Is this an illegal/informal exclusion?

Nope. No meetings. Do EVERYTHING via email. As I said earlier, nuclear rockets are what is needed here.

The school has only just started the EHC needs assessment process. Clearly they should have done so in the autumn term, there seems to have been more than enough evidence available.

Forcing a parent to agree to a part time timetable amounts to an unlawful exclusion.

@1SillySossij then you don’t understand the SEN system, various statutory guidance and the legislation. The school should not be unlawfully, informally excluding DS regardless of what you think.

No, I don't.
The school have applied for an EHCP. The head told the op if her dc did not go on to a reduced timetable there was more chance of him being permanently excluded and she Chose this rather than risking a permanent exclusion.

What OP said about what happens at home does not have anything to do with what happens in school.

You can't have it both ways - imply that the kid has been a dangerous menace all the time he has been in school, then say that this event was unpredictable. The simple fact is that any school SENCO with any experience knows that children who are not neurotypical and who are clearly struggling in school may become overwhelmed and dysregulated and may have meltdowns. They also learn to (and train staff to) identify triggers and aim to look out for them and try to de-escalate before events get serious. If they are really struggling, they should be seeking further support from an early stage, including seeking advice from an educational psychologist/ELSA/behavioural expert, and referring the child for an EHC needs assessment. They should also consider applying for further funding so they can give the child adequate support to keep him and others safe and to enable the child to make progress.

We have here a school that didn't even begin the EHCNA process till the child had been in school for well over two terms, and which does not appear to have done anything about seeking further advice or funding. All of this despite a lot of very clear government guidance. Instead it has chosen to break the law. Do you think they might bear the teeniest amount of responsibility?

And? None of it justifies the school in breaking the law.

£6000 is about £30 a per term time day! With employment t 'on costs' that is going to be a out an hour a day

He sounds similar to my son.

DS was suspended several times in reception and was on the brink of formal exclusion. They wanted to go to a part time timetable but I refused to agree as I would have lost my job and consequently my home.

Fortunately at this crisis point he finally received his ADHD diagnosis and was medicated…. and we’ve not had an incident in school since! He’s like a different child now his impulse control is more manageable.

He is in a nurture hub with high levels of staffing, gradually reintegrating into the main class. EHCP is at panel today (it’s taken over a year despite official complaints etc!) but school have been amazing at supporting his needs.

He now has an ASC diagnosis too, we’re getting DLA which I use to help pay for childcare after school, and we have a blue badge too. Finally we’re actually seeing progress! And school now feel they can meet need whereas before it wasn’t possible and we were looking at special schools.

Keep going, and keep pushing for assessments and support.

@clocktick hadn't realised the post had moved! Eek

I don’t think with younger children OP could manage with him there all day all week.

from her updates, school may be some sort of respite. She does need a much more equipped setting for him, this school isn’t the right place.

Good post @SalmonWellington but <whispers> we are on the SEN board. A lot of posters do want to stick the boot in, though.

Schools are underfunded, but 6k per child on SEN register does not = each child on SEN register gets 6k spent on them. Some kids might need, say, a fortnightly hour of ELSA time or small group maths teaching costing a lot less than 6k.

OP - as others have said you will get better advice on the SEN boards. In the meantime - get school to say why they can't cope in writing. Not fun, but you need the evidence. And google 'local offer' plus your area. From there see what schools might work for him - from what you have said it sounds like SEMH ones might be the best fit.

Sorry if I’ve missed something; I’m wrangling a toddler.

Forgive me but you were repeatedly asking me if I’d work for £6000 a year. I’m unsure of the relevance but I probably have missed something. You’re being extremely rude, by the way.

Whilst his behaviour might seem adhd its likely the asd too. As things like not understanding hierarchy.

If at 5 he is having to be conained at night for safety, a mainstream school doesnt sound safe for him as he wouod do things if out of sight. If no current 1-2-1 how are they managing him going to the bathrooom /eating etc

It seems relatively clear he might do better in a sen school. So hopefully you pushing for the ehcp will move that along.
What isnt clear is why the school havent pushed for ehcp themselves.
I think the nature of ehcp costing schools money in terms of support and 1-2-1 means they arent likely to do one themself.
But even if a parent asks - will my child get a ehcp? are they often lying when they say 'no'?
Its a conflict of interest and also schools dont want to do the paperwork.

Okay, I stand corrected.

My guess is that they have a member of staff available in the morning but not yet in the afternoon. The exclusion only happened a month or so ago and it will take time to access the funding and then recruit somebody.

I’ve literally never once said TA’s are paid £6000 a year. Please learn to read before you post back, thanks xxx

Yes, I wonder why @Nominative feels she knows better?
Quite peculiar.

I was just repeating what OP said about her own child!

Are you seriously trying to blame the staff for what happened??
Nobody expects a 5 year old child to run amok and rip shelves from walls, you’re being totally ridiculous to suggest that the school have failed to provide a safe environment.
You could say that this child’s behaviour reduces the safety of the rest of the other children in the class. They matter too.

You implied that he was becoming hyper and destructive all the time. If that was the case, the school would have excluded him before the incident in question, and would not be allowing him back in now.

If anything, the past history confirms that the school should have applied for a needs assessment almost from Day 1.

SEN does that, yes.

He’s had issues in every setting since the age of 2.
It’s quite clear that this is more than a one off event.