To raise a formal complaint regarding school isolation

[HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend]

Last week a group of 20-30 kids were throwing acorns at each other in the school playing field, a child who also throwing the acorns, got hit in the eye which I've been led to believe required medical treatment, teacher asked who hit the child and DS said he believed it was his acorn, and that he was sorry, and did not mean to cause anyone harm.

He was given a days isolation plus after school detention, however on the day with only 10 mins notice.

His head of year called and said as he admitted it was him, they had no choice to follow the isolation process, however admitted they thought it was harsh, however rules and rules which we will adhere to and support the school with.

DS has NEVER been in isolation.

My AIBU is, Ds was made to sit in a 2 by 4 booth, being made to sit upright and face a white wall for the whole of the school day. NO SCHOOL WORK WAS GIVEN AT ALL

He could not tell the supervisor he had no course work as he isn't allowed to talk while in isolation, and tbh nor should even have to ask for course work, its the supervisors role to ensure DS has course work, which is the policy in DS school.

Only one teacher called the isolation supervisor to ask if DS was present, however did not send course work, not one of his other 4 teachers called to ask if he was present.

The isolation supervisor has confirmed all of the above is true his HOY has advised us that they have passed it on to the isolation manager who will be calling me, however even after chasing it up everyday for the past week and leaving messages for them to call me I am still awaiting the phone call.

My own DS ended up requiring medical treatment as he endured a headache with sickness and sensitivity to light, ds has never had a migraine before isolation, which the A&E doctors advised was the cause.

BumsexAtTheBingo we either want kids to challenge authority- so he should've asked for some work. But they will be less malleable.

Or we want them to follow blindly what they're told- so stare at a wall for 8 hours. But they won't be comfortable raising any issues and shouldn't be expected to.

Bumsex

You are being obtuse. Of course OPs son would not have been in isolation had he not misbehaved. However, OPs son should not have had to ask for work. He may well have thought that as he wasn't allowed to speak that he was SUPPOSED to be sitting there doing no work. Or maybe he was anxious about being in isolation and didn't know what to do, wary of being punished again and so did nothing. Whatever the case, the SCHOOL are responsible for making sure work is set in isolation - i.e. following their own policies and making sure punishments are carried out correctly. You can't blame OPs DS for the schools error.

OP has accepted her DS behaved stupidly (as did quite a few other pupils whose actions have gone unpunished). It was foolish, school yard behaviour which lots of children have done since time immemorial and he has been punished, in my view more severely than the misdemeanour warranted (and he may well have learnt that owning up to wrong-doing is not sensible). Nevertheless, OP has accepted that the school decided to punish her son by putting him in isolation. And there it would have ended had the school managed the punishment they put in place correctly.

However, the fact he is being punished for breaking the rules does not absolve the school

If *you look at the shower of cunts running the country at present, you will see why we need a lot more undermining of authority and resistance to it. The problems with the education system mainly stem from lack of funding combined with letting fucking idiots with unhealthy wank fantasies about schoolgirls in short skirts and not an atom of a clue about how young people learn take charge of it. So there are a lot of teens with MH problems and SEN which are either undiagnosed or not being treated, stuck in mainstream education which isn't working for them, because there's no money for the support they need, no chance of an appointment with CAHMs unless they're self-harming in the middle of lessons or suicidal. There are kids coming to school cold and hungry because their parents' benefits have been cut off for some bullshit reason or other, and the parents' misery and fear about whether they are going to lose their home, or have their DC taken away, affects these kids.

And the current attitude, imposed from the top down by people who have never missed a meal or worried about whether the electricity will run out before they've finished their homework, is to bully and terrorize these kids, with humiliating or stress-inducing punishment for tiny misdemeanours or mistakes, subject them to repeated tests with warnings that low marks will mean further punishment or a life of 'failure'... Contempt for 'authority' is a fairly healthy response in these circumstances.*

This ⬆️ 100%.

And to all those posters who said it served him right, now he'll learn, poor teachers etc stop clutching your pearls and try to see the bigger picture: the education system in this country is ruled by acedemies who care more about their reputation and balance sheets than the welfare of the children. This draconian punishment would have caused uproar 15 years ago, but now it's acceptable? And whilst we're at it let's reopen the workhouses too?

WOULD YOU ACCEPT ANY OF YOU CHILDREN BEING FORCED TO SIT UPRIGHT FACE FRONT, IN A BOOTH, FORCED TO FACE A WALL WITH NO SCHOOLWORK AT ALL FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL DAY ?

