Education

During Treatment

Your child may be too poorly at times to do any schoolwork but may miss the familiarity of school. After the first round of treatment, many children can start schoolwork again. A member of their care team (such as the CLIC Sargent Social Worker) should be able to help with all aspects of your child’s education. 

Below are some points that may help in the meantime:

Hospital teachers

If the hospital employs a hospital teacher they can arrange for important work to be sent to the hospital. They can also help with that work whilst your child is in hospital.

If your child is at an important stage in their education it may help for them to try and do a small amount of work every day (if they are able). This can stop them falling too far behind in the important subjects such as maths, English and science.

At home

If your child is under 16 and in full time education they may be entitled to home tuition. This depends upon how well they are and if they can attend school at all. It also varies between educational boroughs. Some parents report that it is very difficult to find out about home tuition but a member of your child’s care team (such as the CLIC Sargent social worker) can help to arrange this.

The home tutor will be able to concentrate on the main subjects, and will need a quiet space to work in.

What about returning to school?

Returning to school can be both exciting and frightening for your child. They may be worried about their friends having forgotten about them, or if they will be teased because of changes in the way they look. There are things that you can do to make this process easier.

• Ask if a member of your child’s care team can give classmates some information about what has happened to your child.
• Allow your child to visit school as often as possible – even if it’s only for a few lessons or even for lunch. This will help them fit in again once they return.
• Remind your child that they don’t have to talk about their illness if they do not want to.
• Ask their friends to walk into school with them and stay with them on their first day back.
• If you feel it is necessary arrange for your child to return part-time at first to make those initial weeks easier.
• Make the school aware of any special clothes or treatment the child may need. For example they may not be able to take part in sports lessons or may want to wear a hat to hide any hair loss. It’s important that this information is passed on to all of the teachers so you’re your child is confident that they will be treated with understanding in every lesson.
• Ask the teachers to watch for any signs of physical or emotional difficulties they may be having and to keep you up to date about their progress.
• Arrange for your child to have a trusted member of staff that they can talk to about any difficulties they have.
• Ask your child’s classmates to write to them when they are in hospital. This can cheer up your child and keep them up to date about things in the classroom.

In Year 10, 11, 12 or 13

If your child is on treatment they may be entitled to ‘special considerations’ during their GCSE or ‘A’ level exams. These include:

• 25% extra time in exams
• Use of a laptop if necessary
• Specialist equipment if necessary
• Use of a reader or scribe
• Use of a separate room for the exam
• Rest breaks

Their consultant will need to write a letter to the exam board explaining their condition, treatment and how their education has been affected.

If your child is too sick to take an exam, it may be possible for them to get an exam grade which is worked out using evidence such as mock exam results and coursework. Because of this, it is important for them to complete as much coursework as they can, when they can.

Exam boards have strict rules about this and ask that students complete a minimum of 35% of the GCSE exam and 50% of the exam at ‘A’ level. This is not negotiable but can include any element of coursework completed.