To think this is not OK?

[SchoolTripSENDrama]

Name changed as this is outing.

Mumsnet, I need your wisdom. DC is in reception, has ASD and an EHCP. They have 1:1 support.

a school trip was organised which would have been completely unsuitable for DC. Partly due to them being such a flight risk but also, they would not have got on the school bus in the first place. I asked what the option was if DC didn’t attend the trip and was told the school had enough staff to accommodate them, so if DC didn’t go on the trip they would get slapped with an unauthorised absence. No option for them to attend school that day.

AIBU to think this is not ok or do I clearly not have a clue how schools work?

So as not to drip feed, I kept DC at home and their 1:1 support went on the trip with the rest of the class.
I was told I could have gone on the trip too but I had too work, plus I knew it would have been so stressful for everyone, especially DC and I wasn’t prepared to put them through that.

is this legit?

What was the trip ? Did you want your child to stay at school on their own ?

Nope. I thought they might have been able to stay with their 1:1 and the rest of the school.

I wouldn't accept an unauthorised absence; they essentially made it impossible for your child to attend school. What would have happened if you had taken them to school, like any other day?

@Hadalifeonce exactly. I really just want to know whether they could legally do this - so to speak.

I wouldn't accept an unauthorised absence, either! And the one-to-one should have been looking after your child, not going on a trip with the other children.

I would hit the roof.

they should have found a way to include your child be that 2:1 etc. mine all have sen and their 1:1 and or other staff were there to ensure they could join in no matter where the trip was. This was true in both mainstream and special schools that they ended up in

if not going on trip (which I think is wrong - if they are drummed for to be in mainstream they should do all the activities their class mates are doing)
THEIR 1:1 should have been available at school to be with them.

utterly unacceptable that a way to accommodate them wasn’t found and also that the child’s 1:1 was being used as general ratios on the trip.

essentially an illegal exclusion.

put a stop so such practices now - your child has a right to a full and equal education and should not be excluded from things.

as k yo see the risk assessments made for the trios and also get it in writing from the school that the child’s 1:1 was not available .

make a massive complaint to Sen governor and LA

I was thinking gees just tell the kid they have to go....then saw they have 1:1 support. So clearly there is recognition of an issue.

Personally I'd meet with the headmaster and politely point out that were being a prick. No education was being missed and it was they who were unable to allow your child into school. Next time advise you will be sending child to school (naturally you are not going to) and they will have to deal with the fall out.

Yes the school is clearly in the wrong.

My dd had a broken leg for one school trip which involved wading in streams and of course they let her stay behind. It is clearly the same situation of an inappropriate trip and not all dc can go.

The school should have let the 1:1 stay at school doing their job, completely wrong for the school to insist on your dc going.

What documentation was provided to explain how they were going to safely manage your child?

If your child would not travel by bus how would the trip even start?

You need to make the school prove they could not have take your child out for the day.

The extra staffing is there for your child s support system
So while I can understand why they did not want one child alone with an adult what is the long term plan if your child will not get on the bus?

Unless the school can prove that your child could have participated it is the school creating a situation where your child is excluded due to het extra needs.

Was the school telling you that your child should have been on the trip with the 1:1?

Did they say he couldn't go on the trip? Did they do a risk assessment?

So far all children where I work requiring 1:1s have gone on trips. This has sometimes involved taking a parent to facilitate or where we know that it is tricky (this is usually because of a difficult parent than work commitments) then an additional member of staff has also come. Parents are usually very supportive and grateful that their child has been included and that the school check what provision is available (e.g. wheelchair accessible, sensory space/quiet areas, providing social stories).
You should have been provided with a risk assessment to show how they were going to manage the flight risk.

Who stayed home with your child? Could that person not have gone on the trip?

Parents shouldn't have to attend school trips because they have a disabled dc. Nor should they need to feel grateful. Ffs.

All parents are usually grateful that trips are put on. If they aren't then parents complain they don't get to go anywhere! Organising a trip is very stressful!
Though based on posts on MN maybe schools shouldn't bother as people moan about costs so maybe they should scrap them and then the problem is solved!

Lots of parents are more than happy to volunteer to help on trips and many are willing to step in if they know that will make a difference to their child being able to go. It's usually a case of telling parents their help isn't required!

This is one of those can't win situations..school try their best but it's still wrong.

Thanks for your replies.

Just to clarify, school did not say DC couldn’t go on the trip. They said there was no option for DC to just come to school that day.

I know my DC pretty well and know that they would not have coped with this trip. It would have been distressing for them, so I wasn’t prepared to put them through that.

i didn’t go on the trip because DC would have been distressed regardless of whether I was there or not, so decided to keep them home which resulted in the unauthorised absence.

apologies if that wasn’t clear in my original post.

I think some posters have misunderstood the situation.

Your child has support in place, a 1-1 who was going to go on the trip, and the school were happy for him to go on the trip. You decided not to send him, what would that be if not an unauthorised absence?

Bloody hell, OP, I would have hit the roof.

They haven't made anticipatory adjustments when planning an all class trip, they've taken the 1-1, and then punished DC with the attendance sanction.

Worse, these are reception aged children. At this age, there is no need for a school trip to be so bespoke or niche or specialised that a child is excluded.

Notwithstanding the fact that this is possibly illegal - another poster may be able to say - but I would certainly be taking this to the HT immediately.

Dreadful.

Not really, you said you couldn’t go due to work, now you’ve said you refused to let your child go as they wouldn’t have coped. Did school feel that DC would have coped? I do think they should have been able to just attend school, or have the day off authorised, but I’m not sure they legally did anything wrong.

But it is the parent who has made the decision to not let their child go. Obviously parents can make whatever choices they want.
Did you speak to the SENDCO about your concerns? Our SENDCO has actually gone on some trips to support children. Not sure whether you had a proper meeting with them and the teacher to go through the risk assessment and discuss your concerns and for them to put what they would be providing across.

I was surprised there was absolutely no provision for them to not attend the trip but just come to school.

Have you read the OP?

The trip wasn’t unsuitable because it was “niche” or “bespoke” thus excluding a child, OP has said: “it was unsuitable partly due to them being such a flight risk but also, they would not have got on the school bus in the first place”.

So what school trip would have been suitable? Nothing that requires bus transport… which every school trip I know of does, but if not and they pick somewhere they can walk to then it’s still unsuitable because he’s a flight risk?

Presumably given there is structured support in place, including a 1-1, the school had assessed and planned for this.

He could have gone on the trip with 1:1 and you didn't want that. Fair enough but it is an unauthorised absence. Has DC done any other school trips?

Nope. In my op I said I had to work, plus I wasn’t prepared to put DC through the stress of the trip. There’s no “now I’m saying”. It’s all there in the op.