If someone had thrown an object an my DCs face hitting their eye, resulting in medical attention needed then I would expect the aggressor to be punished.

4/5 hours in an isolation room with other children is not a heinous punishment. He had food, water, supervision and toilet breaks. No one 'forced' him to do anything. And a lot of posters are just not buying that he couldn't have put his hand up and asked for work to do or a book to read.

If you dont like it just move him to a different school. Lots of parents actually like schools that have strong disipline and would welcome this type of punishment.

I'm sorry your child didn't have work provided, it's a shame but it does happen unfortunately. But the priority has to be the 29 other students who weren't dicking about to learn for a full lesson, not have to sit and wait for ten minutes while a teacher pulls a curriculum linked task, that doesn't need direct teaching input, or resources, out of his or her bum. Sorry but that is effectively what you are expecting isn't it?

And worse still what about the poor kid with an acorn in his eye missing a day of school in a hospital because your kid was 'just messing about'. I doubt he had a great day either. Maybe he was also screaming in pain, vomiting, afraid of going blind and having to face 'a scary machine'. Have a word with yourself. It's not torture it's not cruel and clearly it worked because as you say, your child has learnt his bloody lesson!

Also to the people harping on about cruel and unusual punishment. You are disgusting and are directly pissing on people who genuinely suffer in situations of torture today and in the past. Boys four years older than this darling little boy were sent to Japanese prisoner of war camps. And also there are children throughout the world in refugee camps or trapped in civil war. Forced to witness and conduct horrific acts of violence. That's mental torture. Comparing an isolation booth for 5 hours to torture makes a total mockery of genuine suffering. You should be ashamed.

My mum is a teacher and so I was brought up with a “you do not question the authority of the school” attitude and generally I think that’s right but I wouldn’t be happy about the way this punishment was managed. If someone posted on mn saying “my sons were playing a bit too roughly today and one got hurt. As punishment I made my son sit still in a tiny room staring at the wall for 7 hours with absolutely nothing to do. I brought him food and let him go to the loo but otherwise did not interact at all with him” no one would think that was remotely reasonable! Of course schools are different to being at home but it doesn’t change the basic premise of treating people in a decent way.

OP how do you expect teachers to punish children?
I don't expect teachers to punish children. I expect them to teach them.
There are done right nasty sorts on here. A lot of them teachers. Hopefully not my kids teachers. All spitting rage about how dreadful the kids are and sneering about "human rights". Such a lot of gleeful vitriol about children taking their punishment. It's a bit sick isn't it?
Well, I went to some rough schools, and I knew some rough kids(some of whom are doing very well these days)but sitting bolt upright and staring at a white wall for 6 hours would have been considered beyond the pale. For chucking acorns? "Nearly blinding" someone? Jesus wept.
Poor kid.

Also to people saying that the teachers shouldn’t have to take time to provide work, how hard would it be for the isolation room to have some basic maths/English/science work sheets for each year group that are just handed to the students. Doesn’t have to be interesting, doesn’t have to involve anyone taking time to explain it to them, just hand them a year 7 maths textbook and tell them to go through it. If they get stuck they’ll just have to move on, because an isolation room is never going to teach kids new things anyway, but at least they’ll have something school related to do.

No I am not expecting a teacher to pull magic out of her arse, THE SCHOOL HAS A POLICY IN PLACE, THAT TEACHERS HAVE AGREED TOO, SO HOW ARE THEY ALLOWED TO NOT FOLLOW POLICY?

If the teachers cant manage their own schools policy then that NEEDS addressing ASAP!!!

Bum sex, you are frankly talking out of your arse!!!

Well you said he’s never had a migraine before he was put in isolation which heavily implies he’d had a migraine. your point is
But whatever. Like a lot of parents you’d rather focus on the punishment than the fact that your son can avoid any punishment by not doing things like throwing acorns at peoples heads. And you’d rather believe that your son couldn’t have possibly asked for any work when that’s clearly ludicrous so good luck with that. Im not focusing on my child's punishment, READ THE THREAD, Im focusing on the school not adhering to THEIR OWN POLICY and again its not DS responsibility to ensure he has coursework!!!

FFS. Yes it would appear that your sons teachers had better things to do and didn't adhere to the policy. Similar to your child going against the policy not to hurt his classmates to the point they wind up in hospital? Everyone fucks up, your son fucked up, the school fucked up, no one died and your child is not permenantly damaged. If it was my kid I would spend less time on MN arguing the toss and more time sending my kid round with an apology note to the person he hurt!

