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?

I’m not going to explain this to you again. There must be other threads that you can derail. Feel free to explore those.

Again? You’ve not explained it once
and there are a few posters asking exactly the same as me

You should take this further OP. See if you can get a free consultation with a solicitor that specialises in SEN (there's one in Belfast, not sure about others).

School trips are not compulsory, and the 1:1 should have stayed with your child in school.

The school are in the wrong here. Not sure what a solicitor would advise, but if you don't go down that route, I'd be making a formal complaint and involving the LA, they need to know that the school would not allow your child to attend school and that his 1:1 was sent on the trip. No way should this be an unauthorised absence. He should have been kept in school with his 1:1.

In my opinion, the school may be acting unlawfully.

Doesn’t suit her narrative I suspect!

OP doesn't really need to explain this. The school should have let her child attend school. The OP is not at fault here.

The fact you've used the word 'drama' in your user name....that you seem to be ready for a fight and complaint about staff...🥱

It's not a 'drama' school staff are just not your staff to instruct how you demand they do...

It is quite clear, I don't know why some posters are struggling to comprehend.

OP I think the school was wrong as you need to give permission for external trips, and you did not, so you should have been offered for your DS, and his 1-1, to stay at school.

School told you that wouldn't be possible. That's on them. So they shouldn't mark it as unauthorised absence.

It could even be considered an illegal exclusion given you were told he could not attend.

This is hilarious. It’s hard to know where to start with the assumptions you’ve made here. I needed a giggle though. Thank you 🙏

But it’s relevant

if she couldn’t attend the trip then there was seemingly no way her child could go then maybe there’s an argument for the school sorting alternative provision

if she could attend but chose not to, that’s different

No advice on what to do about it, but just wanted to say you did the right thing. I have a similar situation coming up (school trip with large lake and autistic child who elopes and bolts towards water/can’t swim) I will be keeping him off as I rather he miss the trip and stay alive.

OP. In future post this on SEN as you will get people who understand better.

Thank you. I was concerned about DC’s safety. Too much of a flight risk - it wasn’t worth it.

No it's not. Parents of send children are under no obligation to attend school trips with their child.

Did you actually meet though with the school properly to discuss this and to look at their staffing provision?

No but if it’s an option to allow them to go and op was able to, why choose not to?

She doesn't have to.
If she doesn't give permission for a child to go on a trip then school should place them in an alternate class for the day. And that's before you remember he has a 1-1 who should then stay with him rather than go on the trip without him.

Because, as I’ve mentioned previously, the experience of the trip would have been distressing for DC whether I was there or not. Seriously not going to explain that to you again. That was your last one. No extras.

In my opinion you should have worked with school to find a way for him to attend, at least part of it.

If school had just decided he wasn't going that would be less favourable treatment and against the Equality Act. They didn't, you did. I don't think that's ok really. How will he ever learn to manage tricky things if he isn't supported to participate, at least partly?

Flight risk, you said they had extra staffing to cover. Not getting on the bus - he's 4, he could have been supported to have got on. Maybe with headphones and an iPad and sitting on his TAs knee, for example.

The OP probably has enough on her plate with work and parenting a child with SEN that needs an EHCP. She does not also need to go on a school trip she feels is unsafe for her child. Neither does she have to solve the war in Ukraine or fix global warming.

Thank you

That wasn’t your question in your OP, you literally asked for opinions of ‘is this ok or do I not have a clue how schools work’ and now you don’t actually want peoples opinions on it and have changed to a specific question. Maybe repost in legal to see if you can get your question answered with less opinions.

Well done for a top notch patronising post
im out

👍

I am not entirely sure on this though because she is choosing to keep him off rather than the school not providing support in accommodating him in the trip. But I am no expert.
I just think it would be beneficial for all to work together if she intends on him to stay at the school where there will be plenty more trips to see if there are any trips that would work (as teachers do sometimes change what they do each year) and what could be done to manage potential risks on the trip.
It is unclear from the post how much of a discussion there was between the parents and school about meeting the child's needs.

Any parent can choose not to give permission for an offsite trip, SEN or not.
Schools should accommodate. If a school says they cannot accommodate they shouldn't be recording it as an unauthorised absence.

The OP only kept her son off because she was told they wouldn't accommodate him at school.