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How long for an LEA to respond to serious accusations?

7 replies

firstchoice · 18/08/2014 12:51

We contacted our Council Ed Dept at Xmas to raise concerns about management at our school (Scotland, so no board of governers etc, only route is via Council then Tribunal).

We were brushed off until Easter when Senior Ed Officer met us and promised all would be well and she would be 'keeping an eye' and attending future meetings. She never did, cancelling at short notice then just 'going quiet'.

We asked for another meeting (during the hols) and had it last week.

At the meeting we raised serious concerns about poor provision for dyslexia type difficulties - the Specialist support for learning teacher had said child couldnt spell 'because of his English accent'. (The Council people agreed with this, worryingly).

We also raised concerns about lack of professional behaviour by Management at the school. I wont give specific egs as it would take me all day but, for example,
school trips being poorly organised - no forms, no insurance (8 year olds getting lost alone in 50,000 seater stadiums), money being taken from a particular child's wallet 'in lieu of petrol money' when no money had ever been asked for from parents.

Also: a longstanding bullying issue. Head of School has previously been moved out of school and then back again after a diff bullying issue needed Police input.

Council offered to confirm learning support within a fortnight.
BUT
They will not 'come back to us' on all other matters for at least a month.

Given they are aware this is a child who struggles to actually attend each day due to anxiety, is this acceptable, please?

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firstchoice · 18/08/2014 16:47

anyone there?

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firstchoice · 18/08/2014 20:28

helloooooooooooooooooooo?

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ButEmilylovedhim · 18/08/2014 20:32

Sounds truly dreadful. Any chance you can move your child to a different school? I can see them dragging their feet for as long as possible and then still not doing anything useful.

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HarrietSchulenberg · 18/08/2014 20:53

It all sounds really dreadful, except for the accent not helping with spelling. If he's using phonics spoken in an accent different to his own, the phonemes would be quite difficult to understand. It probanby isn't the sole cause but it won't be helping.

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firstchoice · 18/08/2014 21:59

I see what you are saying, Harriet.
We have a fairly standard English accent.
The SfLT had a strong local accent but other staff less so.
It was the WAY it was said tho:
'har, har, he'll never manage to do it as he speaks like, you, right 'English'... with much sneering and laughter. Vile. Grr.

Yes, all dreadful and am trying to arrange somewhere else.

Just wanted to know if the Council's response time was a bit Hmm or not. I think so, but I am pretty hair trigger about it all now....

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turkeygiblets · 18/08/2014 23:15

The council should publish their complaints policy with timescales for each stage so look on their website or ask them to confirm this.

Good luck in getting an appropriate response. I too had serious complaints about a school and the council's lack of provision,being unprofessional etc. The school blamed the council and the council said it was a school matter Hmm. All the illegal acts they had undertaken were just ignored and they just protected their own staff basically. Threats were issued to me with warnings of legal action or saying that some staff had acted unprofessionally - what a joke. You may find it's all a waste of time. Best to move to another school and put it behind you.

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firstchoice · 19/08/2014 09:18

Oooof. I'll pm you, turkey, if I may?

I still say 5 weeks is not needed to investigate if a Head took money off a child. Something stinks.

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