To not know whether the school are at fault in how they dealt with my 16 year old and 10 months old very academic but immature Autistic daughter after she acted out due to her disabilties.

[Battlehorse]

DD is an extremely bright 16 year old who obtained 9 grade 9 s at GCSE this year. However, despite being academically very able feel is emotionally immature for Sixth Form. This in no small part due to her autism, meaning at times she can exhibit emotional outbursts that can not be predicted or mitigated for.

The school my daughter attends is a girls grammar school which highlights achievements of its pupils in magazines, newsletters and in the local media . This meaning in August, the school took the obligatory pictures of their high attaining pupils getting their GCSE results and putting the pictures in the September/ October newsletter.

DD who is very unsure of herself or her self worth, viewed the newsletter online.
This caused her huge emotional distress which led to her swearing at the head of Sixth form and running out of school in a state of anguish. The school have told her to stay home until Thursday. DD called me on her phone outside the school premises to pick her up today.

I can't help thinking the school in printing her name and picture and encouraging her to take 4 A Levels have not taken in to account her learning disabilities. This totally against my wishes for her that she takes no more than 3 A Levels and also be allowed three years for her Sixth Form study.

The school have been aware of her Autism diagnosis since she was 13. However, due to her high academic ability she does not have an EHCP, though the school previously have acknowledged they have a duty of care. This being the reason why a unofficial two day stay at home notice has been given, rather than as a potential suspension sanction against her.

Autism isn’t a learning disability. What have the school said when you’ve met with them to discuss support planning for your daughter? It sounds as though they’ve been reasonable giving her two days to decompress at home, being clear that this isn’t a suspension

Have you or she given consent to the school to use her photograph?

Permission is often given on entry to the school. If you have given permission, then nothing has been breached.

If you haven't, then follow the school complaints and concerns policy, available on the school website. This usually starts with a discussion with class teacher, then headteacher and on to governors.

The OP didn’t say it was a learning disability, it is not uncommon for autistic girls to present very young socially, my DD is the same. It’s so badly understood in some schools though. Would you say your DD’s school understands her, OP?

The OP literally said it was a learning disability

Yes, the OP did

Might want to give it another read

You've literally said her outbursts can't be predicted.

I really don't see what they have done wrong.

3 years for A level study is logistically impossible timetable wise unless she re sits a year.

Assuming that the publication of the photos of high attaining pupils happens each year, did you request that your daughter not be included because it causes her distress?

Was there discussion about the number of A levels prior to the course start and what’s the reason for wanting three 6th form years?

Schools have a duty of care to all of their pupils. You can request an EHCNA yourself, if the school don’t feel they have the evidence. I think a day at home is helpful and a meeting on her return, to discuss the issues you’ve raised and plan for triggers that may occur in the future, makes expectations clear.

You cannot request a 2 year course is taught over 3 years for one child - it's called reasonable adjustments for a reason, that's not reasonable. Did you state you don't want her picture included? If not how were they meant to know, after all she could have exploded for not being included too.

Autism isn't a pass for bad behaviour either, my dd is very able and autistic and she would be grounded by me too for behaviour like that.

I would consider whether this is the right environment, dd did better socially in college as she found her tribe.

Do you think any of the staff at the school deserve to be sworn at?
I don't see how publishing a picture, assuming you have agreed to photo consent, would be considered a potential issue.
She needs to apologize to the member of staff when she returns to school. And you need to consider removing photo consent.

3 year a levels is unrealistic. Fine to discuss reducing down to 3, but not spread over 3 years.

Autism certainly doesn't excuse swearing at a teacher & she can quite rightly expect consequences for that behaviour. It's reasonable for her to disagree with the schools newsletter & she should have raised that in an appropriate way.

It doesn't sound like the right environment for her. Are there sixth form or further education colleges locally that would be able to offer her course over the extended period she's requested. They would likely give her more flexibility & less pressure.

She does have additional needs but that's not the same as a learning disability & actually swearing at teachers & running out of school would not be tolerated even in a much younger child with learning disabilities.

