Concerns about school, is this ‘off rolling’

[Secsch]

DD is at a ‘good’ secondary school and was diagnosed with SEN this school year as she has processing difficulties. Since then the school have been very punitive towards her. She has repeatedly been sent to isolation for not doing enough work and she gets targeted by the SMT for uniform checks, masks, equipment and having her coat searched. She ended up being excluded for forgetting an item which wasn’t even in the uniform policy. We’ve since found out the school have put other pupils on the SEN register and are punishing them in the same way, and forcing them to wear a different school uniform to their peers to make them more visible. This is resulting in them being alienated by the others and it’s affecting their self esteem. I couldn’t understand why the school was acting like this then a read an article about off rolling. Although it’s illegal it’s becoming more common practise with schools not wanting pupils on their register who won’t give them the top grades that make their schools look good. The pupils who are being off rolled don’t face very positive futures though. I’m actually really shocked that they can do this and get away with it, it’s destroying young peoples lives! Has anyone else experienced this?

It doesn't sound like the school have done anything other than apply a very inflexible behaviour policy

but it's completely disproportionate. You don't send someone to isolation, or exclude them, because they forgot something. What happened to a simple telling off? If it's a pattern of behaviour you take other measures, although I still think it's disproportionate, but if someone is forgetting things because they have SN, and not because they are lazy, you have to put other strategies in place.

Someone said above that state schools don't do this. I doubt local authority-run schools do. But academies are a law unto themselves and there is little accountability - OP is your DD at an academy?

(ie state schools don't exclude because you forgot something)

I’ve known children in state schools be sent to ‘isolation’ for forgetting equipment, but not for a first, or even second offence.

On the face of it, I don't think it’s that bad. If a student turns up to a class without the things they need to successfully participate in the class, what is the teacher supposed to do? Sometimes equipment can be lent or shared, but sometimes it can’t. Teachers shouldn’t be expected to teach a class at the same time as babysitting someone who can’t participate in the work, especially if that someone is likely to disturb others by talking. It doesn’t matter if that talking is asking valid questions if it’s also disturbing another students work.

Parents have a responsibility to make sure their children have everything they need for lessons. If that means checking their school bag every morning, then that’s what has to happen. Don’t send your child to school without the things they need and then complain that it’s the teachers fault.

@yellowsuninthesky

It doesn't sound like the school have done anything other than apply a very inflexible behaviour policy

but it's completely disproportionate. You don't send someone to isolation, or exclude them, because they forgot something. What happened to a simple telling off? If it's a pattern of behaviour you take other measures, although I still think it's disproportionate, but if someone is forgetting things because they have SN, and not because they are lazy, you have to put other strategies in place.

Someone said above that state schools don't do this. I doubt local authority-run schools do. But academies are a law unto themselves and there is little accountability - OP is your DD at an academy?

I don't disagree with you. That is where many state schools are going though and the line that is touted by some high-profile 'behaviour tsars'.

LA schools have these types of policies as well as academies.

Definitely have a meeting with the school OP. The trouble is you are only hearing one side of the story (your daughters) school may have very good reason for their actions eg your daughter may have broken school rules.

OP

I’d write in and request an urgent meeting with the head ( and separate meeting with SENCO). I’d also look at the complaints policy and agree with contacting governors as first steps.

Make a note of all the things you have concerns about. If your DD is on the SEn register what provision is school making for her? You should have a provision map for her.

I would also contact IPSEA for some legal advice. In addition LAs often have an advice service which can be very good.

For all those posters expressing surprise/disbelief that a school would do this - it really is not uncommon for there to be discrimination against SEN children ( either through ignorance ( wilful or not) or as a deliberate strategy by schools. I have a child with SEN and honestly wouldn’t have believed the things I and my child have experienced if I hadn’t been through it myself.

Also - and it really shouldn’t be this way but sadly is - but if this is the school’s approach it may be very hard to be change. If there are other schools your DD could attend I’d consider looking at them - ultimately your DD’s mental health and needs are the most important thing.

Have you had parents evenings? When she was excluded were you notified?

I agree @littlestpogo that's my experience too, if some of the things that happen to SEN children and young people in schools happened to adults in the workplace they would be reasonably called constructive dismissal.

Hope your meetings go well OP, do you have formal diagnosis paperwork? I used to take copies in every year for relevant teachers and staff for the avoidance of doubt.

especially if that someone is likely to disturb others by talking. It doesn’t matter if that talking is asking valid questions if it’s also disturbing another students work

So the teachers restarts teaching and say asks them to write a letter of complaint. They discuss points, lay out, arguments, reasoning, signing etc

The they start say right, date, title, underline, first paragraph, don’t forget your address and email, phone number -

A dyslexic with poor memory won’t remember all those things so will ask for help - that’s not talking that’s a genuine question on their part

What the teacher should do is have a written list for the child to refer to, allow them to take notes, have a clear example on the board - don’t blame parents for a child’s disability - how ignorant.

