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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My son needs help - please!

181 replies

FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 01:06

Not an AIBU but I've never posted before and need as much advice as possible.

Will try not to drip feed but thank you for reading in advance. My son is 11. He is autistic in a mainstream school. He is is high functioning with low functioning autism. Physically incredible but socially struggles.

He is being badly bullied in his school. For months lots of his classmates have bullied him and then recruited more bullies. This went on for 3 months and weekly I would be in telling his teacher and her response was always 'I'll have a word' regardless of severity. He had no friends, he was broken. He was punched repeatedly, his stuff broken/stolen, slammed into walls. One time a boy pushed him and my DS pushed him back and only my son was in trouble. The teacher would let them get away with anything (she has been very open about her lack of punishments for the bullies and also big punishments from my son).

Here goes the main bulk of my sadness: these are all teachers. Will change names.

Teachers incidents:
1. DS had problems on the school playground with football and struggled socially to play the game properly. The SENCO (who is a cunt) put in place he can have 10mins each week with the ball alone to practice. He went and asked the playground staff (year 5 teaching assistant) if he could have the ball and the teacher repeated what he said louder and in a mocking ‘retarded’ voice in front of all his bullies. This teacher has admitted this 🙄🙄 and when I informed Mrs W (DSs actual teacher) she ‘spoke’ to this teacher but did not escalate it to the headteacher so the headteacher was unaware until I told her about it and DS is still yet to get an apology from this teacher. Headteacher has said it has now been adequately dealt with.
2. Mrs W (DS teacher) I used to have a good relationship with and over the 3 months of so many of his class bullying him I spoke to her about it and got the response of ‘oh I didn’t know, I’ll speak to them’ - regardless of situation, punching, stealing. SEN, bullying policy is to escalate physical or repeated matters, this was not the case. Parents to be updated - didn’t happen. Victim to have confidence building - didn’t happen. Bully to be adequately punished - all she did was speak to the parents at school pick up. Her words 🙄. So after 3 months of her not doing anything DS had nothing left and that’s when I went to the headteacher and Mrs W has told no one anything about it all when it should have been escalated so DS was still being bullied and no one being punished. One kid pushed him, DS pushed him back and only DS was punished. So this teacher is happy to punish DS and no one else. This teacher was NOT happy I escalated it and we had it out on the playground - I quoted every policy and she admitted everything but saw nothing wrong in her actions. - she is still a cunt but will get to that in a bit.
3. So this was all 3 weeks ago and everyone was ‘intensely’ working to improve things. On Monday one of the kids grabbed him by the collar and threw him around, shouted in his face. Then DS told the on-duty playground attendant (his own TA) and the TA said he’d ‘keep an eye out’. No punishment, nothing, didn’t even check if DS was ok, no policy being followed at all! So then the kid that did this to DS then starts crying and telling everyone that DS told on him so now the ‘recruiting bullying’ starts again so he gets other kids in his face shouting at him. Obviously nothing happened and I had to go into school and tell the teacher and headteacher. Headteacher dealt with it and his teacher Mrs W told DS off for not telling her and I told her that he did tell her for 3 months and she did nothing! Funnily enough she didn’t like that. So teacher is still a cunt. DS did what he should of done and no protection from one TA and being told off for doing what he should have done by his own teacher
4. So today.... 🙄 Thursday afternoon he has this Spanish teacher who anytime anyone makes a noise he announces to the class ‘just a reminder if DS distracts anyone, talks to you or makes a noise, just ignore him’. He doesn’t do this to any other child and does this repeatedly each week or Thursday and Friday afternoons. Friday is ICT. This is the last straw. 4 teacher who he HAS to see not helping him, infact making it worse.

