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Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

Original poster

Potential exclusion of SEN child (ADHD) help

29 replies

Schoolhelp2025 · 23/01/2025 17:38

My child is currently going through as ADHD assessment and the expectation is the final meeting next week is a formality. Its a private assessment. Behaviour is an issue. The school have advised there is a suspension trigger of 15 days per term and anything above that goes to the governors for review to formally exclude. I am petrified of formal exclusion and the fall out. My question is, the term seems to be the full school year and not Autumn, Spring and Summer. He had had two suspensions over two of those terms and I had thought it was a fresh start but the second they have advised its all covered over the school year. I can only find term referred to but not the definition. Does anyone know the policy? There is a lot going on and it’s isolating so I am trying to get my head around it all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Schoolhelp2025 · 23/01/2025 22:37

The governors meeting to consider the suspension, does that mean they review whats happened and can change anything? I don’t understand why they have put so much focus on it. A governors meeting might nit be a bad thing to review triggers and support in place? The new timetable is showing improvements and I pushed for it so surely that shows a specific support plan helps?

OP posts:
Original poster
Schoolhelp2025 · 23/01/2025 22:34

Oh god I will read these guidelines but I am so confused as the governor meeting made it sound like they could conclude to exclude him and I feel this 15 day is a real trigger for worse consequences. They’ve said that 15 days in a term (which they say is a full school year) and above triggers the governor review. He has 1.5 days. At the first suspension they wanted to redirect him to another school and advised I had no legal rights it was their decision. Then I went in again and they agreed a support plan which was working. He wouldn’t cope well being uprooted. He returned today after 2 days off as he was hit by a car on Monday night crossing a road. Massively traumatic week, he’s physically ok just bumps. He wanted to return today and it was a short day and he messed up and swore at a teacher after not being allowed to do something. I am really scared of it all. I will be requesting a ECHP plan but not sure what help we could get and does this protect him a bit more from decisions and processes? Any help and knowledge is massively appreciate I am worn out by it.

OP posts:
BrightYellowTrain · 23/01/2025 20:34

You can see the statutory suspension and permanent exclusion guidance here. I think the school is somewhat confused.

All suspensions and permanent exclusions must be formal. Informal ones are unlawful.

A pupil can only be suspended for a maximum of 45 days over an academic year.

There are certain things that mean the governors must meet whether the parents request it or not. One of those is if the total number of days a pupil is suspended for in a term (the normal definition) is over 15, the governors must meet to consider the suspension. This isn’t about turning a suspension into a permanent exclusion, though!