To go the papers?!

[KateGrey]

I have a five year old with autism. Dc also has a ten year old sibling with autism. The youngest is in mainstream and has been discriminated against. Simple examples include being forgotten about regarding the school trip in that we turned up not having been told (we don’t get any paperwork and we have asked) there was a trip. DC is sent home early constantly. Current hours are 9-1pm as “other parents might complain” if DC was to start at normal time says the head. Autumn term DC was only allowed in on average an hour and a half a day (DC has support). We’ve had numerous meetings, involved our council, lodged a complaint and nothing has changed. We’ve now sought legal advice but a tribunal will cost us 10k at least and any ruling and decision can’t be enforced for instance an apology. The school are very anti Sen. Our feelings have been backed up by speech therapist and two other professionals. I feel like we aren’t being listened to. The head of governors ignored all our complaint and didn’t bother speaking to two key professionals from outside of the school. We’ve been told our DC is being deliberately kept separate from other children. DC is not violent. I don’t know what to do. We’ve complained to all that we can but nothing has been done.

Who is your local mp? They may be worth contacting first, if you can get a good mp behind you they can work miracles

Please don't.

Daily Fail sad faced articles are excruciating for the children.

Talk to MP.

Does he have an ehcp?

Is there any way they can move to a school that supports SEN?

I know you want to win this fight but you might be so much better off being somewhere more supportive.

Why would you not already have logged with Ofsted and moved schools if the provision was that dire for your children?

Can you change school?

You need to contact your local SEND provider. What you are describing def sounds illegal. This link may be of help www.kids.org.uk/sendiass

wonder if its my childs school. they also done the excluding her from school trips, and making me pick her up at 2. despite me having another child at the school which meant i had to hang around outside the school for over an hour as by the time i went home and came back it wouldnt have even been worth travelling back. (live a bus ride away)

@BoxsetsAndPopcorn it’s not simply a case of clicking my fingers and moving DC. I requested a move back in December but we’ve had to wait until September for a space at a better provision. I’m asking for things that are basic. Such as integration so for DC to do say PE with another child rather than spend two odd hours alone with adults. And basic progress reports.

Yes we have an ehcp. We did go to an MP almost straight away and although it did get things moving nothing has been done. County are covering for the school as it is they who are responsible for DC’s education. We can’t go to ofsted until we have completed complaints process.

@nogooddeedgoesunpunished it’s classed as an unlawful illegal exclusion. Council are not remotely bothered despite that DC should be in full time education.

Don’t go to the papers..... yet. Ask advice from www.autism.org.uk

Just refuse the part time timetable.

Drop your DC off at the start of the day and go back for them at home time.

I would go to your local SENDIASS for advice as you have already done most of the things I would have advised on here.

Also I would definitely advise that you do write to your local MP - the school are illegally excluding plus not making reasonable adjustments, and the LA are failing in their duties with regard to the provision in the plan being made.

SENDIASS can support you at Tribunal (although not as a legal representative) - if you have a good service locally, and they have lots of tribunal experience, you willl get good support. Otherwise IPSEA will take on some tribunal cases, you need to book a telephone consultation with them via their website first.

I would also request an emergency annual review on the basis that the placement has broken down, and request through that process a change of named school in Section I. You can then appeal if the plan is not amended. Insist that the LA attend the meeting (in my LA they will only come if it is an urgent review), and bring the professionals who are backing you up. Keep records of all the exclusions (part-time time table for a pupil with SEN counts as an illegal exclusion) and all the other discriminatory practices like segregation and exclusion from school trips (all demonstrating lack of inclusivity).

You could also try the LA (county) School Standards team. They might be interested to hear about this.

Good luck, it sounds like a terrible situation.

This reads like illegal exclusion to me. @prh47bridge or @admission or @PatriciaHolm may be able to advise.

I don't get why any parents would complain if your DC was on a full time timetable. You say DC is not violent, so why are they doing this internal exclusion? What is their reasons behind it?

She uses a non verbal means of communication, sometimes she makes funny noises. DC was allowed into school at the same time as everyone else on the first day then school refused. I’ve been advised I can just drop DC at school and come back at end of day but school have made how they feel very clear and I don’t feel comfortable just leaving DC with them for the entire day. I have asked County if they can support us at home. I also had to write DC’s integration plan.

We’ve spoken to the Sen standards team and about as many different people within the council as possible. They declared they don’t care as long as DC is being integrated into the school bit by bit they’re satisfied. We’ve offered them private specialists and they’ve been offered county help but turned it all down. We’ve kept records of everything. But it feels like the School have been able to do what they like with no one holding them to account. I know if I took my DCs out of school I’d be fined. My DC now has an even higher level of anxiety and has barely been educated for an academic year.

Another example is forest school. It’s ten minutes by bus...they wanted me to go. But to drive us. Reason, DC hadn’t been on a bus before. They don’t like anything out of the norm. My friend has a DS there with Sen and says the exact same. Her complaint came to nothing either.

Are they saying that they are not SEN? Who were the professionals?

Will going to the papers harm you in the long run?

Specialist teacher, Speech and language, OT and private Sen therapist all day they’re excluding her.

We do have another child at that school. I’d rather not go to the papers but having had meetings with the senco and head their attitudes are awful. My dc does PE alone in a separate room. Their school. They’ve never tried DC in sports hall. We asked could DC do PE in separate room with someone else. Head said no as it would mean other children missing PE. When we said but it’s early years the head couldn’t care less.

The last school trip they actually invited us on we were told we weren’t allowed on the bus and would have to drive if we wanted DC to go.

going to the papers might make it embarrassing for your children and also harder to get another suitable school place.

We are sorted for school for my youngest. She’s leaving soon. I suppose I just want justice. That our school should not be allowed to treat children with Sen so badly and discriminate against them.

Was it you, OP, that was saying that DC is going to specialist provision in September anyway?

In which case DC has 6 weeks to go, then hopefully the situation will be much better.

Are you now doing transition days etc for new school?

Perhaps focus your energy on those, and making sure DC has a great start in new placement.

Yes DC is going to a specialist provision. We did talk to her team outside of school about another mainstream but we can’t cope with the stress. All of the professionals who work with children with Sen in other schools have said this is one of the worst schools they’ve seen.