, cognitively he is 9 years old. This makes it very difficult to teach Charlie I am sure he still has some major barriers to learning. My choice of school was always best for Charlie, I am the expert in Charlie.

Safety, obviously a huge point given the pandemic, and I honestly wouldn’t be sending Charlie if I felt there was a risk to him or the staff. He will be in a building with multiple rooms and he will be able to distance himself in a room with his 1:1 and it is very unlikely that others will join him. He is going into a new unit, where there are only 2 other students. So there will be 6 people (staff and students) to 10-12 rooms. I’ve not been in the new unit yet, so unsure exactly how it will look, but it will have a sensory room which is fantastic for Charlie.

Unfortunately there is no horse riding, which is going to really affect Charlie as it was such a positive effect on him. And we are in Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 1 hour to begin with, I’ll be in the car park if anyone needs me.

Today I have contacted the LA once again to ask about respite, it has been 3 months since our final EHCP was issued and although we were awarded 50 hours annually respite care unfortunately this has never materialised. It is such a small number of hours for Charlie’s needs but over 3 months that has actually equated to 12/13 hours which put together would of been a substantial welcomed respite break for me. I obviously will have advocate for both extra hours and some hours in the first place.

I have decided as much as I can to do admin on a Monday and advocacy work on a Friday, unfortunately all too often the work that goes into caring and advocating for Charlie is so overwhelming, pretty soon if I am not organised it becomes too much and vital emails and assessments are missed. Classic case of carers burnout, which was what the assessment for respite was!!!

Still no news on SPOA and a referral for anxiety meds, this was also on my advocacy list.

I will eagerly await the return of school, and all the transition traumas that come with it.

Georgina x