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Original poster

is it OK for the school to suspend dd and not notify me?

295 replies

NigellasDealer · 04/07/2014 09:03

well OK they sent me an email at 3,25pm to tell me that she was being suspended for a day, the next day, 'paperwork to follow'.
is that actually OK?

OP posts:
70hours · 04/07/2014 09:26

You are assuming really tired that the school didn't try and do that - we don't know if they did or didn't - having works in a schoo, where parents do t update contact numbers etc there are times when schoo, tries to call but to no avail - at the end of the day if you don't like the school you can always change !

70hours · 04/07/2014 09:27

Whatever Nigellas - by your own admission your daughter CHOSE to walk out of an internal exclusion. - her choice, her actions, her consequence !

Original poster
NigellasDealer · 04/07/2014 09:28

no she cannot just change school 70 hours - fgs I am just saying one thing about lack of communication and you are going on about what a crap parent I am and that dd should change school!!

OP posts:
Original poster
NigellasDealer · 04/07/2014 09:31

and i am not arguing about the suspension am I?

OP posts:
ReallyTired · 04/07/2014 09:34

NigellasDealer
Ignore 70hours she is talking out of her arse. There are plenty of people who think because they got a support job in a school they know every thing about education.

I assume the school must have attempted to make telephone contact when NigellasDealer daughter got the detention in the first place. Certainly telephone contact should have been made NigellasDealer missed the detention and was put in internal isolation. Even if it was impossible to make telephone contact then surely its possible for the school to write an email asking the OP to telephone the school or give her contact details long before issues got so far that the OP needed to be suspended. Shock! Horror! the OP daughter might have even been able to give a contact number if asked nicely. (Depending how stroppy she was being)

I feel that communication between the OP and the school is piss poor.

Original poster
NigellasDealer · 04/07/2014 09:37

thank you reallytired - the situation is exacerbated by living in deep country 15 miles from the school.

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 04/07/2014 09:41

I don't think that being concerned about the late notice is remotely unreasonable.

Yes, the behaviour and wider issues need tackling.

But OP was asking if schools need to inform parents a pout suspensions of 15 year olds.

And yes they should.

And suspension the next day (essentially without notice) is unsatisfactory too. A child already in that level of trouble needs adequate care during the time out of school (especially if they are likey to leave the house if left alone). Parents cannot necessarily arrange it on a few hours notice.

Good schools work with parents (or at least make every effort to do so). This sort of action is an example of not working with parents at all.

70hours · 04/07/2014 09:42

Ok Nigellas - what I would do is ask to see a copy of the schools behaviour or exclusion policy - that should detail the clear steps the school must take. if these were not done - write a letter to the chair of governors referencing said policy and detailing your concerns !

ReallyTired · 04/07/2014 09:43

NigellasDealer

The situation gets worse and worse! The school has a duty of care towards a child who is suspended however vile they have been. What would have happend if your email had been down for some reason? Would they have turned away your daughter if she had turned up to school?

I feel you need to make appointment with the head teacher to discuss the way the suspension was handled. If you get fobbed off then complain to the govenors.

CinnabarRed · 04/07/2014 09:43

I'm with ReallyTired - I would have expected more than an email under those circumstances - a call at the very least. (I assume they do have up to date numbers for you, OP?)

defineme · 04/07/2014 09:43

I agree with reallytired - very poor communication. When ds's school (secondary) have tried and failed to contact me (was out without phone) I had missed calls on landline and mobile, email and they contacted dh at work -I imagine the next step would have been to contact my mother who is the other contact they have. This would be the same at the school where I work.
A strict school is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be very hard for some students.. I would talk to your dd about trying to focus on what she needs to get out of school and trying to fly under the radar because walking out of an internal exclusion is really not the way to get noticed.

schoolnurse · 04/07/2014 09:50

I'm stunned that the school didn't call you at the very least or even better call you in for a meeting with a senior member of staff to discuss the situation. At my school we always do. Surely they should have called you when she missed the detention.
The school does have a duty of care and it is unreasonable to assume that all parents are sitting checking their email every minute of the day, I frequently don't check mine for 24 hours especially if I'm working a long shift and am busy. I would complain.

starfishmummy · 04/07/2014 09:57

I don't think an email is an acceptable way of notifying a parent.

Original poster
NigellasDealer · 04/07/2014 09:59

no i dont think it was either starfish - esp as I was offline til this morning.
I do have a phone but the reception where we live is v poor (as the school well knows) yes we live in the middle of nowhere.

OP posts:
Spinaroo · 04/07/2014 10:01

The school should telephone and if parent in available the child sent home with a letter. If it was 3.25 and your daughter had a school bus to catch they may have been unable to organise that in time. They will be doing the paperwork today. Is it normal practice for you to go to school with your daughter on her return for a meeting with year head? Perhaps call the school today and they wi be se to clarify.

defineme · 04/07/2014 10:06

So there is no way of the school contacting you?

In that case I'm not sure what they can do, bar postponing the suspension until they've posted you a letter, but these things are supposed to be immediate.

How would they get hold of you in an emergency?

ReallyTired · 04/07/2014 10:09

"How would they get hold of you in an emergency?"

I suppose that in an extreme emergency (ie. life and death) someone would drive over in person to see a parent.

TalkinPeace · 04/07/2014 16:14

The rules for an exclusion are that the school has to contact the parent - by letter, phone, email or text - by the end of the day on which the decision has been made.
They are not required to tell you during the day.
They will make sure that you know in good time to keep your child home the following day.
They will then have a 'reintroduction meeting' at the end of the exclusion.

SirChenjin · 04/07/2014 16:19

I have teens. Whilst neither has been suspended, DS1 has had after school detention . The school notified me by phone by the end of the day and he told me himself when he arrived home to face my wrath

Is a mobile with bad reception the only way that you can be contacted by the school and outside world in general?

BoneyBackJefferson · 04/07/2014 18:43

why complain at the school when the communication issue is of your making?

What would you expect them to do?

BeerTricksPotter · 04/07/2014 18:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EvilTwins · 04/07/2014 21:56

Not sure what you expect the school to do - not their fault that your email was down and that you have poor reception where you live.

Original poster
NigellasDealer · 05/07/2014 10:49

no obviously it is not 'their fault' - but in view of the area, the school are well aware that many of us parents have communication issues.
yes sirchejin, we did have a landline for a while but the bill was horrendous.
no beertricks in general the dd is vg at school, in fact on the same day as the suspension i actually had a handwritten note from a new teacher telling me what a pleasure my dd was to teach!! Confused

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 05/07/2014 11:36

So in light of the fact that you no longer have a landline and your mobile reception is poor - what would you like them to do, and have you communicated that to them?

Original poster
NigellasDealer · 05/07/2014 11:47

oh nothing really - it is all done now anyway sirchenjin - i was just a bit pissed off at the start.......
there were four of them that walked out of the 'isolation room' (it doesnt take much to be sent there tbh) - one of them was crying her eyes out when they were then excluded for fear of what her 'primary carer' would do to her...Hmm
sod that...

OP posts:
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