What does it take for exclusion?

There is no doubt that some schools were over using exclusion and it has come back to bite all

It is very difficult for schools to exclude pupils now. This has been put in place to try to reduce numbers of student exclusions, which is a bit nonsensical to me. If you want to reduce something you should look at the cause of it, not just make it harder to do. If pupils were being excluded previously then there must have been some reason schools were choosing that as an option, presumably they are not rubbing their hands with glee saying "Yay! Let's consign another pupil to the rubbish heap!" I suspect the major reason behind exclusion in the past is where a pupil is causing harm to other pupils/the ability of teachers to do their job/the learning environment generally.

Obviously it's not great for pupils who do get excluded (statistically they end up with fewer qualifications and more likelihood of ending up in prison eventually) but I also don't think it's fair to say serves them right/they should have behaved differently. They are still kids and won't always make the right decisions. Most of the time, children who are behaving in ways which might warrant exclusion need support/guidance rather than just shoving out. TBF, one solution might be that they need a different kind of school, although I am not sure that so far that has worked especially better to turn behaviour around.

Anyway the situation as it is is really shit for everyone. I'm not sure that simply leaving pupils in place when they are actively causing harm is improving their outcomes either.

One of mine is autistic and suffered years of bullying. He was beaten black and blue and the perpetrator wasn’t suspended. Apparently his mother was concerned it would affect his self-esteem 🙄 and the HOY had the gall to communicate this to me!

I am so sorry you and your dc are having to deal with this. My daughter was bullied constantly in years 6, 7, and 8. Death threats, racial slurs written on her books, food ground into her hair. Absolutely nothing was done and I worked there! We removed and home schooled her from the middle of year 8 but what happened still effects how she deals with things now. (She is in her early 30's). I reported the threats and slurs to the police who asked me what I wanted them to do about it and did it need a police case number! They too did nothing.
I think you might need to change schools or, if you can, home school. There is so much more help than there used to be and no need for your dc to feel isolated in any way.

I worked in secondary education for 20 years, until 2021, and bullying became more and more of a problem.

If it's got to the point of your DC being physically assaulted and bones broken, or a 5 year old being kicked in the chest and badly bruised, something should most definitely be done. Pex for the former, suspension for the latter.

But honestly, if I could afford it, I would keep my kids home and teach them myself.

School for many children is just something to be endured, and for some it is an absolute nightmare. And it's getting worse ...

I'm so sorry, @Goonie1 , you're doing all the things I would recommend you do. Keep on at them. Sending all best wishes to you and your son. 💐

How does reporting it to the police spur the school on?
In my experience, police are very reluctant to get formally involved in sanctioning children’s behaviour at school or at home.

Is there SEN involved? My 5 year old was kicked so hard in his chest he has a dark bruise and yet the child won't be removed. I don't know what to do. I'm beyond furious and worried.

for context I was 11. One of my bullies was adopted and the family had fallen on hard times, the other was living with her grandparents and they had very little money. They targeted me because I was chubby and my parents had a bit more money.

they got away with it for years. I have genuinely never forgotten how badly the school failed me. Escalate it, massively.

Could you raise a safeguarding issue with Social Services?

This MIGHT be worth a try with The Police either that or go to the Police & Crime Commissioner

https://www.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/victim-support/victims-right-review-scheme/

About 10 years ago I reported about 3 small things to the police over a couple of months and had a welfare visit, if they aren’t much help i’d keep reporting because if they have multiple incidents on file and something major happened they would be in the shit. So keep reporting.

My DC was badly bullied and walked out of school a few times due to it. Was excluded for 2 days each time they walked out.

The bullies were never excluded.

Have you contacted Ofsted about safeguarding concerns at your child’s school?

If you’re child is a major target I’d ask how school are keeping your child safe and ask for a plan that protects them without stopping them doing anything other kids can. Be clear it’s a safeguarding concern. Clearly get it all in writing.

A friend of mine teaches in a school where a group of three 14 year-old boarders sneaked into a classroom at night. One shat on the floor, another one smeared it on the board, tables and walls. One watched. They got a three day suspension. The shitter has been told he's not welcome back in September. The End.

I was bullied at school and the school turned around and said to my mum that it was because of the fact my bullies had less in life than I did, and that for me to avoid it I should stop taking my kindle to school or they should “consider leaving me at home” when they went on holiday.

1- would write to your MP

2- I would sue the school. They have a duty to keep your child safe. They know about the bullying & have not put sufficient precautions in place (eg excluding bully) and your child now has a broken bone.

go to the press

SPEAK OUT

Keep on at the police. This was assault at very least. Possibly gbh. I do feel for you, I was bullied and it didn't stop until my dad got hold of the ring leader and told him if he ever came near me again, he'd kill him.

These boys were awful, it took sexual assault by them and still the school did nothing. It was only that we saw the main culprit while out and I pointed him out to my dad who promptly walked back, grabbed him by the throat and scared the shit out of him.

Schools are utterly useless with bullies.

And teachers and senior leadership teams womder why parents no longer respect them.

DD got into a holy grail secondary but there was a minority of 4/5 troublemakers in her year. They disrupted, swore at staff and were suspended when they beat up a girl on the pavement around the corner from the school, hitting her head against the concrete, for hiding a trainer. Sweet fa was done to deal with them and their reign continued for five years.

Happily we could afford to transfer ddnto the independent sector at the end of year 8. They were allowed to the lives of others miserable for another three years. There was continual disruption of lessons and one wonders how many A stars became A's, A's B's, etc. It is completely unacceptable but there is a lack of teacher voices in relation to this. It's liberal excuse, after liberal excuse.

DD was one of three clever girls who moved out. They were not, by any stretch the cleverest, but they all wemt to Oxford and Cambridge. None of the girls who stayed did.

Children are being failed and it needs to turn around. There must be significant consequences.

@Goonie1 I honestly don't know what you do but if goes a long way towards explaining why MH against teenagers is on the rise and I'm not persuaded it's wholly due to social media.

Scotland has recently put stuff in place to basically make permanent exclusions impossible.

the idea is to keep all kids in education.

see for example here:

https://www.adruk.org/news-publications/publications-reports/data-insight-understanding-exclusions-in-scottish-secondary-schools/