What this thread has shown me, is how highly concerning that when children who are given isolation's parents and teachers believe that its acceptable for teacher NOT to provide school work as they are busy/whatever lame excuse

My DS isn't the first and nor will he be the last to be given isolation, yet apparently this mindset is Ok, as teachers are too busy... to do their JOB and follow their own schools policies.

I'm not blaming the teachers if that's correct, but the system is WRONG!!!

If it was my kid I would spend less time on MN arguing the toss and more time sending my kid round with an apology note to the person he hurt!

Really a whole 8 days afterwards? that DS should still be grovelling to the child the thing is with kids, the whole thing is forgotten, ds is currently on a sleep over with said child, EVIL child that he is!

Really? A note to say sorry is grovelling? The day after perhaps? Says it all really.

says what exactly, that you've assumed incorrectly that ds has not apologised to the child, he has on the day itself, also by text and again in person at school this week!!!

Dont make assumptions to fit you own hypothetical agenda, your underhand comments are unfounded!

Still, good to know it's all blown over and it sounds like your son managed to make a full and successful recovery after his traumatic day.

Maybe you could post the section of the school policy that pertains to what should happen in isolation? Everyone's school is different so maybe that would help.

Until you hear from the teacher in charge of the isolation room we just don't know what work, was or was not available. You need more information before concluding the policy wasn't followed.

Was it a teacher in charge of the room, where they full time, supply or new? Was there an abnormal number of children in there that day. Did the person know your DC wasn't doing anything? There is a lot of room for error that doesn't mean the policy is wrong.

Sounds old enough to know not to throw stuff at people.

If that were true, all 20-30 children involved should have been in isolation, shouldn't they?

you are being massively unreasonable to take him to A&E for a headache

Daft comment to make. Sudden really bad headaches can be symptomatic of a number of very serious conditions.

And really sitting in silence is pretty much standard for isolation.

Sitting in silence for hours on end with nothing to do but stare at a wall certainly isn't standard for isolation. In fact, given the duty to ensure full time education, it's arguably illegal.

He hasn't even got the gumption to write a not asking for work? Or work he could get on with

FFS, this is ridiculous. What was he supposed to write on? And the isolation manager surely knew he was meant to have work to do.

Typical MN pile-on with people being so desperate to criticise they can't be bothered to engage their brains.

Yes because he was eventually unscathed by it, that makes it all

Ugh this sounds like something that happened at my school. The little shit of the year who always got away with everything initiated a snowball fight then got annoyed when they kept getting hit with snowballs. Mummy calls school and the whole class except littleshit gets a detention.

IMO the school should have done a group punishment. And tell your ds in future not to own up to stuff. It gets you no where. In adult life no one does that.

Also a friend of my dds sister was taken to A&E with a headache. Her mum would Probably be told on mumsnet that she should be hanged for wasting NHS time with a measly headache and that her dd is a drama queen. The kid has a brain stem tumour. Unusual headaches with sickness should never be ignored no matter how righteous you think you are.

Give over OP. If that's the case then clearly you are more bothered by it than he was! The scars of mental torture a day of boredom don't disappear overnight you know.

FFS. Yes it would appear that your sons teachers had better things to do and didn't adhere to the policy. Similar to your child going against the policy not to hurt his classmates to the point they wind up in hospital?

We don't know that the classmate wound up in hospital - it simply says OP was led to believe he required medical treatment. OP's son, however, did wind up in hospital as a result of the school's cock-up. Given that it was right for OP's son to be punished for going against the policy, why should the school not be held similarly accountable, @FlashByReputation?

The job of the isolation manager is to manage pupils in isolation. What "better things" should s/he have to do?

If it was my kid I would spend less time on MN arguing the toss and more time sending my kid round with an apology note to the person he hurt!

At night time, a week after the original event? Seriously?

Surprised by some of the responses. Everyone who was throwing acorns should have had detention. If the child was put in isolation the school should have followed their policy of giving him something constructive to do. What happened was unacceptable. Frankly it was worse than the 1950s and 60s when we were hit with rulers and dodged flying blackboard dusters.YANBU and there are some strange responses. If a parent did this I think child protection services would be interested.

walking no work was available to him, the isolation has a full time supervisor, the supervisor has confirmed to DS HOY, he was given no work and no efforts were made to give DS work, the isolation manager cannot dispute this. I asked HOY why the supervisor was not able to give DS work, however she could not answer this.

The policy is, as advised and its also the policy for GOV.UK, and Child Law Advice, DS school policy adheres to the GOV, with there own additional policies.