Mrs B, West Yorkshire
My stories
My School Story
We had a very traumatic time in mainstream Secondary School with EBSA.
The school Anxiety started in Primary but was dealt with very well with the Senco and his school and so continued to a smallish Outstanding mainstream Secondary school.
Unfortunately Covid lockdown happened shortly after starting Y7 and returning to school became a daily battle.
We tried everything possible but all too little to no avail as ultimately the school environment where he was just was not right for him.
The school had little to no understanding of EBSA and how to deal with it which just made things worse.
Eventually we decided that it was affecting his and our mental wellbeing and looked for alternatives ourselves.
Very difficult there is literally no advice when school doesn’t work for your child!
Through a lot of searching we found an online school who seemed to have a much better approach to kids with Anxiety/Autism and SEN as a whole and took the big leap into the unknown.
We are now a year on from that decision and I can honestly say it is the best decision we have made in a long time!
The awful daily battles of trying to get him into school have gone.
He is much happier and is back in ft education again.
I just wish we had known about and taken this decision far sooner!
The school Anxiety started in Primary but was dealt with very well with the Senco and his school and so continued to a smallish Outstanding mainstream Secondary school.
Unfortunately Covid lockdown happened shortly after starting Y7 and returning to school became a daily battle.
We tried everything possible but all too little to no avail as ultimately the school environment where he was just was not right for him.
The school had little to no understanding of EBSA and how to deal with it which just made things worse.
Eventually we decided that it was affecting his and our mental wellbeing and looked for alternatives ourselves.
Very difficult there is literally no advice when school doesn’t work for your child!
Through a lot of searching we found an online school who seemed to have a much better approach to kids with Anxiety/Autism and SEN as a whole and took the big leap into the unknown.
We are now a year on from that decision and I can honestly say it is the best decision we have made in a long time!
The awful daily battles of trying to get him into school have gone.
He is much happier and is back in ft education again.
I just wish we had known about and taken this decision far sooner!
What happened next...
We went for a Virtual school and it has been transformative.
From barely getting in education in Mainstream to attending ft and studying for 9 GCSE’s in May.
From barely getting in education in Mainstream to attending ft and studying for 9 GCSE’s in May.
How I think schools could be better.
I feel that bricks and mortar schools are a very triggering and overwhelming places for a lot of kids, particularly for kids with ASC.
Too many people, too much change, different expectations so many things which are difficult to change in my opinion.
Too many people, too much change, different expectations so many things which are difficult to change in my opinion.