My son has been permanently excluded

As well as pre-booked appointments IPSEA are piloting a call in helpline on Fridays until March.

Read your later posts now. Part of our EHCP process was a medical report that stated and supported looking again at ADHD medication. This might help you get this reassessed.

I was also told repeatedly that my child did not need an EHCP by his school. They were wrong. I applied for it and it was relatively straightforward (if a lot of work) with help from ISPEA etc. as PPs have said. Is he medicated at the moment? It might be time to review this before he starts a new setting.

I think it is 'easy' to not think about EHCPs when the school (the experts) are saying it isn't needed (or in our case didn't mention it at all). You assume they are for DC who are 'much worse' than your own.

Sadly, for numerous reasons many schools and LAs incorrectly tell parents their DC doesn’t need an EHCP or won’t get one, yet when the parents go on to apply themselves their DC do get an EHCP. Appeal if you are refused.

As well as IPSEA look at SOSSEN.

Just popping on to say we are in the process of an EHC needs assessment. Applying for one was relatively straightforward, I got a lot of help from the SN Chat board, it is also covered on the SEN board.

It is a bit daunting but there is a lot of advice around to hand hold you.

Appealing for a ehcp feels daunting but it's not. You can do this yourself and I would make this your top priority. Ipsea website will show you how.

There are two tests in law -

may have sen - yes ADHD
May have needs that may require a ehcp - he has been excluded so good proof here too.

The pru should also be helping you to place him and get his SEN needs met. Get onto them to check they are.

I wouldnt listen to people saying it's not his ADHD. He is neuro diverse so it could be the reason.

He is your child and no one wants better for him than you. He needs the assessments that come with assessment for a ehcp. Educational psychologist etc. Even if you dont get a ehcp ( appeal if the la say no assessment as I say you have a good case to win a appeal). He should get on the SEN register. Then he is a bit more protected.

PM me if you want any help with the ehcp process

Look on the ipsea website. As your son has ADHD and has been excluded it's time to get a ehcp.

You need to apply for the EHCP immediately; please look on the IPSEA website I think you are going at this from the wrong angle.

@Expelled123 you have my sympathy, my year 11 son has adhd and it most definitely does affect their decision making capabilities - the ‘H’ (hyperactivity) leads to impulsivity and not thinking through consequences.

Our ds was temporarily excluded in year 9 and on three separate occasions in year 10 and I was terrified he’d be permanently excluded. All the incidents involved doing something stupid without fully understanding that it was illegal/dangerous/serious. Whilst we were very fortunate that he didn’t get expelled, I’m actually really glad now that he’s been pulled up for these things as a teenager. Our son has (we think/hope) learned huge lessons from these incidents. Like your son, to a certain extent he took the fall because of his reputation for low level disruption, but we’re actually really glad he was pulled up on these incidents now, rather than later on, at uni/in work where consequences would be much worse.

That doesn’t help you find him a school but I just wanted to suggest that you fully back the school in explaining to him how serious it was and suggest what might happen if he did something like that in a job.

Posted too early:

If he gets back in I would be careful about moving him. You'd need to look at what he'd be doing in the new school.

In the meantime I'd be on to the PRU. They get a lot of money to individualise support and clever kids should be able to succeed.

Whatever the outcome, he should download the specs for all his GCSEs and working through the content in his own time now.

Do you have a child with ADHD?

No but I have decades of experience with kids with ADHD.

I understand what you mean, and I'm not downplaying the challenges of ADHD, I just think it's important to avoid labelling or excusing kids with it. In my experience ADHD results in poor behaviour if:

1. It's used as an excuse (not saying you are).
2. The teacher doesn't set appropriate work and expectations for a kids needs.
3. It's serious enough that a child can't cope in mainstream without being medicated but meds haven't been sorted.

The right kind of super strict school (i.e. supportive with it) can be brilliant with ADHD but it sounds like this is the wrong sort.

In your position I would still appeal, because I think any school is better than the PRU you describe. Just assume the appeal might not work. If he gets back in I would

I would also be on

If your ds is that able with regards maths and academically then this is a great opportunity for him to out into practice the skills he'll need to try and learn.

So the PRU isn't great because it's very high level behaviour.

But your ds can learn. He's able. Tell him to ignore that and work damn hard to gets his GCSEs.

He only needs 5 for college so aim for fewer than he'd do. Buy him the revision and workbooks.

Aim for a gcse in English, maths and both science. That's 4. Then a humanity and possibly another.

Get him to really work hard at home everyday and study.

If he can do all this for the next few weeks and really knuckle down there is no reason a managed move won't work. He'll see for himself what he's capable of and hopefully learn the skills he needs to manage the environment.

This can be turned around but ultimately like with any pupil your ds needs to want to turn it around to be successful.

If you are worried about a managed move because you think he won't behave himself for 3 months then it's your son's behaviour that's the problem....' - I am worried, yes, because he has ADHD, and he struggles in ways that NT kids don't. Certain behaviours are just him, others, not so much.

Sorry if I’ve misread but if your son usually has low level bad behaviour and you’re worried about his behaviour at the PRU then I can tell you I’m almost certain you have nothing to worry about.
As you know most kids at PRUs have awful behaviour so your son will probably look like an angel compared to them!

Do you work?
If not have you asked if he can be homeschooled instead of doing the PRU?

I would also work on getting an EHCP.
I work in an ARB which has kids with additional needs and some behaviour issues. The behaviour is worse than mainstream but nothing like some PRUs are but you need abs EHCP to be accepted.

Some PRIs are great. Some are not. If they are full of the worst behaved DC with unrecognised SEND they can be awful. Many don’t have great teachers in every subject either.

I would probably accept he will be permanently excluded and make the most of any opportunity to move forward. He’s clearly one of those annoying DC the school couldn’t wait to offload and he gave if you them on a plate.

I know of a boy in a similar situation. He’s all set for 8s and 9s in his GCSEs and he’s getting great support at his PRU to achieve them.

If you say your son is a pain then maybe this is for the best. It's just not fair on all the other kids, or the teachers, who have to put up with the behaviour. Your son shouldn't be able to impact everyone else's education.
As others have said, try and do something about your son rather than waste your time and energy on what sounds like a legitimate exclusion.