Reduced school timetable ... anyone else had to deal with this?

[NaughtyDolly]

DS1 has been having behaviour problems at school. He started school in Sept aged 4.1 and since then things have been getting steadily worse. He's rude, disruptive, aggressive and violent to his teacher and the headmaster, although he has been doing well academically.

The school have now brought in a range of professionals to help, both at home and at school. Of course, we have been fully co-operative with all of this, as we are keen to see DS do well and get on at school.

Last week we called a meeting with the headmaster as we had not actually spoken with him about DS at all. This was scheduled for Friday. On Weds we were approached by the class teacher and asked to come in to "discuss what we were going to talk about" on Friday.

We did this, and they told us that since DS's behaviour had gotten so much worse since he has been doing full days, they were considering a reduced timetable for him. The headmaster said "I think probably afternoons". We readily agreed to this.

On Friday, they had drawn up some papers with the reduced timetable on, along with three objectives that DS must meet before he is allowed to proceed to the next milestone, and more time at school.

However, far from being afternoons, the first two weeks consist of Monday, Weds and Fri 9am to 10.45. If he meets his objectives, this will increase by 15 mins, and so on. If DS meets his objectives on target, he won't return to full time school until July.

We were assured by the headmaster that this strategy had worked with other kids, so we agreed to it. They said they would send him some work to do at home that would tie in with what the class are doing, but all that came back with him in his bag were two extra reading books.

The reduced timetable started on Monday, and DS had a bad day, mainly because I made a mistake and told him we could go to the local park, take photos and put them in a scrapbook. I thought it would be a good way to get him looking at nature and writing about things and drawing pics of the things we saw.

The SENCO lady at school told me I should not have done this as it made him uncooperative at school and just want to go home. Lesson learned, I thought I will not tell him of anything we will do during his home time.

However, tonight we were visited by the home school liaison officer, who is helping us to learn new ways of managing his behaviour at home. She informed us that it is in actual fact illegal for DS to leave the house during school hours while he is on the reduced timetable!

I was amazed. No one had told us this during either meeting at the school, and it essentially means that me, DS1 and his little brother, who is 18mths, are under house arrest for all but 5 1/4 hours a week! I can't go shopping, I can't take DS2 to playgroup, I can't visit my sister, I can't even take him out for a walk when he needs some exercise.

If I had known this I would have been much more reluctant to sign off on the reduced timetable. We live in quite a small flat and having two kids alone all day, particularly one with challenging behaviour, is going to be extremely tough. I am feeling daunted and a bit depressed.

Has anyone else had this? I feel like I need a little support from someone in a similar position.

[mummytime]

If you are stopped by a "truant officer" what the heck does he think will happen?
"Excuse me Ma'am why isn't your son in school?"
"Because the school have reduced his hours to part-time because of his behaviour."
"Which school Ma'am, I'll just check."

Then we know who will get into trouble, not you the school. They can't deny they have done this, but it will also prove to outside bodies that they are not taking the correct steps to help your son. By taking your son out you are educating him, going to the shops is very educational.

The whole reason that part-time schooling like this is not a good idea is because for lots of children, especially those who are "struggling" at school, being at home is obviously much more pleasant. It is quieter, more 1 to 1 attention, more self led in their activities. You can also get all the learning done in a much shorter amount of time (just look at the HE boards for that).

[tethersend]

(Reposted from your other thread)

"I have just spoken to the headmaster, who said he didn't know whether or not it was illegal to take him out of the house during school hours, but that I should just trust the HS liaison worker."



Don't trust the HS liaison officer, I'm surprised she can find her arse in the dark with both hands.

I am an advisory teacher, and I am telling you that you can go where you like. I hope you do bump into a truanting officer- they will be very interested to know that your son is not in school due to an illegal exclusion ( which is exactly what the part time timetable seems to be).

Please don't follow their advice and make home boring in order to make school seem good; it's appalling. If they want him to enjoy school, perhaps they should offer him some enjoyable activities. They control what happens at school (and they're not doing that very well), YOU control what happens at home. Explain to them that if they refuse to educate your child, you will take him wherever you wish, particularly as he is below school age.

