Exclusions

[Mookamoo]

Just thought I would share a recent experience.

 

DS has been doing very well at our local school and is now in year 4. However this year his Headteacher and class teacher both left (they also shared the SENCO role). The new head has come in and has been a challenge to say the least. She removed most of his established procedures, for example, when he felt like a meltdown was coming he was able to go into the head's office and count the Tesco vouchers. The new head deemed this not acceptable as she might be having a meeting (that didn't worry the last head). After many months of grief (and with the help of some out reach services) he now has a 'dark den' he can go to.

 

Anyway... I had a call from school to say DS was to excluded for 'Assault of a Teacher'. What transpired, and this is the official version of events, not just my take on it, is that he had some Lego in his hand and felt like another child was laughing at him so threw it at her. He missed and hit the teacher. He was excluded for 3 days.

 

Now this was his first exclusion and we felt is was too harsh and took advice.

 

We sought the opinions of the County Exclusion Officer (part of the local government) and the Head of the Governors. Our point being, there was no intent, no pre meditated action (the Lego was already in his hand) and it happened at a point of acute anxiety (they were due to go on a school trip the next day and no one at the school had done any preparatory work with him). I also spoke to friends who are SENCOs and learning support teachers. All said if it was an exclusion (which was debatable) it certainly should not be for 3 days. I also found the guidelines on this excellent website : http://www.ace-ed.org.uk/ It states the exclusion should be for the 'minimum time possible' for up to 1-3 days. The reason the head gave for the 3 days was 'it is always 3 days' and 'it will give him time to come to terms with his actions'. Both reasons are nonsense. The fixed period is not 'always' 3 days and a child with ASD will not be able to 'come to terms' with his actions. He had forgotten all about it an hour later. 3 days also allows for no escalation (if the first offense carries 3 days - what if he does it again?)

 

We challenged the exclusion period through the Governors and have got the period reduced to 1 day and the head has added a explanatory note on his record admitting the lack of intent to 'Assault a Teacher'. This we thought a good outcome as we are going through the statement process at the moment and the exclusion, although not ideal on his record' will help him get provision in the future.

 

I share this in the hope that others out there who think they are being given a rough ride can look for help. Contact your local County Exclusion Officer. Heads are scared of them. Contact the Governors, heads have to answer to them.

[Kathryn]

Thanks for sharing that Mookamoo - very relevant as a lot of people here seem to be dealing with exclusions at the moment. The guidance says that heads should avoid excluding pupils with SEN, but it happens with monotonous regularity.

 

I'd agree with what you say about challenging the exclusion: parents have a right to state their views to the governors, no matter how long or short the exclusion. It's always worth checking the school behaviour policy to see if the school have actually followed their own guidelines, and querying such blanket statements as "it's always 3 days.. etc". It's also important to get the head's incident report and witness statements if any, to see how he/she reached the decision to exclude.

 

It's always worth getting one's views on record, even in cases where there may be some justification in the punishment - it all helps to provide a trail of evidence which may lead to greater support.

 

K x

[Michele17]

We challenged an exclusion where another boy (talking year 8 here) deliberately wound Z up to the point where Z retaliated and pushed him against a wall, where he hit his head on a light switch. The view taken by the head of year was that this was a deliberate attack by Z and excluded him for 3 days. The other kid got 1 and a half days internal exclusion. When HOY and I spoke about this on the phone and I pointed out that Z had been deliberately targetted and he should have the same sanction as the other kid, the reply was: " I'd love to give Z internal exclusion, but if his violent behaviour continues and he has to be excluded permanently in the future, then we have to show a series of shorter exclusions before we can do that." I was speechless!!!! We took it to the Governors, who upheld the decsion to exclude but did stress that they didn't run a system of accumulating exclusions before permanently excluding pupils - in otherwords, big rap on the knuckles for HOY. It wasn't a great outcome, but what we expected really. I did it to show that I was not going to take any c**p lying down and would fight Z's corner.

 

Today we have a meeting about "recent events with Z" - I have absolutely no idea what they mean - am very anxious about it and not a little angry. If 'events' have been bad enough to call a meeting, why haven't we been kept more up to date?

 

 

 

So hacked off - seem to have got to a complete dead end - why does the system make them fail, then hold up their hands and claim it's not their fault and oh by the way, there's no other provision for your child other than anything totally unsuitable?!

