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Guidance related to part-time timetables in school
Published
Part-time timetables should only be implemented in rare circumstances, and where all other interventions to try and ensure that a pupil can access full time education have been exhausted.
Examples of when a reduced timetable may be appropriate are:
- As part of a student’s planned re-integration to school following an extended period out of school due to non-attendance (including anxiety related nonattendance)
- Following an extended absence due to ill health or other medical reasons
- As a temporary fixed term intervention when a student is at risk of exclusion, to allow alternative education arrangements to be made to meet the needs of the student, or to allow interventions to be put in place enabling the student to return to full time education within the school setting.
They must be agreed jointly by both school and parent. The reduced timetable should be as short as possible (preferably less than 12 weeks) and follow a clear reintegration programme which should be reviewed regularly. Any pupil on a part-time timetable is expected to have a My Plan + in place (along with a My Assessment) to ensure needs are identified and SMART targets set in conjunction with parents; this will enable pupils to work towards attending school full time with appropriate support in place.
If you have any queries regarding the use of a part time timetable then please contact the Education Inclusion Service helpline on 01452 427274 and your school’s inclusion officer will be able to help.
For those children and young people who have an EHCP it is recommended that a review takes place before a part time timetable is agreed. This is to ensure that this would be appropriate and that appropriate provision remains in place to meet needs. It may also mean that outcomes need to be adjusted for a period of time which can be recorded in the My Plan/My Plan + document that should underpin the EHCP. A clear understanding of next steps should be documented with a clear plan of reintegration so the child and young person are able to return to school full time as quickly as possible.