AIBU to insist my son has the suspension lifted?

[NightmareATschool]

First time in trouble for any kind of physical altercation

My son is in year 8 and yesterday was pinned to the ground, twisting his wrist behind his back as he went down ( we went to a&e to have it checked after school as swollen and bruised ) and was then held down by this boy.

My son is 5 foot 5 and the other pupil is at least 5 foot 9 and a lot bigger built.

The boy was pinning him down with his legs trapped underneath him and his holding both of his arms on my sons right arm ( fingerprint bruising is visible because of this ) so my son used his left arm to hit out and hit the boys head.

Boy then get off and walks across the playground and son sits on a bench holding his sore arm.

The boy then returns, runs at him from the side view and punches down on my sons head.

SLT state both to be suspended due to violence.

I have started absolutely not, that the violence is on completely different levels and one was very much in self defence and one was completely premeditated.

I’ve sent in the complaint from from the schools complain procedure policy and I’ve CCd the SEN governors as my son has ADHD.

This happened at 11am yesterday and he spent the entire day in isolation, only being allowed to go to the lunch hall to get something to eat and then return to isolation.
Surely this is punishment enough for defending yourself whilst pinned to the ground?

Thoughts?
Anything else I could do? Thanks

Oh my gosh - it is completely different
A home school link worker works with families who have difficulties with attendance / home life issues.
I was a member of SLT purely because I was DSL trained so on the rare occasion the head / deputy / SENDCo were busy, I may have been given a serious safeguarding issue to deal with but I was never ever involved in behaviour issues.

but you’d have had extensive Safeguarding training !!

WTF

you haven’t already checked????

if it’s no where in the behaviour policy

then it is not the “school’s policy” and this would have been the very FIRST thing i’d have raised with the school

if it is in the school’s policy…. you don’t have a leg to stand on

I took her word when she said it was in the behaviour policy that any aggression was a “ line in the sand “ and warranted a suspension.

Bearing in mind I was called at 1.30pm, on the phone for 45 minutes before having to complete the online complaints form and lengthy email before leaving at 3 to collect son.

I then had to get him home, contact the police who told me to create an online report and email the school the reference number before we headed to a&e

ok so you took her word

but now you’re checking….

it will be online and take you a minute or two

I don’t know why there’s such a need for the argumentative tone.

Yes I took her word as I was quite shocked and surprised that this had happened and very worried about my son.

I was more interested in making sure that he wasn’t going to be given a suspension for defending himself than checking the behaviour policy.

Ive posted the relevant pages I’ve now found and it’s not massively clear but certainly doesn’t say “ any aggression “ is this line in the sand for a suspension as she indicated

ok OP waiting for the policy….

because i can’t fathom this not being the very first thing you checked

you haven’t posted the relevant pages?

A school refers to being forced to suspend my son because of “school policy”

I damn well ask the school to show this documented policy immediately

Pages attached

This happened to my gentle boy too - all on CCTV. He punched the little shit who had him by the throat against a wall.

When told that any violence wasn't acceptable I asked what the PE teacher I was talking to would do if someone had him pinned up against the wall, choking him, he shuffled around and looked embarrassed. They reduced my son's punishment.

Turn out the other child was very troubled so I didn't request any further sanctions against him and he left DS and his mates alone after that.

Told my boy that if the same thing happened that he had my permission to hit again. Self defence is OK I believe.

it is VERY clear then that the school were correct to suspend him as per their policy

have you received the written “specific procedures” from the head teacher that it refers to

And the list of “defence”… why is this listed? as reasons why they would not suspend?

what is the context of this list?

Sorry the list is for “ mitigating circumstances “

The school is being totally unreasonable. If you are trapped and being hurt you do whatever you can to make it stop, or are they training the kids to withstand torture?

an you post where it says that?

Attached

Nope I’ve received absolutely nothing

Where is it clear from their policy that a child with no history of violence so it can’t come under repeated behaviour or other sanctions haven’t worked etc?

less sanctions may be applied

you haven’t received anything in writing yet. When was he suspended?

ok so at least now you have established it is school policy

because the mitigating factors don’t rule out suspension. They offer the possibility only of a “lesser sanction”

This happened yesterday.

I spoke to SLT at 1.30-2.15 and no other correspondence at all, nothing on his log system and nothing in writing

ok so i’d chase if you haven’t received on monday

key is… they are acting within school policy

I see your point, honestly, I do. But the level of violence which seems to have happened justifies intervention by the law.

Squabbles/pushing in the playground, fair enough. But pinning/restraining someone on the ground, leaving marks on the skin, that's assault.

Even if there is no formal police action - I agree it doesn't help to criminalise - but it would send a clear message to the child and parents.

I'm afraid you don't get to " insist"that suspensions are lifted. If schools allowed parents to dictate sanctions and punishments there would be a sone badly behaved kids doing whatever they liked knowing that their parents would Back them no matter what they did.

Most schools sanction both parties in an altercation but usually if it is a first offence the sanction is pretty sortve.g internal suspension for a a few lessons or social times.

This escalates for pupils involved in multiple incidents