Backclassing - possibly UK specific

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone & Happy New Year to you all!

Wondered if anyone could help...

My 13 yr old DD started mainstream school (part-time) in September,

after being home-educated for 7 years. She should officially be in

Year 9 but I asked for her to be put in with the Year 8s, partly

because she would struggle academically with her true peers and also

because she is very young socially for her age - the friends she has

made while being home-edded have are a couple of years younger than

she is & she really wouldn't manage with her " true peers " .

The school has been brilliant so far and practically told me I could

write my own curriculum for her. However, although they have put my

DD with the Year 8s, they cannot themselves officially backclass her.

This means that my daughter could find herself being turfed out of

the school at 16 to go to the local college, leaving her Year 8

friends behind. My Local Education Authority in West Sussex doesn't

normally backclass although some other LEAs in the country do so.

I just wondered if anyone had been down this route already and, if so,

what reasons did you give?

All help very much appreciated!

Thanks a bunch!