 

Sloping off upstairs for my shower now, cry buckets in there and then go to work before the meeting. How can I concentrate on teaching my reception children when I feel like this? They deserve better.

 

 

[julie1]

good luck for today, you never know they may be trying to work with you to get ideas on how to better support your son. I really hope so.

[Mookamoo]

Good luck Michelle.

 

Its short notice - but you do have the right to bring someone else with you. A grand parent or friend who might help?

[Sally44]

We challenged an exclusion where another boy (talking year 8 here) deliberately wound Z up to the point where Z retaliated and pushed him against a wall, where he hit his head on a light switch. The view taken by the head of year was that this was a deliberate attack by Z and excluded him for 3 days. The other kid got 1 and a half days internal exclusion. When HOY and I spoke about this on the phone and I pointed out that Z had been deliberately targetted and he should have the same sanction as the other kid, the reply was: " I'd love to give Z internal exclusion, but if his violent behaviour continues and he has to be excluded permanently in the future, then we have to show a series of shorter exclusions before we can do that." I was speechless!!!! We took it to the Governors, who upheld the decsion to exclude but did stress that they didn't run a system of accumulating exclusions before permanently excluding pupils - in otherwords, big rap on the knuckles for HOY. It wasn't a great outcome, but what we expected really. I did it to show that I was not going to take any c**p lying down and would fight Z's corner.

 

Today we have a meeting about "recent events with Z" - I have absolutely no idea what they mean - am very anxious about it and not a little angry. If 'events' have been bad enough to call a meeting, why haven't we been kept more up to date?

 

 

 

So hacked off - seem to have got to a complete dead end - why does the system make them fail, then hold up their hands and claim it's not their fault and oh by the way, there's no other provision for your child other than anything totally unsuitable?!

 

Sloping off upstairs for my shower now, cry buckets in there and then go to work before the meeting. How can I concentrate on teaching my reception children when I feel like this? They deserve better.

 

So you are also a teacher. That might help in some ways as you are aware of some of the systems. And you are absolutely right that if there have been 'incidents' then you should have been told. Do you have any kind of home/school book? Are you also aware of the procedures for recording exclusions. They should be legally recorded. The Parent Partnership can come with you to all meetings in school. It helps to have someone with you when you are in meetings when everyone seems to be on the other side!!

Also www.ace-ed.org have alot on their website about exclusions. www.ipsea.org also have good advice, but getting through is not easy, but you might find something useful on their website too.

I think it is fair for you to be saying that your son is being bullied. He is being targetted and teased because they know they can get a reaction out of him. Has the school considered having a place he can go to during breaktimes so that he is not put in this situation. Under Disability Discrimination Law that would be a 'reasonable adjustment'. Is most of this teasing happening during breaktimes/dinnertimes? If so ask for school to allow him to use the library or computer room (with an adult present). If he has a Statement, does it say anything about him being supported during breaktimes?? If you are happy with this school and your son is doing well apart from these incidences, you can either ask for amendments at his annual review. Or ask for a re-assessment because there are significant changes to the situation ie. he needs support during breaktimes/dinnertimes quantified and specified in his Statement. However be aware that if they re-assess they can attempt to alter other provision already in the Statement as all professionals will be asked to give up to date reports.

[Michele17]

Thanks for the support everyone - bad morning - sometimes it just really gets to you doesn't it? The hour long walk round the beach with the dogs at 5am sometimes gives me too much time to mull things over.

Anyway - it did turn out to be a very positive meeting - as HOY was there, I was pretty amazed. It turned out that they had been getting increasingly worried about Z, who was withdrawing more and more and totally disengaging from everything. He does have a statement ( fully funded!) and he has places to go and people to support him all day, but he's really not coping at all. We - school and us - have come to the conclusion that mainstream school - or indeed a school environment - just isn't the place for Z at the moment. We thrashed out a plan - using his 25 hours of funding to pay for a tutor at home a few mornings a week, plus until that's sorted only attending school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; maybe mornings only. The SENCO and I are going to bombard the head of SEN for the county with requests to attend an urgent meeting about Z (his psychiatrist said that if we push Z too much in the direction of school at the moment, he could have a break down) and get county to really come up with funding and any other ideas. I was so relieved that it went so well - meetings with HOY are so often fraught and tense affairs. His SENCO is amazing and really fights for 'her' kids and tries everything she can to get the best for them.

 

We'll see how it turns out - I managed to get the statement after a battle - this is just the next one.