School want to trial a part time timetable after just 2 weeks at the school - WWYD?

I would revisit the special school angle again, in light of these past 2 weeks. He clearlyisn't coping with school and although you say its not just behaviour in school its everywhere, the stress and unhappiness that he probably feels in school and knowing that he has to go to school, might make his behaviour worst even when he isn't in school (if that makes sense). PP are right to say that your son is entitled to a full-time education, but in reality he isn't getting that and perhaps in this environment, he isn't able capable of getting one. He might be in the school building full-time, but he isn't learning all of that time, he's crashing out, refusing to go to lessons, walking out of classrooms. Maybe a part-time timetable would be better if that time is actually spent learning. It sounds really tough OP, I hope he finds a suitable setting soom.

They get extra funding but no one wants to do the job as an 1-2-1 for a complex need child. You can’t magic staff with funding. Often the TA staff agree to rotate to make it as bearable as possible. If they do manage to recruit they often don’t stay long.Inclusion doesn’t work on so many levels - specialist placement, where staff and pupils are properly supported is the best solution.

The school has to keep him safe and also consider the impact on other children and their learning. But it sounds as if you are going to need more support at home as well in order to keep yourself safe, never mind any siblings. Does the school have, or can they refer you to, family support?

Go along with the part time timetable for now. Ask for a date to review, and make sure that meeting doesn’t slide. As pp said, if the school can’t meet need then all this is evidence for him to have different support and that can’t be a bad thing.

I would also be tempted to keep some sort of diary about what happens at home. The bigger the picture you can paint, hopefully the more appropriate support you can get for the whole family as well as your son.

I dont disagree but there are not enough specialist placements
To meet everyones needs.

True, and once those other parents create a fuss or complain, the school will have to act and OPs son is more likely to be excluded - either internally or permanently. As more children are integrated into mainstream school, its a battle for all parents, because while we want to be understanding and empathic, you also want your child to get an education without constant interruptions or being put at risk of harm.

The LA looked at specialist placements when his EHCP was being done and basically said they didn't think his needs were severe enough for a specialist school. Their view was he'd manage in mainstream with the EHCP and a 1:1.

Of course they did! Stop believing everything the LA tells you.

His EHCP was only actually finalised at the end of July

You still have the right of appeal. Appeal ASAP.

Have you tried keeping a detailed diary to help you stop triggers and to also help you see what works and what doesn’t.

Some people find non-violent resistance courses helpful. You might do.

The school is unlawfully, informally excluding DS. You don’t have to accept it. DS can attend full-time unless they are formally suspending him. Don’t worry if they do suspend. A formal suspension rather than an unlawful informal exclusion it will a) provide you with evidence of unmet needs, b) force the school to follow due process, c) limit the number of days the school can suspend for, d) allow you to challenge any suspension, and e) ensure he receives alternative provision once he has reached that threshold.

You also need a review of DS’s EHCP.

As LAs have been shown time and again, lack of funding, resources or staffing isn’t a lawful reason for failure to provide SEP detailed, specified and quantified in F. That applies regardless of placement. The LA is ultimately responsible for the provision as per section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and this duty is absolute. When faced with enforcement action, provision can and is provided.

CAMHS won’t diagnose PDA and won’t recognise it / support it. For PDA it is part of an autism diagnosis. If there is an autism diagnosis. Whilst you can’t get a stand alone PDA diagnosis you can have an assessment of their autism profile and if they meet the criteria the diagnosis would be autism with a demand avoidant profile.

The way to deal with PDA is the complete opposite of any other methods. If there is any thought that PDA could be at play it would be extremely beneficial to implement the PDA methods at home and school. If these have an impact you don’t need a diagnosis to follow them.

Support in school even if that means that for afternoons or when they aren’t managing in a specific lesson they have an option of their 1-1 taking them to work elsewhere or to do something different altogether but remaining in school is preferable to a part time timetable and leaving school completely for part of the day.

Of course he is, but mainstream school might not be the place for him. I’m all for inclusion - I worked with SEND children for thirty years - but it can’t be at the expense of the other children’s learning.

I 100% agree that proper provision should be made for children with disabilities, but we do have to think of the other kids too. If you have a class with, say, three children who have severe learning or behavioural difficulties, the time spent dealing with those children is time lost to the others.
In many schools, the policy is to evacuate the classroom if one of the children with behavioural difficulties kicks off. So while that child has punched the teacher and is chucking desks around the room, the other children are taken to another space in school to continue with their disrupted lesson.
Time wasted, high stress levels, frightened children.
Unfortunately, this sort of situation is not uncommon.
I don’t pretend to know what the answer is, and it must be down to more funding, but inclusion isn’t always the answer.

School are trying to support your son so that he doesn’t go down the exclusion, exclusion, permanent exclusion route.

