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.

.” Exactly as described above 8 booths facing the wall”

And is that really so bad? REALLY? I’ve done jobs in those “conditions” and somehow survived.

We tend to find that many of our worst-behaved pupils like the quietness and calmness of the isolation room. They often settle right down and produce more work than had they been in a classroom. They get much more individual attention from the staff in that room than from any other teachers.

Therr wil always be teenagers who will complain that it’s unfair and that they hate it/get depressed in there. But that will be because they are being made to behave themselves and have had their movements restricted for the day. many many children do this day in and day out. The others need to be MADE to, otherwise they would end up in unit somewhere. It is better for them, most children who are sent to units do not want to go. If isolation ensures that they change their behaviour enough to stay in classes then it is worth it.

I hope your Son is feeling better OP, he has acknowledged his role in injuring another Child, however as a result of his punishment, is now unwell.

The point of isolation is not to inflict pain or harm on a Child, far from it. I would certainly be asking the school to reconsider the Room they choose to isolate children in, particularly as this is not the only child to have been left feeling unwell.

I hope your Son is okay OP

My blood went cold at the idea of a child sitting all day in front of a white wall with nothing to do in a tiny booth. Anyone who thinks that's a good method of dealing with kids needs their head wobbled.

Yanbu, and fuck that to boot. pps have been much more articulate but I'm horrified by the whole practice. It's psychological torture.

Put the boot on the other foot.

AIBU? My child had an acorn thrown at them today and needed stitches. The child who threw it got a day in isolation.

Is it me, or is the school not taking this seriously enough? He could have been blinded and the other child isn't even suspended.

For minor misdemenors? Detention. Or isolation in a classroom environment where you are at least allowed to ask for the toilet or a bloody book.
For SEN children. More fucking money for provision.
But my experience of education. (Which is the field I work in) is that the majority of the children spending increasing amounts of time in isolation are those with sen or behavioural needs and the only thing that would help solve the 'behaviour problems' in schools is more money for pastoral and mh support.

Ggggrrr, this is cruel and unusual punishment and teaching your ds that honesty is not the best policy.

“ It's psychological torture”

I’m out. I’ve read enough. You all need to go and work in a secondary school for a few weeks and then you MIGHT just change your opinion.

Good luck obtaining a decent state education for your children or grandchildren in 10 years’ time......

In future, if he misbehaves, your child needs to do isolation elsewhere if that room is bringing on migraines.

However, the school will have a clear behaviour policy. If you don't like that policy, move your child. If not, support the school you CHOSE to send your child to.

Kids do not get put in isolation for forgetting a planner.

Not unless its a constant theme of being unable to work as they have no equipment.

OP how do you expect teachers to punish children?
They are the school guidelines. Of course its awfuul it caused such huge problems for your child.

But if you didnt know to warn them, how did you expect them to know?

If your son manages to follow the guidelines at school, it wont happen again, will it.

If you do not like the guidelines, you are free to remove him and do a better job yourself.

Bach YANBU op. My son has ASC and spends, on average, one or two days a week in isolation due to lack of provision. He is rarely given work to complete and when he once asked for something to do he was sent to the offsite centre for "breaking the no-talking rules". It's a ridiculous draconian policy.

I'm reading this open mouthed, I'm sorry Bach that your son is enduring this, is there anything you can do? how are schools aloud to do this, no reason isolation has been in the media, due to as you say ridiculous draconian policy this was also the reason my son did not speak up.

Im trying to read all comments.

All the cubicles at my school have a laptop and headphones. Pupils have toilet and food breaks but at a different time to the rest of the school. Pupils are emailed work but also have access to the school system if none arrives.

Maybe they should paint fuffy puppies on the wall and play soothing music so the snowflakes are upset by the paint scheme.

I be demanding to know why he wasn't given nap time.

So isolation for days at a time will make my asc child "behave" and is "better for them". Fucking hell I pity the SEN kids at any school you teach in.

All the kids who participated should have been punished including the one who was hit, after all if he hadn't been involved he wouldn't have got hurt. The punishment was far too harsh for the crime. Hope your son doesn't continue to get migraines.

I think you should privately notify the school that while you support their discipline policy that your son was not given any work to do all day and felt unable to put his hand up and tell the supervisor.

I’m quite impressed that a 12 year old sat still for a whole day and didn’t mention he had nothing to do. I can’t imagine any 12 year olds I’ve taught would have lasted more than 10 minutes without telling someone.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend We have had many many meetings with the school and only the threat of legal action under indirect discrimination has improved things. Early days yet though!

Isolation rooms are not prison cells. They are normal classrooms that have desks with 'sides' that are facing the wall. They have windows, air conditioning/ventilation & supervisors.

What is the big deal about sitting upright? Are schools supposed to provide beds.

Wall is to white? Then close your eyes or don't stare at it.

Don't like the punishment, dont throw acorns at another persons head.

If I was the mother of the blinded injured child, I might be complaining to the school that the 'punishment' was to lenient.

Yes, we email work to pupils in isolation. There's textbooks to help too.

It's staffed by SLT.

They get lunch and break before others.

It's not meant to be a holiday camp.

SEN kids in there.... massively multifaceted issue. It's awful that many who simply cannot cope in mainstream are expected to cope with it, then when they can't they get punished.

But lay the lane for that at the doors of governments who have closed SEN schools, and changed the curriculum so that it only fits a narrow range of kids. It sucks. Teachers know this but they're straightjacketed by the system.

Jesus where is this school? Sounds more like a prison! Never heard of isolation before and thankfully my children's schools don't have this form of punishment. It seems downright cruel, punish the child/children by all means but there is no need for this.
The more I hear about schools in England the more I'm glad we're in Scotland. (Sorry I'm just assuming you're in England.) anyway I'm with you OP.

Shit like this is just another reason I'm so glad I pulled my child with SN out of the school system. The only lesson here is not to be truthful in future. They were all messing around including the one who got hit in the eye.

Just looked at your username..are you Scottish?!

Bach huge difference putting kids in isolation because they have SEN and because they threw an acorn in someones eye.

Bach huge difference putting kids in isolation because they have SEN and because they threw an acorn in someones eye.

I can honestly say if my child was the one hit by an acorn I would NOT want the kid that there it punished in this way.

My son was pushed off a step, just kids messing about, and needed his lip glued. I have no malice to the child that pushed him, and neither of us told the school who "did it"