I would contact the LEA exclusions officer now, under the guise of asking what alternative education will be put in place when your son is not allowed to come to school. I think you will then find things move very, very quickly.

[duchesse]

Dolly, he is not even school aged yet. Don't worry. If you are stopped by a truant officer (ha!) just tell them his age and they'll leave you alone. HT is hiding behind psychologist lady. If they want you to make his life as boring as possible - to the extent of not even going to the park for pete's sake!- so that he finds school fun then that doesn't say much about the school frankly. Is there another school you can consider for him?

[akaemmafrost]

"Don't trust the HS liaison officer, I'm surprised she can find her arse in the dark with both hands."

^^ this and I couldn't have put it better myself .

[akaemmafrost]

Oh and I have a big tall 10 year old ds, who I HE as he cannot manage in school and I have never been stopped once by a truant officer do they exist? and we are out and about all day every day.

[NaughtyDolly]

Getting nowhere with Parent Partnership, seems that there is no one there. Is there any suggestions as to who else I could call?

[akaemmafrost]

Honestly? I'd be phoning the HT and the incompetent EWO to request that everything they are advising be put in writing.

[tethersend]

Have PMed you some numbers, Dolly.

[DeWe]

In all honesty I think that approach would have helped my ds settle better at school in reception. But that's because he has hearing problems, so was sturggling with the noise, and by lunch time was totally exhausted and that's when the problems usually started. So I don't think it's dreadful for the school to suggest that. My ds would have been fine on mornings only.

However suggesting that he can't go outside is ridiculous. When children started part time that wasn't the case at all, and this is no different.
Ignore her.

[tethersend]

Part time timetables are not illegal in the case you describe, DeWe; quite the opposite, they can be very a helpful tool in the (re)integration of children with medical or social needs. However, this is not how the timetable is being used here, as the child is having to 'earn back' his full time education, which is an absolute disgrace.

[Glenshee]

Breaking NEWS: Truant officer meets a 4 year old boy on the street

[Glenshee]

You can really see how it would make it to all the papers, don't you? With a follow-up next week about irresponsible mother who failed to make her child sufficiently bored at home

[mumeeee]

OP that home school liasing officer really does not know what she is talking about. It is not illegal to take a 4 year old out when he is not at school during school hours,he is not of compulsary school age. It is also not illegal for him not to be under a dentist or optition that is completly up to you and nothing to do with anyone else. He is also not to young to be diagnosed with Apergers, My friend has a 11 year old daughterwwho has Aspergers and she was under going tests for Aspergers at 3 years old. I also agre with other posters get in touch with parent partenership/ The headmaster also does not seem to know what h is talking about. A truant officer wouldn't stop a parent with a 4 year old child.

[missmummymum]

Sorry you are going through this. I am also going through this. My son started reception in September 2018. His first term was fine however since the first half term break his dad moved out and I feel like it turned his world upside down, since then he has been displaying violent behaviour and being very defiant with members of staff. They called me into several meetings and recently decided to reduce his timetable from full-time to one hour a day. The one hour a day begins at 2 and finishes at 3:15 everyday.

He has no brothers and sisters and his social life is school. When he attends for one hour a day he is not even in class he is actually having one to one time with a TA playing football, riding his scooter in the playground, playing with the school dog.

I am currently in my third year of university and working part time. I have not been able to do anything for two weeks because of this decision that was made. I appreciate it is to support my child however he is not being supported and is actually being isolated.

I really want to take him out of the school as I don't trust them with my child. But I don't know if I am being too hasty.

[MumUnderTheMoon]

Honestly I think this is madness. I'm sure there could well be some law somewhere but I can't imagine it being intended for or enforceable in your situation. Your child's school decided to reduce the hours and you have a life to live in the mean time. So he has to come with you. Just don't discuss your plans with anyone related to his education as it is frankly none of their business. If there is such a law it will be intended for use against parents who allow or encourage their child's truancy. You are making sure your child is in school at the agreed upon times so outside that it is none of their business.