Exclusion

[Hectorshouse]

After reading the board the last few days I've noticed that we have had 2 permanent exclusions, I don't know if this has been done as a poll before and I did do a quick search, but it got me wondering.

 

T has had 3 fixed term exclusions, and 3 unofficial exclusions and only recently his new HT on our first meeting spelt it out very clear that he will permanently exclude!

 

I know at T's last school which was awful there came a point where I wished they would permanently exclude rather than continue with the strategies and constant changing of strategies that were not working. The mantra of inclusion seems in some way to stop schools from being honest, afraid to take the flak of the LEA and admit that are not and can cope or provide for the child in question, is not honesty the best policy, rather than just keeping these children in an environment that causes them sooo much misery, excuse the ramble or forcing an unwilling school to change. Sometimes I feel that it is the LEA that lets our children down and sometimes I feel that it is the schools that let them down, sometimes both. But something is soo definitely not right about all of this ..

 

HHxx

[call me jaded]

Where's the 'never' option?

 

 

Never excluded here, but he's always been in special education.

[dorsetmummy]

Ive voted, as unfortunately i now qualify to vote

 

Julie

[fiorelli]

I could vote for three of them, as Louis has had fixed term exclusion, been reduced to a part-time timetable (last year), and now has finally been permanently excluded. (have voted for PE).

[annie]

I voted 'fixed term', but we have had countless 'unofficial' one.

 

3 x 1 day internal exclusions.

 

2 x 1 day external exclusions.

1 x 3 day external exclusion.

1 x 5 day external exclusion.

 

One external exclusion went from 28.11/03 until 6.1.04.

 

Last external exclusion was from 30.11.04 for ten days, but unofficially they asked us not to bring him back until after the Christmas holidays.........he didn't go back at all after that

 

These exclusions were in a mainstream school WITH an ASD unit.....honest

 

Since starting EOTAS, we haven't had one complaint.

[lil_me]

Never been excluded but they tried, was sent home at 10am one day

 

Words of the previous head 'We want to exclude Michael on a semi permenant basis so we can apply for funding quicker'

 

So I went home with my son, spoke to my partner, who was as furious as me. Went to the school the next morning with my son, went to the Head's office and said 'Right he stays or the school won't get any of this funding you've been ranting on about as I will remove him from this school. There is no reason my son should suffer because of money'

 

He looked gobsmacked then said OK he can stay, meanwhile I contacted his paed and he sent him a lovely snotty letter for me aswell

Edited November 4, 2005 by lil_me

[helenl53]

I have had a theory about this for a while.

 

It would be interesting to know if those parents whose kids have been excluded have also been offered or sent on parenting skills/family therapy courses.

 

I am thinking that a history of exclusions and cr*p parenting is being gathered for the day when schools can be selctive about their intake. They are not going to be able to say that they can not take a disabled child Disabilty discrimination and all that jazz - but will there be the same restrictions on 'dysfunctional/poorly behaved/poorly disciplined kids Unless records are kept, who will be able to prove that the behaviour was as a result of an ASD?

 

The exclusion pattern is happening in our neck of the woods and I am urging parents to ensure that they write to the school, paed, lea and uncle tom cobbly when there is an exclusion so that the facts of the exclusion are a matter of record.

 

I hate to be a scaremonger, but a year or two down the road, and I don't think that headteachers will be interested in listening to parents version of events.

 

HelenL

[lancelot]

I voted 'unofficially'. This dates back to his first year, where the head said the lunchtime supervisors 'couldn't be expected to cope' with him. Not knowing any better, I trekked down there and back every lunchtime for months, and we had two lots of trauma every day instead of one. Wish I'd found this site back then!

 

Oh, and she also asked me (around week 2), 'What exactly is your home disciplinary policy?'

Being unprepared and sadly honest, I blurted out something like 'I didn't know we had to write one'...

...so I think we know who she blamed for all of C's problems.

[nellie]

I am keen to know if anyone has been told by the school that the reason for exclusion was because they felt it was in the child's best interest? If so, did they say why it was in the child's best interest?

 

Nellie xx

[annie]

I totally agree Helen.

 

We were never offered parenting skills/family therapy, but having another son (13 months younger) who hardly even gets a detention if they had been offered, I would have told them where they could stick it

 

In our case, as you know, we had a son that couldn't cope in a school, a school that didn't want him, but lied through their teeth to keep him there because they wanted the funding that went with him, and an LEA that were as much use as a chocolate teapot (and also lied).

 

We had letters from GP, Paed, Physciatrist, Physcologist saying that the school weren't meeting Alex's needs, even a letter from the Head saying they didn't know how to deal with him, nevertheless, the exclusions kept on coming.

 

ASD children seem to be put in the 'behaviour problem' section which is wrong

 

Chip, chip,

XX

Edited November 4, 2005 by annie

[call me jaded]

There's some stats on permanent exclusions here: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000582/index.shtml

 

Click on the PDF version:

Children with statements of SEN are four times more likely to be excluded.

 

Click on the Excel version:

300 permanent exclusions from Special Schools, 0.33% of the total special school population in comparison to 0.03% for primaries and 0.25% for secondary.

 

So there is a greater probability of being excluded from a special school. How Inclusive is that?

[call me jaded]

Wow. One in five boys has SEN:

 

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s0.../SFR24-2005.pdf

[annie]

Thanks for the links Jaded

 

Interesting, but frightening.

[minerva]

We were never offered parenting skills/family therapy, but having another son (13 months younger) who hardly even gets a detention if they had been offered, I would have told them where they could stick it 

I was offered parenting classes, but as i also have another son who has absolutely no problems i did tell them where to stick it! & dont blame you for thinking that way!

 

In our case, as you know, we had a son that couldn't cope in a school, a school that didn't want him, but lied through their teeth to keep him there because they wanted the funding that went with him, and an LEA that were as much use as a chocolate teapot (and also lied).

 

my son went to 3 mainstream schools & couldnt cope so was excluded from the last one, then sent to an EBD school who also lied to keep him there saying he was suited to the school (although he repeatedly jumped out of the taxi on the way there, soiled himself whilst attending the school & was generally depressed, also put into a year 6 class at year 4 age as the other kids in his class couldnt keep up with him)....he's now been out of school for more than 2 years & the LEA, well.....your description is the most polite way that accurately describes them!!!

 

ASD children seem to be put in the 'behaviour problem' section which is wrong 

 

I agree, it's absolutely disgusting!!!!!! Well said on all counts!!

[CarerQuie]

My child has never been excluded but I fought tooth and nail to get him into a special school.They want me to put him in mainstrem but the words 'over my dead body' did rather give them a clue that i don't intend to agree to such a move.I believe that it would only be a matter of time until he was excluded,then.xx

[Zemanski]

I think we need several polls - so many of us have experienced more than one type of exclusion

 

what is 'internal suspension' in legal terms?

 

Zemanski

[annie]

It is when a suspension or exclusion is given, but the child attends school for the given time IN school, away from the rest of the other students.

 

Much more effective than an external exclusion I would say.

 

Alex liked having internal exclusions because there was only a few of them in the class as opposed to 30 odd in normal lessons. He also got a lot more work done.

Edited November 5, 2005 by annie