At the moment it is half term, but after the holiday Lucy will be going back to school!
This is big, she's not been to school now for eleven months. Even then she'd only been at her new school for eight weeks. She has been home tutored by a qualified teacher (who is absolutely lovely) since February of this year.
We deliberated for a long while about sending her back to school. We considered changing schools, I even tried a couple of special needs schools to see if they would take her, but she was turned down. Academically she's not too bad. She can keep up with her peers in most subjects. It's her behavioral and physical difficulties which are a problem.
I had even considered moving her to a different school. Her current one is not the best, they have a lot of troublesome pupils, and the school is a fair distance to walk. However, they are trying to improve the school and I have already seen it change for the better in the last year while Lucy's siblings have been attending. Also, we now have a car, and although I prefer to walk to school at least it means we can use the car on difficult days, which probably means every day where Lucy is concerned.
The school are being really good. She only has three days to attend in the first week and I will be picking her up at lunchtime. She will then continue to attend every morning until she feels able to stay for school dinner. Then, only when she is ready, she will go back full time. They are arranging all the extra support she will need while in school, so fingers crossed that will all be in place quickly after her return.
Lucy hasn't shown much concern over returning although that may change nearer the time. Her sister is really excited that they will be at school together again. Now that her sister has moved up into Key Stage 2 they will be sharing the same playground at playtime and lunchtime too. They are really close so hopefully this will help. I can't believe I even considered splitting them up into different schools.
I still have lots of concerns but I believe that school is the best place for her. She currently has no friends and all and only ever plays with her sister. Maybe that will change when she goes back to school. I live in hope.
Now, I have the task of finding school uniform for her.