SENCO - oh boy - what an arse! One who doesn’t want an EHCP for a severely autistic boy in DDs class as it’s ‘a lot of work’. All the SEN parents hate her. DS was repeatedly (like 20-30 times A DAY!) bulled by one kid (KID R) and when it was brought to their attention (SENCO and headteacher) rather than punishing the bully and teaching them to be better they wanted to ‘rebuild’ the friendship in play therapy session. I then said ‘DS doesn’t want to do that as he doesn’t feel comfortable around KID R and has requested that he just stops bullying him’. To which the SENCO replied: ‘yes he said the same to me but I thought it would help’
🙄 WHAT THE FUCK. DS (victim) has expressed he doesn’t want to be put with the bully as he doesn’t believe he will stop and doesn’t feel comfortable and the SENCO was forcing that he does that!! Funnily enough DS was told that KID R is going through some ‘family struggles’ so they are giving him some extra chances!! my Ex destroyed DS for many years emotionally and physically and is never allowed near him again. If anyone has family struggles it’s him!!! 🤬🤬🤬

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 12:09

Good to know, thank you @FreeFreesia

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LeukaeLucky · 03/05/2019 12:09

The people who do the inspection as PP @dontfluffthefluffer mentioned is OFSTED. If there's a significant safeguarding issue which is the case it's worth reporting it to them. It can trigger an inspection AFAIK. Good luck
It's appalling

FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 12:10

@bigKiteFlying I'm on it like sonic Smile

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 12:11

@DuckbilledSplatterPuff
I haven't heard of kidscape but will look into it now. Thank you for posting

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 12:12

@EugenesAxe I know, it's completely baffling.

I said to the headteacher today: 'I am not a teacher and I never look at a child and think 'I'm gonna bully this child and make their lives a misery'

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 12:13

@LeukaeLucky good to know, I will put this in my notes (which are building quite high which is empowering but also very sad)

Thank you for posting

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flitwit99 · 03/05/2019 12:19

I would let him go to school if he wants to, but stay at home no questions asked on days he doesn't feel like it. His mental health is more important than anything else right now.

My ds was horribly bullied in his last year of primary school and also badly failed by teachers. In the last term I just told him he only had to go if he wanted to. If he didn't want to he could just stay at home. Knowing he had the choice made him feel better. He probably went in half the time.

We made arrangements directly with high school for all transition days. He has had a much better experience in high school. The pastoral care there has been miles better and he is so much happier.
Half of me wanted to make a big fuss about how his primary failed him, but he other half just wanted to leave it all behind. And he wanted to leave it all behind, so that's what we did.

I tried my hardest to just build him up all the time at home. We have grandparents around so my lovely dad spent ages with him, we were lucky. He and I volunteered together a morning a week at a community cafe near us. Just so he knew there was a world beyond school and people who are kind. Anything you can do to build him up.

It is so horrible when your kids are being treated badly, I'm so sorry this is happening to you and to him. He doesn't deserve it.

laurG · 03/05/2019 12:20

@fitmum87

It is awful how hard parents like you are forced to fight for your kids. Sometimes main stream school is best for sen kids. Sometimes it’s not. But whatever way there just seem to be barriers and a lack of empathy and understanding from schools. For my godson it was almost like ‘well he’s too autistic to understand he’s being bullied so it doesn’t matter.’ He knew fine well he was different and that he was being targeted.

Good luck. I really hope you find a solution for your son. He deserves it.

Acis · 03/05/2019 12:25

A CoSA takes 28 weeks to go through the process to get an EHCP.

By law the process must take no longer than 20 weeks, with some very limited exceptions such as an extension over the summer holidays if the council needs information from the school at that point. I know many LAs exceed that timescale, but they can usually be kept to it with a threat of judicial review. I also know that the period may be extended if the LA refuses to assess or to issue an EHCP, but the point is that if you don't start the process off you will, self-evidently, never get one. People like SOS SEN and IPSEA can help to ensure that, when you do, it is a document that helps your child and ensures that he receives the support he needs.

ScrimshawTheSecond · 03/05/2019 12:30

Oh, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Your poor son. Good luck, I'm so glad he has you fighting for him. If you get a chance tell him I'm with him, too. xxx

Jester35 · 03/05/2019 12:30

Remove him, straight away, let him know he will never be treated like that again. There are alternatives out there for him, I speak from experience, remove him , please xxxxx

clairelee17 · 03/05/2019 12:35

I'm really sorry to hear your struggles with the school.

My husband is an Assistant Headteacher and advised family friends on a similar situation. I remember him saying that once you mention that this is a safeguarding issue to the school, they should immediately jump. And if you tell them you'll report them to Ofsted due to safeguarding, they 'should' bloody act a bit quicker. Arghhh, why don't they just do their jobs properly in the first place and protect your son??

dontfluffthefluffer · 03/05/2019 13:01

Thanks @LeukaeLucky I was absolutely stumped for their name last night.

