School won’t/can’t do anything about SEN child causing distress

[Rantypanties]

I had a phone call from my child’s primary school stating that the SEN child in their class touched them & another child ‘over their clothes in their private area’. This is the 3rd incident of this nature happen in the class (first 2 were ‘tickling in that area’) and the 4th time something serious has happened that has involved him being sent home. It’s never witnessed by the teachers or his 121 assistant (but bullying at the school never seems to be so it’s not just this child).

The child is a lot taller and bigger than the children and although they’ve grown up with him for the past 3 years and they’ve all muddled along with no problems, there are now occasions where children have been scared of him chasing them/hitting out and shouting in class.

He has got a place at a local SEN school but apparently the LA won’t fund the transport for the 26 mile round trip so he can’t go according to his mum (they can’t afford the petrol and the dad’s banned from driving).

So my question is what can we do with a reluctant school? Can we, as parents, put the pressure on the LA to get his transport fully funded so this child can get the best out of his schooling and move to a school more suited to his needs. The school are keen to downplay the incident and I’ve seen the child is back in school today so I’m not sure what lesson has been learnt here, but they obviously cannot cope if he’s being left long enough to touch other children inappropriately and scare children into not wanting to play outside because he’s out there.

Just looking for advice because it seems to me this is escalating and something needs to be done for the safety of all of children in the class.

Not quite the point of the thread but I would be reporting the father for driving without a license/tax etc. I wouldn't want someone like that on a road where I live and being a potential danger to me and my kids.

I would not be accepting this answer from the school - if my kid was assaulted multiple times I would fight to ensure that my kid did not have to put up with seeing their attacker everyday. Putting the needs of that kid above multiple others who are assaulted is not right (SEN or not).

A million percent this.

If the issue in this thread is the LA not providing transport which is apparently breaking the law, remove the kid who is violent until his parents have sorted this. Their right to education doesn’t trump other kids’ right to be safe from violence.

If it were me, and the child wasn’t removed, I’d call the police every single time they raised a hand or touched my kid inappropriately. I’d have the cops at the school 5 days a week if required. No school on the planet wants it. So I’d force their hand as much as possible.

If anyone touches my child inappropriately, I wouldn’t hesitate.

It's the school and the LA you need to direct your anger
Wether you like it or not every child is entitled to an education it's not about trumping right ,s ,s rhe LA and the school need to work together to ensure everyone is safe
And no the child shouldn't miss out on his education because the school and LA are failing in their duty of care.

Yes every child has a right to education, but in this case the immediate danger to children needs to be prioritised. The child doing the sexual abuse should no way be allowed in a class around other children until it is absolutely certain it won't happen again. Sexual abuse is sexual abuse, no matter who is doing it, what SEN they have or what the LA is or isn't doing. Sexual abuse needs to be taken seriously and the person removed from contact with other children until safe. The abused children shouldn't be in a classroom with their abuser. This take priority here, not some dispute with the LA.

I completely agree with those points. You’re right on all of them. My issue is that if the school/LA/parents aren’t finding a way to keep every child safe, I wouldn’t think twice about taking every measure possible to keep my child from harm.

I’d assume that sorting issues with a LA is not a quick and simple process in cases like this, and if it came to a situation where I was expected to give it time to resolve whilst my child is at risk, I wouldn’t be prepared to do that.

I'm not disagreeing so the obvious solution would be for the LA to pull it's finger out ASAP and fund the special school and transport so the disabled child gets their statutory right to an education wouldn't it
If they can't do that then they need to find away of keeping all the children safe however much that costs them
Not just ignore the problem.

"I’d have the cops at the school 5 days a week if required."

The cops won't attend the school for this. It will be passed on for the LA and social care to deal with.

Course they wouldn’t. 🙄

These threads always slowly begin to point the finger and try and blame the parents 🙄

This would all be sorted if the child just got transport funded (I don’t understand why they’re not) or if there were actually more special needs which are desperately needed, and so many children only have the choice of schools miles away.

Who the hell said that?! 😂 In that case, we need to call the police everytime there is an incident in a nursery.

Then these posters who write idiotic stuff can then complain about police not fighting 'real crime'.

