To be rather upset about this school punishment?

[Fedupsenmum]

My child has a recall for a homework infringement. They will miss lunch as a result. My concern doesn't lie with the homework punishment.

My child has learning difficulties and sensory needs which have resulted in being provided with a pass to leave the classroom if the situation becomes too noisy and also has use of a quiet room at lunch to prevent sensory overload and upset.
As a result my child does not use the school canteen of which staff are well aware for the reasons above.

I've just found out that my childs recall is to spend the whole of lunch in the school canteen doing the said homework while the other children eat in a room they don't use because of the noise on a daily basis. The Senco is aware.

Aibu to be rather upset at this.

That's ridiculous! Can you have another word and ask for the location to be reconsidered?

Sorry, Im not quite clear. Which other children eat in a different room?

I wouldnt be happy either but I think you should find out why your child is being asked to sit in the canteen. Is it because that's where the supervision is? If so, what alternatives could they provide (school library?)

How old is your child?
Contact the senco and state that as your child is unable to use the canteen due their sensory condition the homework must take place in a suitable, quiet location.

Am I understanding that they are punishing your child, by having them (attempt to) do their homework in an environment which will be explicitly stressful for them because of their sensory issues?

If that's the case, that's cruel and unusual and completely unacceptable.

YANBU. Ridiculous. I don't agree at all with children losing their lunch break as punishment anyway. There's a lot of evidence that it makes their behaviour worse. It's also very unhealthy not to have a break.

Children shouldn't miss lunch break. ever. They need it. Their developing brains literally cannot function if they dont' get proper breaks. If a child is being naughty then they need a break even more.

BarbarianMum My child and a couple of others who can't manage the noise of the noisy school canteen usually eat lunch in a classroom. The rest of the school eat in the canteen.

When my child is in situations they can't cope with due to noise they often sit in either the senco teachers office or with other staff members in their offices.

In this instance my child has been told their recall will take place in the school canteen (I can only presume because the teacher in question eats there at lunch)

Intentionally or not this will cause my child difficulties in completing the work anyway but more importantly also cause a great deal of sensory stress and upset.

Assuming he normally sits elsewhere to eat his lunch why wouldn't he sit and redo his homework there? I'm wondering if there's a standard 'homework recall' letter you have received which hasn't been adapted for your child.

Definitely speak to the school either way. If they are aware of his needs then I'm sure they'll accommodate him elsewhere. The 'punishment' is having to redo the homework, I'm sure they're not deliberately putting under undue stress for the sake of it.

Probably a mis-communication.

That's not ok and there are many ways round it.
Your child does the work in their usual lunch room under supervision of normal supervisor.
Supervisors swap duties so the teacher is supervising lunch.
All children who have to re-do work have lunch and re-do it in a third room.
Child brings work home to do at home.

Not ok at all

SparklingTwilight has some good suggestions there of alternatives, and that's how I'd first approach with the school. That way you demonstrate that you accept the punishment but not with the removal of established reasonable adjustments.

No way would I allow this to happen.

I was going to say the same as Sparkling all children involved in the detention participate in a designated quiet room withbsaid teacher.

It didn't come as a letter so not generic. School always call if it is a serious recall after school but just do it one day in the week if at lunch. My child called me in a panic.

While I was in the process of trying to find out what day recall was so that I could sort this I found out it had already happened, that the senco teacher had said they were sure my child would be allowed by the teacher to do it upstairs not the canteen and then left for a meeting, that my child had done the recall in the school canteen and had a panic attack as a result.

Ironically I had already been in touch with school this morning to inform them of how utterly unhappy about school my child is and how they are finding it so difficult to a point of school refusal. I'm going to go back to the GP for some support.

Contact the school and remind them of the need for reasonable adjustments to be made because of your child's disability as per the Equality Act and suggest how your child might do the required homework in the place they feel able to. My experience is that schools are pretty reasonable once they are reminded of the need for reasonable adjustments.

Ironically I had already been in touch with school this morning to inform them of how utterly unhappy about school my child is and how they are finding it so difficult to a point of school refusal

All the more fuel to your fire, that they have now forced a child with sensory issues to sit in an environment which is too much for them to cope with under ordinary circumstances, under more stressful circumstances (such as while they are being punished). Since you state you don't have an issue with the punishment in general, I assume it's not as a result of your child's having learning difficulties.

Although the SENCO was aware of the punishment being sited in the school canteen, they did not ensure that the member of staff overseeing this was aware and prepared to move to an acceptable location.

It sounds like school is failing your child, as these are not exactly insurmountable problems (and obviously have accommodated other children at the same time, so it's not just your child - not that that matters) and would not have taken much effort to ensure adjustments were made. With all you have said, I would be asking for a meeting asap.

Oh no. They had a panic attack and it was not deemed necessary to call you. I hope he / she is ok. I also think you should ask for a meeting.

Miss lunch as in not getting lunch? Or, not getting a lunchtime break.

Both are pretty shitty punishments as blowing off steam at lunchtime is pretty good for them. Kids do need a midday break.

Either way, yes, if your child is supposed to avoid the canteen they shouldn’t be in there (and ignore anyone who comes along and suggests it’s entirely ok as it suits staff blah blah)

I would be looking at the reasons the homework was missed and whether it is so vital it’s done. We had a situation where homework wasn’t always possible and an agreement it was done if possible. School were fine with that.

FMD

Your poor DS, it’s no wonder he’s refusing to go, I don’t blame him.

I wouldn’t make him go until things changed. I’d look at a new school or home schooling if possible.

Sorry, I just realised I assumed you had a DS, either way. Poor kid x

Mummyoflittledragon They don't phone if a child has a panic attack.
My child had a huge panic attack recently due to being put under pressure to do a presentation in front of the class which had resulted in the involvement of several staff as it was so bad and I didn't find out until parents evening weeks later about it.

This isn't good enough. If the SENCO is aware could they explain the rationale behind this. As you point out your issue is not with the homework in itself - it's their disregard for his particular needs.

I would put a formal safeguarding complaint in about this - they are failing in their duty of care to your dc.

If it's a safeguarding complaint then they will have to do something because it gets officially logged, monitored at the next OFSTED inspection and so on, whereas if you just put in a normal complaint, albeit about exactly the same thing, they can just brush it under the carpet.

I think you need a serious (few) chats with the school, if things carry on this way they may end up failing your dc.

I can't see any child, SEN or NT, being able to concentrate properly on doing work in the canteen while it is being used, so how the teacher thought your dc could do it I don't know. If the teacher had to be in the canteen for that particular time, lunch duty etc then they should have had your dc completing the work at another time.

As for the SENCO, they may have been on their way to a meeting but they should have at least whipped off a quick email/other form of accepted communication to the teacher saying not to use the canteen, reassigned someone else to make sure it didn't happen. I can see that if they were going to a meeting they didn't have time to go and check it out personally as we'd have a thread asking 'AIBU to think the SENCO shouldn't be off sorting everyone else's children out when they should be at an important meeting I have left work to attend about my SEN child?' But they should have quickly done some checking/damage limitation with regards to your dc.

nice one school...way to combine education, punishment and panic attacks

Its almost like our school system isn't fit for purpose eh?