My son started in year 7 this year and so far has spent 2 weeks of that in either detention, isolation or excluded.
The school is in quite a deprived area and had a very bad OFSTEAD report two years ago. This has prompted a behaviour policy that, at best, is severe and at worst, draconian. My ds got a detention initially because he was talking in class. I didn't have a problem with that and supported the school, but because he spoke in detention he was put in isolation. Whilst there someone shouted him and he looked round, he was sent to reception and I was phoned to pick him up. That was on Friday. So today, he had to do isolation and a detention and I get another phone call to say pick him up because he's excluded. He won't be allowed back till I've had a meeting tomorrow with the head of year 7.
I got angry with him and told him to tell me the absolute truth about what happened and he's adamant that all he did was turn round at a noise outside and leaned into his bag and said to himself that he'd forgotten his ruler. So that led to his exclusion because they are expected to work in absolute silence all day.
I've never had any issues with his behaviour at his primary school and I'm furious that this is happening. It's not just him: it's about 40% of year 7 have had this happen and most of them have no idea what they've done wrong. I'm sick of talking to the school about it, I just get told that this is policy. End of. There's no leeway anywhere, no easing them in, no understanding and I think they're expecting too much of kids just out of primary.
Now he doesn't want to go to school because he feels he can't do anything right. I phoned the education welfare officer out of desperation & she told me that this policy is city wide and even if I moved him, the same would happen in another school.
So, any advice on what to do at this meeting tomorrow? I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall & I've got a very unhappy son who wants to leave. I'm not a snowflaky parent, if he's done wrong then he can accept the consequences, but this is a ridiculous policy, it smacks of a workhouse!!
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Secondary education
School discipline out of hand
47 replies
mydogmymate · 01/10/2018 17:49
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