Help with parental withdrawal

[Sanaa76]

Hi All,
Ashcroft academy has just asked me to draw my DS as they don't feel they can do much for him. I admit DS can very talkative and loud sometimes. DS has never being accused of fighting, being rude or bullying. He's just started year 7 and is a little immature if I'm honest, but I don't believe that makes him a problem child. Ashcroft is aware he has a problem with his ear ( due to this can be quite loud). He is due to have an operation soon. Ashcroft wants me to write a letter to say it is my decision to withdraw DS from school any advise or assistance will be greatly appreciated.

[fleshmarketclose]

Do not withdraw your child or the LA will have no responsibility for finding him an alternative placement. Tell the school that if they try to off roll him you will expose them and they need to give him the support he needs. If he has a hearing difficulty he has the protection of the Equality Act so remind them of this. Make sure you put this in writing starting by stating "Further to our earlier conversation where you asked that I provided you with a letter withdrawing my son" so that you have a paper trail should you need it.

[Sanaa76]

Thank you @ fleshmarketclose.

[noblegiraffe]

Terrible that the school is trying to get you to withdraw your son to safe the bother of then dealing with him effectively and you should, as above, push back on this.

However, loud and talkative kids are bread and butter to secondary schools and it would seem astonishing that this is the only reason they are asking you to move him. Are you in a bit of denial about the reality of his behaviour? What actions have been taken up to now that have led to this letter?

[Sanaa76]

@noblegiraffe,
It's quite a common tactic Ashcroft uses, I personally know of at least 5 other families this has happened. If they're in the right why not exclude him but have asked me to sign a form to say I withdrew DS voluntarily or to write a letter to that effect.

[GreenTulips]

If you wrote that letter you are stuck with home education or funding another place

Do you want him to go?

Do you have it in writing they want you to wothdraw?

Can you email them? Just to make it perfectly clear you are along that I withdraw DS voluntary?

[Sanaa76]

@ Greentulips,
No I don't want to withdraw DS, the school is trying to bully me in to signing the form or writing the letter. They have gone as far as threatening to put Ds in isolation until the form is signed. My neighbour went the same thing last year.

[GreenTulips]

This gets worse!

Is this a LA school or academy or private?

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Why are you even considering this? Your 11 year old is a bit loud? This doesn’t seem like a big deal. How do you feel about the school?

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

What are his needs, other than those you previously mentioned? Are they formally recognised via the Code of Prwctice for SEND? is there support in classes for him?

What price inclusion eh!

Don’t sign the letter, because, as everyone has said, you will then be responsible for his education. I cannot believe that asking you to withdraw is the school’s first tactic. Have you spoken to the SENCo at the school?

[GreenTulips]

I think I found their website

There is not mention of SEN provision (not suggesting he needs additional support) bit there isn't much about inclusion or suppprt or even understanding

Sounds like a dreadful school

[heather1]

Have you considered contacting you MP. The schools actions are appalling

[Sanaa76]

Ashcroft is an academy, and is rated outstanding by ofsted, I'm currently in the process of having DS assessed ADHD as he struggles to sit still for more 10minutes or focus on anything. I

[GreenTulips]

Have a re read of their pastoral care -

They don't care aren't interested an will not help your child

Are you prepared to fight to get him the help he needs? It's hard enough in a school they has a great Senco and unit for support

[mishgs]

What support/strategies have been put in place for him? It's seems a bit y

[mishgs]

• sorry posted too soon. What has been put in place for him? Anything in the transfer from primary to secondary? I wouldn't do anything until strategies have been tried & tested. What does your son think?

[scepticalwoman]

OP, This is awful. It's illegal. I know it's an academy and they appear to ignore the law when they choose but they can't do this.
If they want your child to leave then they need to exclude. And that means they have to follow a legal process and meet a certain standard. Can you speak to your Education Welfare Service or the Admissions department in your local authority and get some advice? And don't sign / write any letter. What a dreadful way for a school to behave.

[Sanaa76]

@scepticalwoman, thank you, I intend to talk the edu welfare officer on Monday. couldn't get through today.

[MozzieMagnet]

Is this Ashcroft Technology Academy in London?

[jeanne16]

I believe they are following this new idea of zero talking at all times, including in the corridors when changing classes. Anyone talking at any time is put into isolation.

While some kids can be impossible to manage, this takes behaviour management to a different level. Btw, I believe it is also a dreadful school for the teachers who are under constant scrutiny from the SLT.

However because Ofsted say it is ‘outstanding ‘, parents do everything they can to get a place, having no understanding of what the place is like.

[prh47bridge]

Agree with others. Do not withdraw him. Talk to the Education Welfare Officer. Get as much in writing as you can. Report it to Ofsted.

If this is due to your son's ear problem, they are potentially in breach of the Equality Act. You might want to point this out to them and suggest that you will take legal action if they continue down their current path.

Schools have very wide powers to discipline pupils but placing a child in isolation to bully the parents into withdrawing them from school is clearly unacceptable.

[Mummyshark2018]

Do you have a SEN parent service in your area- like IPSEA? May be worth asking them to come along to any meetings at school as they know the law very well. As others have said do not sign the letter. Ask them to provide in writing that they want you to sign it, or email them saying ' following our conversation I want to confirm that you wish for me to sign this letter stating x.' What they're doing is illegal

[MozzieMagnet]

I ask because their website has both behaviour policy (staged reporting A-D before they can exclude) and Special Needs Policy which they shold have been following first and which I'd be quoting from in my letter if they've sidestepped/bypassed any of it.

[Celeriacacaca]

You are not the only family who this is happening to. You'll struggle to get him in elsewhere so do not withdraw him no matter how much you are pressured. It's not just y7 they're doing this to. Totally immoral.

[BeanBagLady]

This is completely shocking.
And yet somehow not surprising.

I would send a very factual letter to Ofsted giving all dates, staff names and quoting as much of the exact dialogue as you can remember.

Also go to your local Cllr and the Cllr responsible for education. And write to your MP.

You will need local council support to find a new place.

Because ultimately I would not want a sin of mine in that place if he is as you describe. One of these zero tolerance boot camps is not the right place for him. Is he happy in the school and oblivious to this, or miserable?

What did the other families do about finding a new place?

It would be good if they recounted their experience to Ofsted too. These schools rely on these illegal bullying tactics to maintain their ‘great discipline’ and ‘Outstanding’ status, and lure more unsuspecting families in. Horrible for the children

[marytuda]

Gosh . . . we had lucky escape then. My DC was offered a place at this school off the waiting list, and after much deliberation turned it down (sticking with a school one place lower on our initial list of preferences).
I had a niggling sense that though Ashcroft looked like a brilliant school, both physically - great facilities - and on paper (mindblowing stats in every area) that those stats might have been achieved at a cost to some unsuspecting pupils. Increasingly I am coming to believe that this is how super-comps arrive at their super-statistics - by subtly or not-so-subtly excluding those who won't maintain them.
In other words they are not really comprehensive at all, but unofficial grammar schools.
Which to me is neglecting the most important education of all - respect for those whose talents and background are different to your own, even as you make the most of what yours are.