DS had disruptive child sat behind him

Because you don’t know what is happening with the other child. DS had v disruptive child with additional needs in primary. Children learnt to work round his needs/ behaviour and his mum said how much it helped him. I mean if he is literally on a loud iPad for months then maybe chat to teacher, but I wouldn’t go straight in raising it.

This child’s issues should not impact on others ability and opportunity to learn

Should the education of 29 children be compromised by the needs of one child? They deserve to be able to learn. I have a child with SEN so I know it can be struggle to support them too, but it isn’t reasonable that the rest of the class be impacted so negatively. The school needs to balance all pupils’ needs.

Why?

Let it go.

Ex teacher here. I definitely think you must speak to the teacher. Yes, it's a tough situation, but this isn't an appropriate way of handling it.

@BooomShakeTheRoom The issue is two fold. Firstly there aren't enough specialist placements and secondly, a parent can't be forced to take one if there was a place for them. Every parent has the right for their child to have a mainstream place. Many schools are now finding they have many more SEN children than they did previously. It's happened very noticeably in the past few years

Yes we do need proper support in place but it isn’t there. Waits for diagnosis take years, EHCPs are being turned down, refused or ignored at increasing levels and even private services have long wait lists. LA budget cuts are increasing are 42% of LAs announced bankruptcy and a lack of specialist school places available. I hope that mainstream schools are doing their absolute best for as many kids as possible. Let’s fight for more and better support not each other

Why is the child watching TV during class? Bizarre!

Don't believe everything your child tells you. I can't see them not having earphones!

Out of education now, thank god! Here's my recommendation though.

Speak to the teacher in person first. They are likely already dealing with a stressful situation and won't appreciate being skipped in the chain of communication. Don't be labelled as 'that parent.'

Absolutely focus on your child and their right to their education. Do not even mention the other child, you don't need to and it will only hinder your case anyway. Again, this is about your child. Your child has just as much of a right to an education as any other child.

Absolutely bring up that the noise level from the Ipad is distracting and that you are concerned that this is not conducive to a good learning environment for your son.

If you get any push back, again stress that this is about your son's education and his needs. His education and needs cannot be sacrificed for another child's.

If no joy formalise it in writing, an email to the teacher will surfice. After that, move up the chain of command and follow the complaints policy. Usually it is teacher first, Head and then Governors.

Be reasonable but firm and don't get bogged down in anything that could be used as an excuse to throw out your concerns. Give the school time to address your concerns but at the same time don't drop the matter until you are satisfied. Hope you get some joy.

We had this. We spoke to the teacher and asked for DS to be moved away from the disruption.

I don’t think it’s about “SEN kids not needing to be in mainstream schools” like you say. It’s the fact that OP is discussing how to approach her child’s school because their learning is being disrupted by a child watching loud video’s on the iPad. Perfectly reasonable.

I also think the debate about inclusion can be had without referring to "SEN kids", sweeping statements about "SEN kids" not needing to be in mainstream schools, and "whose needs are more important" Top Trumps.

While there might be some degree of overlap in a lot of case, SEN and SN are two entirely different things and encompass a wide variety of needs.

I would start with the class teacher to get a better understanding of what is happening in the classroom. It can be escalated to headteacher if necessary.

This is the absolute fact here . Many children are not coping in mainstream - disruptive and disrupting everyone’s learning .

yes speak to the teacher . Your Ds’s voice should be heard too but this is going to happen more and more .

Exactly. Why does one disruptive child needs get to trump every other person?

Speak to the teacher.

Don't approach it in terms of what the other child is doing, approach it from the impact it's having on your DC - you don't get a say in how the other child is managed, your concern is your own DC. So rather than "that child has a laptop and it's quite loud", take the approach of "DC is being distracted by noise in the classroom".

And the op's child and everyone else is disrupted because of one child? That's not the op's problem at all. I would be speaking to the teacher about this.

Do not let it go.

Watching something on a tablet is only reasonable if the child is using headphones or it's on silent if the other children are meant to be listening to the teacher or doing their own work.

And they were very happy to say they had the pick of secondary schools because the child's SEN status! 🙄

Whatever the school are doing, it's clearly not working, the 1-2-1 isn't around as he should be even though the funding is for him to be his 1-2-1, the child shouts at the teacher when asked to do school work, he's been banned from afterschool club for being violent with the staff repeatedly, told other children 'you have to do as I say because I have autism and I know where the knives are!".
He left to walk to and from school alone and is constantly glued to his screen that he just wonders in to road without looking for cars, I see this daily.

So whilst I sympathise that having a SEN child can't be easy, it's also not easy dealing with the school and parents failing to realise that not every SEN child should be in a mainstream school.

Somehow SEN kids survived before iPads.

Totally agree. In Reception class integration is possible for 80% of the time as it’s learning through play. But as these children progress through the school, integration occurs less and less as the gap between them and their peers widens. These children have a lonely existence, spirited away whilst everyone else learns. Sad but true. As others have said it’s cost cutting dressed up as “Inclusion”. Our children are being left down. It’s disgraceful the way the government throws all children into this melting pot and expects schools to cope.

I teach in a primary school (5/6 year olds). In an ideal world the classroom would be a perfect learning environment for all the children but this just isn't achievable. I've had a number of ASD and ADHD children in my class and I'm trying to cater for all their needs as well as the mainstream children (30 in total ). Keeping them all quiet is pretty much impossible. We have some quiet moments when I'm teaching and the children are working but the majority of the day is interruptions and distractions. We have to make allowances for our SEN children and support them as best we can and so do the other children because there are no other places for them. This is a government issue and a huge lack of funding and facilities. Our school isn't big enough for children to be taken out to learn elsewhere. Yes, they are taken out for movement breaks and to regulate their emotions but unfortunately we are all clubbed together within 4 walls and have to make the best of it. Often not fair on every child and adult involved. Certainly raise it with the teacher if it becomes a regular occurrence as maybe other things can be put into place but know that she/he are probably doing the best they can.