Yes it would be, your not wrong, but if they don't then the immediate action needs to be to remove the child doing the SA from the classroom. Then the LA issue can be sorted, ASAP isn't good enough if that is tomorrow or next week. The immediate danger of the SA and the needs of the abused children need to prioritised first above that.

That’s a fucking spectacular comparison you’ve made with the nursery there. It’s definitely the same thing as a toddler scratching another toddler. Well done 👏

Is your kid being groped by another kid not a real crime nah? “Sorry, DD, when you were 8 and that boy was grabbing your vagina at school I didn’t do anything because I thought it wasn’t really that bad. The police are busy with real crimes. Hope you understand.”

These parents have taken entirely reasonable steps to get their child a place in a specialist school. Why do you have "zero sympathy" when the reason their child is not there is because the council is choosing to break the law?

Surely in the league table of rights, the one that comes out bottom of the heap is the LA? Why should the child be deprived of education when the issue could easily be sorted by the LA complying with its statutory duties?

Good advice to get it logged. But can she go to the police as her child has essentially been sexually assaulted at the school.

There should be recourse above a schools complaint procedure?

Actually the LA could sort it out overnight. Alternatively the school could refer the parents to sources of help such as SOS SEN or SENTAS, and in the meantime could take appropriate safeguarding steps within school.

Why do they have to be removed? The likelihood is that other children could be protected by adequate one to one care from someone who keeps the child busy and occupied and moves them away if they invade other children's personal space. I know all about how that is difficult for the school, but they would have to provide it anyway if they took the child out of the class, and it would presumably only be temporary. Frankly if I were SENCo there I would be on the phone to the LA twice a day to push them to resolve this.

But we are told this child has the understanding of a 2 year old. Unsurprisingly, 2 year olds are deemed to be incapable of forming the necessary intent to commit a crime. What do you think the police can do about it?

I'm not anymore! I'm living in Spain had to retire through health. However my mainstream kids gave me a mug...worlds best bus driver 😁 so you would want us to just let the SN kids bully eachother without doing anything...😳

I think the 2 year old comparison was most likely a throwaway comment from their Mum.

They’ve presumably been in mainstream schooling for the last few years so I don’t think we’re talking about someone with a literal 2 year old’s understanding level.

As a general point RE the transport, what sort of reasons do a LA give for not providing it?

Several posters are of the opinion that this is law (which sounds right), so does anyone have insight as to what kind of reasons they decline people for?

You would hope not ,my 14 year old is cognitively around 2/3 and has always been in a special school
But unfortunately provision around the UK is very variable
So it's possible there are some children with significant learning disabilities who are in mainstream when they really shouldn't be.

Taken completely out of context there. It is a child who most likely doesn't understand the consequence of their actions. If they are being offered places at specialist school they are probably very disabled and don't understand social rules. Remind me of your expertise on neuro-developmental disorders please? It is not the same as being assaulted by an adult with intent. It's obvious. What needs to be done here is the council fulfilling their legal obligations and the school coming up with a plan. What do you want to happen? They throw a disabled child in jail? Yeah that works well doesn't it? 😂

I honestly despair at people who make these comments and can't be bothered to understand the issues in the system and how hard it is for parents and schools. There are plenty of articles online if you want/can be bothered to read them.

Regardless of what the parents are like there is a child who is not being looked after in the school and is not getting the right education. The school and LA should be doing more.

I think the worst thing on this thread is not the horrible ignorant comments about disabled children and their carers, but the fact that some people are almost enjoying the prospect and speculating about this vulnerable child being SA at home. Some sick people on here.

MN should be directing these sorts of threads to the SN boards where people can actually be advised properly, instead of this being dived on by weirdos. There are some great people on those boards who know the system and can help the OP help the family.

My son function at around 1 years old and is 6. We started the process of getting an EHCP and SS place when he was 3. Still spent a year in mainstream. 42 weeks for EHCP, then special school not named and a tribunal. He would have also spent year 1 there too if we hadn't got the tribunal date brought forward.

This is why threads like these piss me off as you have people reading shitty b0t posts and ill informed crap online and then making judgements about disabilities and systems they know fuck all about.

You say it’s not the same as an adult with intent - but it might garner the same feelings in the victims regardless of intent? No child show be exposed to sexual assault regardless.

The OP said he already has 121 support - where were they when these 4 incidents took place? The school needs to review their risk assessment and safe guarding for all the children involved.