To think school shouldn't refuse my child lunch

[Rathercrossaboutthis]

DS (12) forgot his school lanyard today. He's a well behaved boy who rarely forgets things (although it causes him much anxiety to stay on top of things not least because he has HF ASD). He called me in a panic en route to school as at this school forgetting the lanyard is a behaviour point, if not a detention offence, but it was too late for me to do anything.

He just told me that he was refused entry into the canteen for not having his lanyard (even though you don't actually need the lanyard to purchase lunch as there's a "thumb print" system). The teacher concerned was apparently very unpleasant when he tried to explain and shouted 'No lanyard. No lunch". He actually usually has packed lunch and goes to a "quiet room" for this so tried to go there to ask one of the SEN staff for help but again he was blocked by this teacher. He was told he was only allowed to lessons but nowhere else.

Ok I know he broke a rule by forgetting his lanyard but surely they can't punish him by refusing him lunch??? For all this teacher knew he could've been diabetic or something.

WIBU to complain?

I do academic research in this area.

Lanyards and the like are not common in secondary schools at all, and we have been interested to see biometrics starting to fall into disuse in many schools because of the cost of maintenance and reliability issues (children sometimes have quite similar fingerprints).

Industry thought they could get away with flogging all this stuff to schools on grounds of 'safety' and 'efficiency' but the worm is turning somewhat.

The example given on here of a missing teen effectively running away to school is a fringe case by a very long margin. The only other instance I have heard of this is in a Chalet School book.

I'm guessing the lanyards are ID for safe guarding purposes so the teacher on lunch duty could only let people in who were authorised to be there - safeguarding all the students.

If your schools policy is to go to a year office for a temporary lanyard then it would probably be really useful to run through this with your ds using social stories or whatever he finds most helpful. When he spoke to you about the forgotten lanyard on the way to school did you discuss what he should do?

I would have a chat with the SENDCo and HOY / Tutor and your son to go through what he should do if a similar situation arose again.

I understand how you feel but it really sounds like the teacher was just making sure she was keeping all students safe and not refusing your ds lunch.

HangingRock
We get used to them. To be honest, they get a reputation with staff very quickly. I remember when I last moved school and had my first 'one' in my new place and someone said 'oh. You've had a so and so call. Yeah. Happens to us all'. Turns out the parent was well known for the wrong reasons.

Adults look ridiculous walking around with labels round their necks
Thankfully it's not about how it looks and most of us don't really care about wearing a small lanyard. Staff wear lanyards as part of safeguarding. Same as visitors wear visitor badges.
We are used to it. It's hardly an inconvenience

Who exactly would be trying to get in the canteen who shouldn't be there though
Staggered lunches?
Different year groups having different canteens and eating areas?
So that should there be an issue children can easily be identified (one thing i hate about duty when I'm reasonablh new to a school, say 2 years in, is doing duty not knowing most of the students).

Who exactly would be trying to get in the canteen who shouldn't be there though

It could be staggered lunches. It could be many things - I know of excluded students attempting to enter school sites, family members of children at risk and many other instances- it's easy to take the standard MN stance of blaming teacher and complaining to school but maybe the teacher was just ensuring all students were kept safe?

Conference pear,
Really? Oh btw "Dinner ladies" do not exist!! Cooks and Catering Assistant do!! Our job is to feed the kids, what goes on in the dining room is none of our concern.

Shoveller you may well think that adults look ridiculous wearing lanyards but pretty much my entire family and all my friends have to wear security passes at work.

Everywhere I or my DH have worked for 20 years have required them and my parents certainly wore them before that for their jobs.

Some students ... are willing to lie about their identity.

This^ - in pre-lanyard days the number of pupils at my school who were called Jack Daniels - always when they were doing something they shouldn't! I only managed to find out their names via "Don't tell him Pike" moments - not very empowering.

Ours too DixieNormas. I can understand the need for lanyards with staff but not students for ID purposes when there's a biometric system in place for them.

The OP said that he tried to get help from the SEN and was blocked. That needs clarifying, with the teachers version, then rectifying.

To answer those who suggest that this teacher was 100% in the wrong (usually though at lunch it is not a teacher).

As a PP has said there are clear rules in place (I can't comment on the need for lanyards) and thetefore these rules have to be implemented.

In a typical secondary school there are 800+ students, whilst as teachers we have access to SEND I review only the students I teach.

However with this number of students there are obviously a number of students who I don't/or have never taught whose needs I am unaware of as I've never had to review their info.

OP - I suggest ypu have a calm conversation with HoY and SENCO to implement solutions for this scenario

Update: Just had this response from SENCO:

Dear Mrs Rathercross
Thank you for letting me know about this. It shouldn't have happened and I am saddened to think X has been upset by this. I will discuss it in school to ensure it doesn't happen again.
Kind regards,

A rather wishy washy vague reply.

I'd have expected to be invited in for a meeting to discuss a strategy going forward.

Peng are they the only SENCO? I hope not with that many students.

DDs school has a huge whole team.

I think the email is sufficient OP. It shouldn't have happened and they'll make sure it doesn't again.

I don't think a meeting is necessary Lucie.

They've communicated vis email which is sufficient enough. If they had meetings for every time there was a misunderstanding between a pupil and a teacher they'd never get any work done.

I would probably reply thanking her and politely asking for an update (via email) on the outcome of these discussions. That way you can make sure that your DS knows exactly what to do if he forgets his lanyard again.

And then I'd bank it in the back of mind, just in case they drop any bigger bollocks.

Could you talk to your son about what to do in various scenarios eg. No lanyard, no homework/kit, dinner money run out. These are helpfully listed in dd's planner, but if they aren't in yours you could do a list for his blazer pocket.

I'd imagine that they'll just mention him in staff briefing and ask that extra care is taken if he's found lanyardless again? That would have been the procedure at my school, but it was small enough that every teacher knew every student.

I'd imagine that they'll just mention him in staff briefing and ask that extra care is taken if he's found lanyardless again? That would have been the procedure at my school, but it was small enough that every teacher knew every student.

That's what they would have done at my school too - even though it had 1000+ pupils and you didn't know everyone.