Education Health Needs

We provide education for children and young people of statutory school age (5 to 16 years) who are temporarily unable to attend school due to ill health. We can deliver advice to schools on how specific conditions affect pupils' learning. We offer extended support packages for individual pupils and transition packages for pupils who have missed lengthy periods of schooling.

Support for schools and professionals

Our aim is to provide high quality education and prevent pupils from slipping behind in their work due to a health condition. By working closely with staff in schools we ensure children and young people follow the correct programmes of study. Individual health plans are drawn up and we liaise with medical professionals. As soon as possible we support integration back to school to prevent any further disruption to pupils' education.

We teach individual pupils with health needs who are currently unable to attend school and offer teaching sessions at a location near their home or, if absolutely necessary, in the home. We provide information, advice and consultancy to children and young people, schools, parents/carers and other agencies.

Information for parents/carers is available on our Children out of school or in hospital due to medical or mental health needs page.

We also provide small group teaching provision for:

pupils who are pregnant or have recently given birth up until the baby is 12 weeks old
pupils who are unable to attend school due to anxiety
pupils who are not in school due to a medical diagnosis such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) - a short-term intervention package is offered culminating in reintegration to school

The desired outcomes for the children and young people we work with are to raise aspiration and achievement, for pupils to actively engage in education, employment or training and for the package of support to result in improved emotional well-being and progress in school work.

Our team

Our Education Health Needs team consists of a manager, a team leader, advisory teachers, education support workers for health needs, a pool of highly qualified casual teachers, a clinical psychologist, a learning support assistant (LSA) for young parents and their babies, education support on the children's ward of the University Hospital of North Durham (UHND) and clerical support.

Costs

The service is free to teach pupils who meet the criteria for statutory education provision due to their ill health certified by a medical professional.

Costs may be incurred if pupils have, or are waiting for, an autism diagnosis/other SEN needs.

The cost per hour of one to one tuition is £55.

Education Health Needs