Contact your MP about the unfair treatment and the stigmatisation.

There seems to be a few things going on here, OP. Is it one of those academy chains with a very inflexible behaviour policy? Is the additional needs provision inadequate for your daughter? Were your given clear information about her exclusion? Is the uniform policy clear?
There's some good advice from pps, maybe make a note of them before you meet with the SENCO/KS3 head or whoever. Good luck.

Tbh as an SEN parent and SEN governor.... if at all possible I'd move her. You shouldn't have to but yr10 is important and she does not need this hanging over her.

Not true, unfortunately. There were over 5000 permanent exclusions last year (which, for obvious reasons, wasn't a typical year) and almost 8000 the year before.

Out of the entire population of what, England? England and Wales? 8000 permanent exclusions is approx. 2 pupils per secondary school per year in England. Honestly to me those figures back up exactly what the pp was saying that it’s incredibly difficult to permanently exclude pupils.

There were over 5000 permanent exclusions last year

My school alone did 6 last year

@Threetulips

I understand the need for teachers to do what they can to reduce the load on a students working memory when they have dyslexia, but you only quoted half a sentence and that’s put what I said completely out of context.

Saying that parents should ensure their children are properly equipped for school every day is a million miles away from blaming parents for children’s disabilities.

@Secsch

Yes it is an English state school. Their making the girls wear trousers instead of skirts saying they aren’t wearing the skirts appropriately, this isn’t strictly true though. Many of them have just got taller and aren’t rolling them.

If the rule is that skirts have to be a certain length eg no shorter than 3 inches above the knee or they will have to wear trousers, and your DDs skirt is shorter than that, then they have to wear trousers! Or a longer skirt.

Saying that parents should ensure their children are properly equipped for school every day is a million miles away from blaming parents for children’s disabilities

Given a lot of disabilities are genetic, I think it’s possible that parents don’t even know their child has issues because they’ve never had a diagnosis themselves.

Phone SENIASS, take a rep to a meeting with you and copy that rep into every email you exchange with school.

School should be telling you what they are doing to support your DD, and making reasonable adjustments for her, not punishing her for petty things.

@FairyCakeWings - Neurodivergent children are more likely to have neurodivergent parents. Sometimes “remembering everything needed and putting in bag” isn’t quite a simple as it sounds (particularly when the bag belongs to another person!)

School should be supporting by helping students with processing problems to organise and remember what they need. Helping to find strategies for this, and making adjustments, shouldn’t be that hard for them to help with.

I’m not sure I’m completely understanding some of the comments you have made.

Are you saying she had a fixed term exclusion for not wearing a “year group identifier” during covid? So she was not allowed into school, you had a formal letter and a reintegration meeting after this exclusion? Exclusions are not issued for uniform infringements unless the student is persistently and defiantly refusing to co-operate.

You are saying that the SEN students are being asked to wear trousers because their skirts are too short. And you commented that she is aware of who the less able students are and this is how she knows that it is one group of students being targeted? But there are SEN students of all ability levels. If your daughter wants to wear a skirt then why don’t you buy her one the correct length? Wearing trousers until that can happen seems entirely proportionate.

I have a child with Sen and have learnt a lot about things over last few years and this is very common. Until you live life with an sen child I really don’t think most people have a clue what it’s like having to fight for their education, I certainly didn’t.

My opinion is that the reason for the increase in off rolling is that it’s how send funding is now allocated. A school gets a “pot” of money for low level Sen which is supposed to cover up to £6k per child. If a child needs support that costs more then the first £6k comes from the school and the la top up. This “pot” is not ring fenced and can be used for other things. Schools are struggling with budgets, if they can get rid of an Sen child or more they free up to £6k of funding for each one that goeswhich they can then use to benefit other children without Sen which then makes them look better for ofsted. Although schools can permanently exclude the bar is quite high and it looks bad on a school if they have a lot of permanently exclusions, it isn’t monitored if parents choose to remove their child and send them somewhere else as it’s “their choice”. In some ways I can’t blame schools as the pressure in on with budgets and ofsted gradings. Personally I wish things could be more up front, every school website I’ve read boasts about how good they are with Sen, etc. as schools have to be seen to be inclusive, I’d rather they just said “don’t send Sen kids here”, would be discriminatory but at least you’d know at outset and everyone would know and could judge them on that not this back door stuff

Exclusions are not issued for uniform infringements unless the student is persistently and defiantly refusing to co-operate.

Correction: exclusions should not be issued in these circumstances and are not lawful if they are. Sadly that doesn't necessarily prevent them from happening. Some headteachers either don't know the law or assume they'll get away it with it.

If I were you I would get in touch with the Campaign Against Off-Rolling and email their director Andrew McDonald ([email protected]) and they would be able to advise!

IM6

They are creating a hostile environment and bullying your child.

In a workplace this would be constructive dismissal.

I would contact a local journalist if I were you.