Been thinking about you guys all day. So proud of you for going in and for your ds to articulate himself perfectly. What a superstar.

Good luck at the gp today. Here's to the start of an empowering, happy & safe journey for you both.

bamboo21 · 03/05/2019 13:18

Well done for what you've done so far. Definitely report to Ofsted (you can do it online, but need to confirm you have already complained to the school and/or that it is a safeguarding issue - which it is).
Also, once he is feeling better about not being in his current school, it is worth you contacting his new school to update them and to also organise additional transition visits for him in June / July. You should also provide them with a list of the bullies so they know who has history with your son and needs to be kept away from e.g. being in the same tutor group or sitting near each other in assemblies etc. Make sure he knows (before the school holidays) where he will go for help at the new school; who can help him (someone he's met on transition visits hopefully) and where he can spend his breaks and lunches in peace and safety with others in similar situations etc.

FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 14:55

Update: just been to the doctors and they are written a letter to state the stress my son is under due to the schools bullying from teachers and children.

This will hopefully support (in addition to a lot of other things) our ass-kicking

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Acis · 03/05/2019 15:01

Has the doctor spelt out that your son can't be in school for medical reasons?

FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 15:10

@Acis
Nope: she said she cannot do that but will put as much strength as possible behind it and recommend educational psychologists, etc.

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Rockmysocks · 03/05/2019 15:19

No practical advice but have experience of my son being bullied many years ago and feel for you and the desperation to find a way to stop it.

Please tell your boy from me that he sounds magnificent. He was incredibly articulate and direct when speaking to the head.

What a boy!

You sound like you'd move heaven and earth to help him so he's in good hands now he's out of that nasty hole of a school.

Good luck for the future and hope things get better and better for you all.

Nat6999 · 03/05/2019 15:59

My DS is ASD, he had a terrible time at primary school as he wasn't diagnosed until he was 9 & the school refused to aknowledge the diagnosis, he was terribly bullied that affected his confidence. It has taken until Y9 at secondary school for him to find his own place & make friends. Regarding making a complaint about school, I would go on Parent view on Ofsted, find your DS school & fill in the survey, it will all get noted when the next inspection is done & could prevent another child being treated this way.

FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:21

Update: this morning before I spoke to the headteacher another year 6 mum (from the other class - school is a 2 form entry) was in the office speaking to the headteacher, the mum was NOT happy!

Turns out this teacher who has been singling out DS during his classes lessons with him on Thursday and Friday was doing EXACTLY the same thing with another SEN child.

But...

For my son this teacher says 'just a reminder is DS makes any noise, talks to you or does anything just ignore him'

But for this kid he goes 'just a reminder if (insert kids name) makes a noise, talks to you or annoys you let me know and I'll keep him in at break'.

WTAF!!!

Also the teaching assistant in that class has been laughing at the SEN child!!!

But This is a different teaching assistant to the FIVE picking on my son, so now this school is up to 6 teachers picking on Sen children!!!

The only silver lining in this is at this will back up my sons case with this teacher and hopefully result in this teacher being disciplined appropriately. This teacher was responsible for banning water during the heat wave last summer.

Spoke to another SEN parent (child in my daughters class) and they aren't receiving the help they need either so this isn't an isolated incident sadly.

Only positive from the school today was that my daughters teaching assistant looked after her well when she was poorly.

Head teacher asked at the end of school if my son will be in next week and I informed her again he isn't coming in.

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:23

@Nat6999
I'm sorry your son went through that but am so pleased that by year 9 he was ok. I know he should never have been treated that way ever but it's nice to know it does end when given the correct support.

Thank you for posting.

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:23

@Rockmysocks thank you, I'd do anything for him. His smile is my smile.

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:24

@bamboo21 thank you, this is a great idea. Will compile a file for the new school this weekend and go directly in on Tuesday.

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:24

Thank you @dontfluffthefluffer Smile

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FitMum87 · 03/05/2019 17:25

@Jester35 already removed him Smile agree there is better out there

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