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School are being a nightmare

12 replies

kezigy · 04/04/2011 04:45

My son started high school in september and is now in the process of being diagnosed and statemented...apparently had high function autism/aspergers and adhd. At home and out of school he is generally fine. If he is stressed, big routine changes etc his behaviour deteriorates and he hides things and steals.
In school he hums and sings, loses concentration and drives his teachers mad. He finds it hard to organise and leaves a trail of pens, calculator etc (that I regularly replace). He is academically bright though.

I have been to several meetings at school about his behaviour but after things are agreed in these meetings they dont happen. School just forget or even decide not to. He is under the microscope now and every thing he does is noticed while kids doing similar go unpunished.

School ring me at work about things. I have asked they dont unless it is an emergency as I can not take calls in work. They called me as it was "a health and safety emergency,the sole of his shoe was coming away from the upper. could I collect him immediately" after refusing to get him as I was in work, they eventually suggested he could have it glued to get through the day!

Another time they rang saying he had been badly behaved and left school. A staff member had seen him leave. They had no idea where he was. I left work and at school was given no further information by a secretary who then shut the window to terminate the conversation. I was left in bits trying to work out what to do. About to ring the police, my son arrived with year head...turns out he had had a great afternoon with her, and not been out of school at all- never mind having been bad and run out!

On the other side although he has a get out of class pass, meaning he can leave a class if he feels the need, they refused several times to let him leave a classroom, causing him to soil himself! Not only did they not ring me to get him then, he was offered no clean/dry clothing and washed his pants and trousers as best he could and was left in wet faeces-smelling clothes until the end of school!

I am starting to think they are being really unfair to him, and to me (I have twice had to leave jobs because of the volume of calls I get from them being seen as "unprofessional". They arent doing the things agreed to support him, and punish him for doing the things they know he struggles with. They ring about petty things but dont ring when it would be obvious to.

Are they just making mistakes? Or am I being over sensitive that they could be trying to push him out/make life so difficult that I take him out? They talk down to me when I go in, misrepresent things I say ( I now take a witness to meetings) and seem very focussed on getting funding for him. Is it cynical that I am starting to think they have a vested interest in him appearing unmanagable as they can get money then?

Interesting that out side of school his behaviour is generally such that he attracts praise!

I am in the process of putting these things in writing to the school

OP posts:
candleshoe · 04/04/2011 20:58

Your situation sounds dreadful. I'm sure someone with sensible advice will be along soon.

candleshoe · 05/04/2011 10:25

Bumping for you kezigy

candleshoe · 05/04/2011 10:50

and bumping again - please someone give some sound advice to the OP

AliSheedy · 05/04/2011 10:53

How far along the sdiagnosis road are you?

Are you or the school trying for a statement for him?

Do you know if he is on 'school action/plus'? W=Does he have an IEP? What is in it?

The school sound atrocious.

There is an organisation called IPSEA that can offer you free advice on all of this. Takes a while to get through on the phoneline, but worth it.

MollieO · 05/04/2011 11:07

I would repost this in the SN section where you will get advice of people who have been through it. I can't believe they phoned you to collect you because of school shoes - surely he could have put on his trainers from his sports kit. Although that sounds to be the least of your worries. I would be furious if I had a meeting with my ds's SENCO and then she decided not to do shat was agreed in the meeting.

kezigy · 05/04/2011 21:18

Hi
Im new to this.
I have reposted to special needs but no replies.
He didnt have PE that day so couldnt just change his shoes, but I find it hard to believe it was an "emergency".
The day he soiled himself...it was later explained to me the reason was "he had had curry for lunch". Im mixed race but send him with sandwiches. He does not eat curry or any spicey food. School claim he gave that as the reason. He tells me the teacher suggested it and he just agreed to get out of the embarrassing conversation.
Oversensitive??

OP posts:
MollieO · 05/04/2011 21:58

How far up have you gone? If you haven't involved the head then I'd write to them setting out your concerns and ask for a meeting to agree what is going to happen.

onceamai · 06/04/2011 06:31

How old is he - if he's just gone to high school and is as bad as your post describes why wasn't he diagnosed and statemented at primary school?

kezigy · 06/04/2011 08:23

Primary school were unsupportive and basically said he was just "naughty".
Hes 11 started high school september and within weeks high school were unhappy with him. I suspect they resent me for sending an unstatemented child with needs.
I am writing to the head and govenors.

OP posts:
mummasita · 06/04/2011 12:19

OP so sorry your having so much trouble with your son. It sounds like your'e doing all you can with very little support. I hope things work out for the best and that your lad gets the help he's craving for.

inspireddance · 06/04/2011 20:17

OP could you give the school a number for someone close to you who does not work/have a job that prevents phone calls and ask them to vet school calls for you. If they are urgent then they can contact you, if not the other person can fob the school off.

As for the toilet pass, does he have a physical card as such and does he show it to the teacher? I only ask, as as a new teacher I often find that I'm not told which students have permission to leave class and only find out when they wave the pass at me, quite a few of them don't show the pass though and so I'm never sure if they have one or not. If there is no physical pass, talk to the school and get one, if there is check he's showing it, and if he is then write/call the school to complain.

cornsilkily · 06/04/2011 23:10

this is just awful. Who has asked for the statement - you or the school?
Have you seen parent partnership yet?

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