To speak to the school about this

[ilkleymoorbartat]

Ok just want vive mind for this one.

There's a boy in my sons year 4 class, I'll call him John here. John has been at the school since reception. He's very much part of the class and included in everything.

In year 2 John got an autism diagnosis. How eve, in the last 2 years his behaviour in school has become increasingly problematic for other kids. There are daily stories of hitting biting and attacking kids in the class.

I feel like the school, probably as a result of lack of funds, aren't doing enough to support both John, and the other kids.

At what point is it reasonable to expect the school to put in measures to stop this happening, or is it unreasonable to even expect that.

I don't want either John or his parents to feel in anyway excluded, but I also think there have been so many occasions now where other kids are getting hurt or their property damaged that the school need to step in.

Or would it be the case I should just leave it to the school to deal with as they will be aware of everything?

As much as the school has a duty of care to John they also have a duty of care to every other child in the class. It’s perfectly ok to have a calm, yet formal discussion with the Headteacher about how these events can be managed going forward to minimise the impact on the other pupils in the class whilst still maintaining an inclusive environment for John. You could alternatively put your concerns in writing as your post clearly shows this isn’t a witch hunt and that you want good outcomes for all the children including John.

I hope you can get some reassurance, if not then next step would be the Governors.

Your focus here is your child and that's what any discussions with school need to be centered around - John and the rest of the class are nothing to do with you. You need to state what has happened specifically to your child and ask how school are going to manage the situation for your child.

It's also none of your business what interventions are in place for John, he has a right to privacy, which is why discussions need to be focused on your own DC.

There have been similar if not more severe incidents with a child in my DC class. Sadly this child has now been removed from the class and is having 1-2-1 lessons on his own. Apparently he is allowed to join the rest of the class at lunch time and for PE. I have mixed feelings about it. He was very disruptive and also swore alot which isn't ideal for young children to be exposed to. However I feel desperately sorry for him having to be separated from everyone else.

I would be very surprised if things weren't happening behind the scenes but if your child is hurt, or their property is damaged, or their learning is disrupted, you go in. Approach the class teacher, and then the Head if things don't change for your child.

This

Has John hurt your child or impacted your child directly? If so that's what you discuss with the school, how best to support your child and mitigate the impact on your child.

This isn’t quite true. OP has ever right to know what it in place to protect her own child. They can’t name names but they can say the measures in place.

YANBU and I am saying that as the mother of a ‘John’. He’s now at a special school and is doing a bit better but your DCs school absolutely need to put things in place to protect all of the children in the class. It also acts as evidence for EHCPs etc

This too.

And if he has not directly impacted your child then you need to beak out because then it really does become a witch-hunt.

You're right to say that school funding is shit. You're probably wrong to say that school aren't doing enough to support John. They are probably doing everything that they are able to do. It's possible that it is simply not the right school setting for John and that the school are doing everything they can to try to push for a more suitable setting for him. It's a crying shame that there are not enough specialist units or schools to support people like John and no-one wins. Except may be the local authority for whom is is cheaper to keep kids like John in mainstream school. Anyone who actuallyl wants to help those children would not want to work in SEND funding at the LA as they know their hands will be tied over what funding they can approveand they will know they are failing children and their families. As well as mainstream schools who try to cope.

I've seen staff at my (mainstream) school cry at the injustice of it. They care what happens to these kids so so much, and know full well that particular children are left bewildered and barely moving forward in their development because there just isn't the specialist provision for them. The staff will know that it is the education system (and ultimately the government) that is failing those children, not the staff in school, or the way they run things.

And of course, as those SEND children are suffering themselve, so too are the children, and staff, around them who are bearing the brunt of physical attacks.
It is absolutely heartbreaking all round and I really don't know what the answer is.

I would definitely raise your concerns with the class teacher who will then talk with the head. If it's impacting the other children's learning then that needs to be documented. But definitely try and discuss it from the point of view of the issue that your own child has rather than saying "all the other parents are talking about it and not happy" etc. They will already be aware of what's going on but will be compiling a list of issues and parental concerns. It all helps to build a picture of what provision is more suited to the child and is evidence for ed psychs and the LA that the SEND child is not thriving in the school and behaviour is impacting other's learning.

Yes to clarify, my child has been directly impacted on several occasions.

I realise that I can't go out to bat for all of the other kids that has also been impacted, so it's helpful to have that impressed on me by you all.

I suppose that my issue is that the school are minimising the overall effect on the whole class. So for example say my child has been impacted by this 4 times since the start of term, that might not seem like a huge amount and then school can justify minimising it. However, if you multiply that by a large majority of kids in the class then issues are happening almost every day iyswim?

I genuinely do want what's best for all involved, and I feel like John is also being let down with all of this. I know that he has hurt a teacher and that teacher also feels let down by the school.