Isolation booths

[Pliudev]

Ok I'm ready to be shouted down by long suffering teachers but isn't the use of isolation booths an infringement on a child's human rights? I've read today of a child who attempted suicide while being kept in one of these punishments booths for prolonged periods. And of a boy who spent 35 days in one. What have things come to when schools can inflict this kind of punishment? In both of these cases the children had mental health issues. If parents isolated their children in this way wouldn't that amount to abuse? And isn't it an indication of failure on behalf of schools that there seems to be growing use of this kind of punishment? And how can schools justify fining parents for taking children on holiday if it is ok to suspend their education for long periods in isolation?

My experience is the same as yours Captain. I'm not returning after mat leave this time.

Captain its really scary isnt it. I see both extremes near me when Ive considered returning for supply (the No Excuses thing is growing rapidly). But both extremes are awful. I see teachers leaving in drives and my kids primary is mainly staffed by under 30s. They are always looking for staff.

I am pleased to be out of it (but have messed up now career wise/financially etc) but really uneasy for my children going into secondary.

See a huge issue I have is that the teachers don’t support the parents disciplining the kids, so if you want well behaved teens have to not talk to us like we are shit on your shoe when we tell our toddlers off. Schools haven’t been fit for purpose for years clearly.

They use it at my DCs school mostly at beaks and lunchtimes and the child remains in lessons. The isolation of 1 hr a day in total is enough to shock them back into being better behaved.

I'm not a teacher but where are their human rights dealing with teenage baboons who won't participate, listen and learn. My DCs short spell in year 7 made them sit up and decide how to behave.

A "no excuses" school opened in our area this September. It is already hugely oversubscribed with parents fighting to get away from the type of schools you describe Captain. It's proving particularly popular with parents of academically inclined children w asd too.

I feel really sad reading about this. I had never before heard of such a thing. It doesn't happen in my childs school and I never had experience of such s thing. Sounds like a poor way of coping with fact teachers aren't able to support children individually. If that's not stating the bleeding obvious. I imagine this would be quite traumatic and really feed into a child's self belief.

What are the real alternatives. Send them home let them play on the Xbox all week. Is there any chance for reflection on this basis or a change in behaviour?

My DC's primary school has an "inclusion room". Is this an isolation room by another name?

Inclusion rooms tend to be for children who can't get to class - broken bones etc.

Inclusion room is sometimes a euphemism for isolation. But in primary it is much less likely to be the booth set up described in the thread. You'd have to ask the school what it is and how it is used - as this thread proves there really is a variety of practice in schools when it comes to isolation!

My kids secondary has an isolation room and a "hub" where children with extra support needs (usually SEN but sometimes mental health needs or problems at home) can go, either for help or because they need a break from class, or as a quiet place to eat lunch. Theyre not the same thing at all. However as others on the thread have said some schools do use the isolation room in this way so you should check w your school.

I can see why no excuse schools are spreading as a result of the behaviour captain outlines. That kind of classroom is not good for any child.

I know of a school that has an inclusion room but it's a "time out" room where students can take themselves to if they are getting overwhelmed in class. It's a quiet, safe space for those that need it.

Doesn't mean that it is the same in your school. You would need to ask. In primaries that I know of if a child needs to be "isolated" for behaviour reasons they are usually sent to sit in the headteacher's office or just outside.

My history teacher used to put me in the cupboard when I had bouts of hiccups. I never really thought about it. When I mentioned it to my parents, maybe 20 odd years later, they said they'd have kicked up hell had they known I was getting put in a cupboard during lessons.

clairemcnam

Me too. I think many people don't realise the behaviour that is happening in many schools. Tbh, some of the behaviour I have been told about, had it happened on the street, the police would have been called to deal with it. Yet when it happens in schools, we expect a teacher to deal with it alone, without being able to restrain the student and then people complain that they are sent to isolation.

I know a teacher in my family, new to the profession. They recently had to deal with a violent incident in their classroom. Child was dealt with but was returning to the class. This teacher was discussing how to keep the other students safe were it to happen again. They were discussing whether it would be better to sit the child near the door in the hope that they could push them out of the door and shut them out (to keep the class safe) or whether to sit them at the desk furthest away from the door in order to get the other students out. They were also discussing how best to get themselves between the violent student and their victim in order that they were injured rather than another child. How on earth, can anyone justify this? How can any of you think that teachers are going to Work having planned how to keep other students safe in this way, possibly by putting themselves in harm's way? This is the reality of many schools now.

Where are the parents and the families in this. If my dc are in trouble at schools they are in trouble at home

https://www.simpsonmillar.co.uk/media/education-law-experts-welcome-review-of-use-of-isolation-booths/

So here you can read parents of children adversely affected the use of isolation booths have so far managed to get one academy to change their practice - I understand their child attempted suicide after spending a month in an isolation booth and the child had preparing mental health issues and autism and the parents believe the isolation booths caused depression.

Lilliebillie so sounds completely different to the practice at your school - we are not talking an hour a day for someone without a special need and who is getting a punishment.

We are speaking of excessive time in isolation where their are concerns as to well being and learning.

Let's hope a review happens and they look at the need for regulation, best practice and safe guarding.

finishers
Let's hope a review happens and they look at the need for regulation, best practice and safe guarding.

The sad thing is that is exactly what will happen.

And do you know why its sad?
Because more stuff will be put on schools, yet there will be no money to implement, very little training and more and more time will be spent away from teaching and more on yet another bullshit policy that bares no resemblance to what needs to happen in real life.

So yay for you.

Little

We have a student who has an individual risk assessment with exactly that kind of thing on it. He should have an EHCP but doesn’t (previous school suggested a “fresh start” rather than doing the paperwork). His family are complex. We have zero access to any support.

SmileEachDay

It's shocking isn't it? Most people just don't realise what is happening in schools now.

*The sad thing is that is exactly what will happen.

And do you know why its sad?
Because more stuff will be put on schools, yet there will be no money to implement, very little training and more and more time will be spent away from teaching and more on yet another bullshit policy that bares no resemblance to what needs to happen in real life.

So yay for you.*

This

Leaving aside the Yay comments wtf and going back to the OP.

Yes if parents isolated their children as in the worst cases detailed here it would amount to abuse. To think otherwise is batshit.

Although parents couldn't blame government cuts for their shitty practice and say that bad policy made them do it and that people have no idea and would be shocked if they knew what happened at home.

What alternatives do we suggest to deal with the awful behaviour of a lot of students now? I remember when I was in school we had isolation. I never went there because I had manners, but I remember being happy when a group of regular troublemakers would be sent there finally after disrupting lessons most of the day, being rude to teachers and bullying other students.

Additional needs aside, how else should we deal with these students disrupting everyone elses learning?

No parents would not be accused of child abuse for sending their kids to their room for a few hours alone.

Although parents couldn't blame government cuts for their shitty practice

Are you against the idea of isolation rooms full stop, or just the use of them for children with SEN or the length of time? Which bit constitutes “shitty practice”?