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Original poster

6th form exclusion ...?

61 replies

MadameSin · 23/05/2015 11:33

Does anyone have any knowledge of this kind of thing? ... we have received a letter from our ds's 6th form informing us that with effect after half term, ds, along with 10 others, have been excluded from the premises due to damage in the toilets and subsequent lack of cooperation regarding who did it. They have cctv footage of ds and many others entering the loos during the period that this damage took place. My son wrote a statement that the doors in the loos had been broken for a while and that he had occasionally put them back on their hinges. There was a bit of shenanigans that took place according to ds, but no damage had been caused by himself. He does know, however, who did the damage but has not said this in his statement. Can a school collectively exclude several pupils formerly, if they do not tell them who did the damage? Obvs we are gutted as he is mid flow A-level exams and for good reason, he is also very stressed out about it all. He doesn't want to name names through fear of the backlash on him. He has never been involved in any trouble at college and the head of 6th form has told me he does not think ds is responsible for the damage. They are also talking about making the parents pay for the damage Sad

OP posts:
Thymeout · 25/05/2015 18:24

What do you think the school should have done?

Vandalism needs to be firmly discouraged for obvious reasons. Putting this right will cost money and cause inconvenience.

But from the tone of your post, you seem to be blaming the school, rather than the idiot(s) responsible. Your ds is at fault in that he knows who did it, he was there when it happened, but is withholding information which would enable the school to punish the guilty.

If he stays silent, he has to take the consequences.

Icimoi · 25/05/2015 18:08

EvilTwins, the rules on permanent exclusions apply just as much to post 16 pupils as to others, and schools cannot just do what they like. OP, the school should have given you details of what you can do to challenge the exclusion. You do however need to think about whether it is worth doing so in all the circumstances.

The school cannot make parents pay for the damage. The school was in loco parentis and it is their responsibility; also, if the boys are over 18 they are adults anyway and their parents are not responsible for them.

EvilTwins · 25/05/2015 14:25

He's post-16, so the school can do what it likes. Milly is incorrect in her interpretation. The school can exclude for this - and I suspect many would. Damage to premises is unacceptable. Not sure what the point of appealing would be - if he's yr 13, then he'd only be in for a short while anyway. Any UCAS references will have been done long ago.

tiggytape · 25/05/2015 09:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Millymollymama · 24/05/2015 19:28

But it is not a Police enquiry. It is up to the school to investigate the incident. If someone says they did not do the damage, then the school has to decide if there is reasonable probability that they did do it by a proper investigation. Guilt by association is punishable but the tariff here is draconian for that misdemeanor, especially for a child with no previous bad behaviour or exclusions. Excluding a young person to get at the truth is not acceptable.

crayola8 · 24/05/2015 14:45

If he won't name names, then he is in effect colluding with the perpatrator.If this were a police investigation, he would be committing an offence if he did not say what he knew.

Millymollymama · 23/05/2015 19:24

They cannot withhold exam certificates. Obviously it is best to get the culprit to admit to what they have done and there is still time. As they have not stopped him sitting the exams and he can go in for timetabled lessons, then the damage is limited. If he is well behaved normally, I am a bit surprised they came down so heavily on the whole group. They obviously do not have the culprits but blaming everyone is not fair. You have nothing to lose by seeing the governors - he is not obliged to go.

Original poster
MadameSin · 23/05/2015 18:36

He can go in for exams and only time tabled A-Level lessons. No study time allowed in college. They haven't blamed him for the damage, but they have blamed all 10 boys for behaviour leading to damage of school property even though, collectively, all 10 could not be responsible. I think it's a case of guilty by association to be honest and a lesson to be learned by him. All boys are members of a tight sports team and I fear the whole 'team' mate ethos has kicked in and they are protecting the guilty party. Personally, I feel the lad that did the damage should fess up and let the rest off the hook and I suspect that's what the school are waiting to happen. The impact isn't massive, it was just the process and harshness of it all on ds that I wondered about. The HT also threatened to withold any exam certificates if they didn't trell on who did it!! thanks for your replies. Don't think I will take it further as ds is anxious about it already without it being escalated. A sad end to his school career which is unblemished so far Sad

OP posts:
Millymollymama · 23/05/2015 15:47

The school only has to say there is reasonable probability that he caused the damage, but he has stated he did not. The Governors must hold the review meeting, and you and he can attend, before his first exam. Make sure this happens and you need to read the guide to the law on exclusions. It would be unreasonable for them to make him miss exams if they do not have proof he did the damage. They must also take his statement into account.

The school can exclude for a serious breach of the bahaviour policy or because a pupil puts other pupils' safety in jeopardy. Not saying who did the damage (even if he knows) is NOT either of these. This is how you should argue the case. None of what has happened is worth a permanent exclusion - assuming this is what it is. What have they said about him taking exams? You will be in a strong position if he has an unblemished behaviour record until this incident. He should be allowed to take his exams and if this is a maintained school, contact the LA immediately for parental support. His future should not be in the balance if he is innocent.

Decorhate · 23/05/2015 13:55

Surely they will be on study leave anyway so it just means he can only go in for exams, can't go in to revise? He can do that at home.

TeenAndTween · 23/05/2015 13:32

No knowledge, but:

  • if the other boys are your DS's friends, then they shouldn't let him suffer for their silly actions, so should own up
  • if the other boys are not your DS's friends, then he doesn't owe them anything and he should say what he knows
  • what kind of backlash is he afraid of? He is taking a massive hit for being suspended mid-flow A-level exams. I struggle to think of any backlash that could have more long term consequences than messing them up.
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