You have said he’s violent towards you, aggressive to others and walks out of lesson so is internally truanting.

Your concern about him missing lessons is valid, but it sounds like he’s doing that anyway.

EHCP or not, if he starts endangering others by refusing to follow instructions, being aggressive and truanting he will start racking up exclusions and eventually a permanent exclusion.

The school are not at fault here for trying to protect everyone involved - he is clearly in the wrong setting. My advice would be you contact the local authority and organise an emergency review because changing his placement is necessary, or an alternative provision in the PM, like home tutor or PRU dual placement if full time SEMH is not an option.

Good luck!

Strange. My friend has two young adult children with ADHD who are medicated, but otherwise fine. Very high achieving, social, talented kids.
I’d wonder if there’s something else going on with op’s ds. Swearing at teachers and storming out of lessons certainly suggests so.

Ahh okay, so all the other 29 “neurotypical”, perfectly happy children, with wonderful family backgrounds and emotional regulation in YEAR 7 on the first week, don’t really matter
….. cos, you know, they ain’t disabled like this kid? ….. We have really, really fucked up as a society with the use of the word disabled. This boy clearly has “needs” but to use the term disabled? ….. society has fucked up there in my opinion.

Riiiiiigghhhhhtttt.

When are we going to stop demonising kids for their behaviour and actually start reading what it means? What's behind it?

He is clearly showing he is strugglung with a full day. But instead of supporting him you want that to continue. That will lead to more bad behaviour and then probably isolation or suspension. That would be a worse situation for you.

Why do we still stick to this old fashioned notion that our kids are or could manipulate us, rather than meeting them where they are?

Don't be the reason he needs therapy in his 40s!

Just like ASD and other neurodivergent conditions, not everyone with ADHD is the same.
This is well within the boundaries of what encompasses ADHD.
Our DS was always said to have "something else" but ADHD meds and ADHD strategies have turned him around.

The other 29 children in the classroom matter just as much as the one who can’t cope there.
It’s hardly ableist to say so.
Protecting disabilities shouldn’t present as giving opportunities to the disabled child which remove opportunities from his classmates.
They ALL matter. Every one of them.

I would trial it. But make it clear to your son that once he is home (had lunch) he is doing school work till 3. And set up desk/table area so he is still productive and not seeing home as being the fun alternative.

Sorry you're having these issues. My son is diagnosed AuDHD, not so much ODD but he will kick back if pushed into something he disagrees with.

We approached the school half way into term 1 of year 7 to request flexischooling. This is different to part-time timetable as it is allowed to be a long term solution, whereas PT timetable has to be temporary. School agreed to our son spending one day a week at home and 4 in school (though could be spread across the week, say mornings in school, last lessons at home). It worked for us because one of us is at home all day, so we were there to be with DS - also he had a planned activity provided by a registered provider, which gave structure to the day and feedback for school.

DS has now gone into year 10 and is for the first time full time. He felt really to go full time and is keen to not miss any GCSE content. The reduced time in school really helped him cope with the days he was in school, it meant he had more resilience and energy when he was in school. He has been doing well academically, but he is naturally bright, which may be one of the reasons school agreed to it, as the time at home has not detracted from his academic achievement (in fact I argue it strengthened it).

I appreciate flexischooling is different to PT timetable but just wanted to share my experience of DS not being in school full time at the start of secondary. For us, it has allowed DS to remain in mainstream education, and gradually build up his confidence and trust in the school and teachers to enable him to now be there full time. Also, by not overwhelming him at school, the teachers have been able to see his positive characteristics and have become fond of him and now advocate for him, whereas had be been full time for the past 3 years I think they may have seen more of his struggles and not been able to build those positive relationships.

It sounds as if he needs a medication review. My DC is medicated (AuDHD, plus a range of other issues) and when his meds are right, he's completely functional in school.

If he's been out of school until starting secondary it makes sense for them to phase him in. Gives him a chance to adjust and then a chance to get to know him, hopefully with less of the negativity that could be caused by pushing too far too fast.

How long has he been on medication for? Is it worth asking for a review of his meds - if he's hit puberty he might need an increased dose, or benefit from taking a top up dose during the school day. You could also ask then to keep some spare meds for his morning dose so if he forgets/refuses at home, he has the option to take them later.

Absolutely go with the schools guidance. If he’s better in the mornings, why would you willingly keep him in to be difficult in the afternoons. And those poor other new year 7 kids. It makes sense for everyone, but is inconvenient for you I imagine.

Just read your update, take the x-box away altogether. No technology, far fewer battles for you in the long run. But him a trampoline and football net.

He's 12 now and once he's decided he isn't doing something, that's pretty much the end of the discussion.

Wow, problem right there ⬆️