HELP, excluded from college!!!

[Naynay2408]

Hi, I'm hoping some one can help pls. I have a friend who is worried sick about her son. He is in college and has been pestered by a group of boys for a while. Eventually the worst has happened, one of the boys started a fight with him and her son ended up defending himself by throwing a punch. My friends son got excluded, while the other boy who started the fight was allowed to return back the next day. My friend's son sustained a fractured shoulder and has never been in trouble in college before. He is also at the end of the austism spectrum.

The college excluded him, despite not following their policy. She wrote a letter for appeal, and that has been rejected. The college is totally unapproachable regarding this and not following their policy. What can she now do? She is do upset and now has a son who is out of education. Any help, advice would be great.
Thank you

[paulymca15]

Hi NayNAY2408,

My name is Paul, I am the Merton Youth Coordinator for the YMCA and based in Wimbledon. I led several youth clubs from our youth centre in Kingston Road and I am very sorry to hear about friend's son. This is how I would like to help. I would like to invite your friends son to our youth clubs. We have a range of activities: music, sports, arts etc. We have a great bunch of young people who will happily get alongside him and make him feel welcome/part of the club (some might even be at the college). I cant promise that will can get him back into his college, but we most certainly can offer him support within our youth clubs. Many young people often want help and/or advise about their current educational situation(s) - both good and bad. As a youth department we have links with schools and colleges in Merton and external resources that we can sign-post your friend and her son to to help.

If you and/or your friend would like more help or information about the YMCA London South West or about our youth clubs, please contact me on [email protected] and I will see what I can do to support your friend's son.

Paul

[Kaye1234]

Paul, what a thoughtful post.
Nice to think some people care.

[LIZS]

Make sure the injury is properly documented and if on college premises recorded in their accident hook. How old is the dc and has she checked their anti bullying and safeguarding policy.

[FavadiCacao]

How old is your friend's son?

I took my AS son out of the school system 7 years ago in favour of Elective Home Education, so I don't know what she can do legally. IPSEA might be able to help with the legal aspect.

Career connect should be able to advice as to the different possibilities your friend's son has.

The admission office of the local education department might also be able to help. There might another college/school he could transfer to.
If the admission office is unable to help, your friend could try to speak to a Home Education Officer to find out what resources are available to her locally. Although council funded home tutors do exist, the fight in securing even for a few hours might prove to be impossible!

Paul's suggestion is great. My son loves cadets and has done numerous courses with them ranging from first aid to engineering.

[FavadiCacao]

Sorry, I wrote the last sentence in a rush.
I meant to say that along YMCA (my local one is brilliant and it has fantastic activities), there are also other charities such as the different Cadets (air, army, sea......). Cadets are designed with personal development in mind and children do a lot of courses with nationally and sometimes internationally recognised certificates (eg. Sailing, boating, flying, catering, comunication, etc.) Some offer BTech's (Edexcell approved) and Duke of Edinburgh Award.

[sashh]

What outcome does your friend and her son want? Does he want to go back there?

He probably has a legal claim for being hurt on the college premises and for discrimination, your friend might consider that as leverage to get him back in.

And it is her son, not her who has the claim so may get legal aid.

Is there an alternative college? It might be best to move on.

[Naynay2408]

I'm sorry I haven't got back to you all, it's been pretty hard to reach her...bit worried as she's really stressed out!

I believe her son wants to go back. He is classified on the austism sectrum and benefits from being in a familiar place. She has asked me for help as I recently won my secondary school appeal, but have to admit I'm not versed in the exclusion of young people in college.

Firstly Paul, thank you for your very kind and thoughtful gesture and it's lovely to know that people actually do care. We are all based in Birmingham so unfortunately can't take up the offer. Young people getting excluded is statistically an issue, particularly in inner cities like Birmingham. Here in Brum, many young 'boys' get excluded and end up on the streets up to no good with very little self-confidence to re-build their lives. The statistics is particular higher for black kids, and unfortunately my friend son who is west-Indian has now become one of those. What's heart breaking is he wants an education, his mum is a single-mum whose trying to help and all the doors are being closed in her face.

How do you help these boys? What hope is there for them. Her son was not a troublemaker, he got picked on for being slightly different and defended himself from ridicule and embarrassment.

The school issued no warming. Didn't call mum in. Just permanently excluded him while the boy involved was allowed back the next day. She sent me his x-Ray on his shoulder and turns out it got fractured! The mum appealed in writing, the decision came back and it was rejected.

How does she go about approaching this? She believes the school didn't follow their policy. I haven't fully read them but I should get a copy in the next few days off her. Oh he is 17 I believe.