Should the teacher just accept being sworn at?

Do you get sworn at at work and expected to accept it due to disabilities?

How would it be worked to be taught over 3 years?

I’m confused. What do you think the school has done that’s wrong?

Will you be encouraging your daughter to apologise? Maybe she can spend then next couple of days writing an apology and maybe a small token gift for the head of 6th form.

Also, if she did well in her GCSEs why don’t you feel she can cope with doing A-Levels in the normal timeframe?

Doing a levels over 3 years isn't that uncommon! Although probably more common at times colleges many schools do offer it.

I've never heard of anywhere doing 3 years for A level intentionally. Only when needing to resit a year or change options. Or starting with a foundation year but this doesn't tend to be A level courses.

@Sickday444 burnout and overwhelm in autistic teen girls is very common. The change between GCSEs and Alevels can be hugely stressful. The change in expectations, relationships with teachers, managing own time etc are all new.

I excelled in my GCSEs but completely failed my Alevels as I couldn't cope and my strategies I used for GCSE didn't work.

@MultiplaLight so because you haven't heard of it it doesn't exist? 🤔

Moving from Y11 to 6th form can be an enormous leap, in my experience. Students are expected to be far more independent than previously. Take more responsibility for their learning and their decisions.

It's difficult that your DD isn't yet ready for this adjustment. I understand how this has distressed her. However I don't see how school have been at fault.

Presumably you've given permission for her photo to be used, possibly back in Y7.

It's your DD's decision to take 4 ALevels. If you felt it was a bad idea, could you have spoken with the school to suggest it wouldn't be wise?

Surely you appreciate that your DD was asked to stay at home for a good reason? She behaved terribly. The teacher didn't deserve to be shouted and sworn at. Your DD needs to learn how to manage her emotions better. And the school haven't put it down as a suspension, which is surely a good thing.

Perhaps you could ask for a meeting with the school to review your DD's needs and how school can help meet them.

I don't see what the school have done.

They presumably had permission for the photo to go in the newsletter.

It's not up to you how many A levels she does. That's a decision for your dd and the school.

They can't teach three or four A levels over three years instead of two. It's not practical.

She's been suspended due to her behaviour.

At her age, she needs to learn either to control herself or to accept that there will be consequences if she can't. The school hasn't officially suspended her, so that is a reasonable adjustment.
Usually the post-exam photos of high achieving pupils aren't photos the school has on file, they are taken on results day. If your daughter didn't want to be in the photo, she should have declined and that should have been respected.
If she doesn't want to do 4 A levels, she doesn't have to. The school can't make her. Help her to speak up for herself.

1. Staff have the right to not have students swear at them. Autism isn't a free pass to be verbally aggressive to others

2. Presumably your daughter wants to do 4 A levels. If she's expressed that wish and is supported in it by her teachers then that's her choice not yours

3. as already explained, the logistics of doing A levels over 3 years is impossible in a regular school. Do you expect 1:1 teaching, adapting 2 years of content into 3 years? Because for a very able student, just repeating a year would be pointless and probably dull.

4. the photo thing is simple- if you gave consent then the school have done nothing wrong.

I've worked in 4 sixth forms and 2 colleges. Hardly inexperienced and never seen it as a routine arrangement, only in response to resit needs.

Where offers it as standard?

You need to check the school photo policy - that's on you if you've agreed to it at some point. A levels in 3 years? Nope. You need to ask for a meeting before she goes back to discuss her needs, preferably with the SENDco.

I think it wholly depends on whether you’ve given photo consent or not. If not, you have grounds for complaint that photos were published without permission; if you have given photo consent at some point, then the school have done nothing unreasonable - it’s common to publicly celebrate high achievers (would she have preferred to be overlooked/not mentioned?). The school sound like they’ve been pretty reasonable in their response to her outburst. Being autistic isn’t an excuse for swearing at a teacher (I’m autistic, as is one of my children) - she might not have control over her emotions, but she does have control over her language and I’d be having some serious talks about appropriate language and treating people with respect.