head teacher sacked my child..need advice possibly legal advice

[errdunno]

I had a meeting with the head of my childs school to talk about the next year teacher.
I asked lots of questions about that new teacher and the head didnt want to answer any of those questions and had no qualms saying so.
I told her why we were so concerned, why we were to accept,again,for the third year in a row,an NQT,very young,and who had previously applied for a full time position at the school and had been turned down but we were being asked to accept her as a temporary teacher.

That meeting fell apart and we pretty much hated each other!
But all that is by the by because the next day..the last day of term..the head walked in to my childs class and inexplicably asked him to stand up and then announced to his schoolmates that he was leaving the school and could everyone wish him goodbye.?

He is/was stunned and in tears for weeks,and refused to go back to the same school..I coulnt talk to the school or govenors about it-they were on holiday!
so I moved him to a private school that we are vvv happy with.
I have since complained to the school Lea and the govenors but there has been total silence from all of them.
Thing is.I feel this woman is clearly out of control and needs to explain what she did.
I feel so bad for my other half who now has to pay for a private school as there was no room at any other school locally.
Could I sue the school? it is afer all constructive dissmissal?
What do you think?

Well, MB- I don't think any formal exclusion has happened has it?

It couldn't possibly have happened.

The child wasn't excluded he was removed.

The constructive dismissal thing and 'compnsation' seeking is crazy

Can I just say how vile a lot of you are being here. I've read most of the thread and I know it all sounds unusual, but what if what the OP says is true? Think about it, if someone posted on here that they'd heard their dc was going to be taught by someone temporary I think a lot of people would suggest getting some reassurance from the school. This is what the op did, she wasn't happy with the response from the HT and it sounds like they clashed - this is allowed you know. Let's assume that there was no threat to remove her ds (because she has said this repeatedly) the HT then told everyone he was moving. He is 9 and didn't know what on earth to do, so went along with it - it was his HT and children are taught to respect authority.

She tried to make contact with the school immediately, but was fobbed off. Toward the end of the school hols, she took her ds's response into account and decided to find him an alternative school. At this point she realised that the local schools didn't have a place and because she can afford it (none of our business btw) she found a fee paying school for him.

So, why are you all getting so personal making comments about her state of mind and now her choice of words and her background. Perhaps you could try to see the good in people and not assume everyone is a troll. I really think some of you are being mean.

Well said Catmandu. I feel the OP has been excessively attacked. Yes, the story sounds incredible, but wierder HTs have been known.

What choccyp1g and catmandu said.

is this a bit of the mumsnet welcome then?
Can I just draw all back to the matter in hand please rather than yous all speculating on my origins? should that make a differnce at all?
Sorry im so in-articulate actually Im speaking from the heart and the matter as described
as said.. isnt this a sad inditment on the fact that you all are pre-pared to admitt that I should take any treatment from a head teacher cos she is a head teacher...whaa?
are you all jus doffin yer caps then.. an sayin I should let her do this?
Is there anyone sensible out there?
I was asking if anyone had any experince of complaints about a school and how to go about a meeting with the HT and the govenors and had they any pointers about how that I should go about a meeting like this?and if they had could they advise and thanks to those people that did advise...
Its apparent and clear that pleanty of people like to entertain themselves after a drop and come on here an bash people,racially too..... also to all get behind the idea that Im ill is just..well horrible and Im sure the original person that posted this is now horrified that this convo should turn this way...she had a right to ask,ask she did,but not in an accusing way...still like Kerry Katona tho if yer dont mind a preference?!

"racially too."racially too.

Martianbishop
I did remove him theres no doubt but can I stress AFTER he was told he was leaving...
hes 9!!!!
is everyone missing that!
IM NOT SEEKING COMPENSATION_AN APOLOGY WILL DO!

put it to bed,
this thread
and yourself...
i dont think you are going to get any further constructive advice on here.
you can try the legal route, or you can put it down to a bad experience and look after your son.

don't see why people find it so hard to accept that you wouldn't send your son back to a school where the head clearly didn't want him. I would probbly have taken my child away too, wouldn't have seen that I had any choice as she'd have made his life hell if he went back. You could have gone to appeal for another school but if you're working you probably needed something sorted quickly. Nor do I see why you should allow a mad woman to get away without a complaint. Yes it's easier for all concerned if you just move on but then she may carry on this way.

Unfortunately you probably won't get anywhere as they will all close ranks. So all you can do is record what happened, tell your son this woman is a lunatic and he's well off away from the school and move on. It is a terrible way to treat a child but he will recover as long as you are quite explicit that it is not his fault.

think your right slartybartfast..
kerrys on soon and I dont want to miss new boob job or husband!!

Many thanks to those who dont think its ok to aquiesse to the fact that she is a head teacher and i am
1)
from the emerald
2)
ill
3)
embellishing the story
4)
in-articulate

or heaven forbid

wanting advice from whom I thought to be articulate people with parental concerns..

i believe you errdunno

fwiw (and I have no real opinion on the story itself)to the person who doubted a 9 yr old would go along with being removed from the classroom - my 9 yr old DD would do whatever her headmistress told her, she respects her authority.

I removed my DS from the pre-school of a private pre-prep because the HT made it clear he wasn't welcome (he has SN) and there is no way on this earth I would have sent him back even though I was well within my rights to do so - I just found him a different pre-prep where he is a valued pupil despite/because of his challenges. I can see exactly why the Op wouldn't want to fight to keep him there.

On the other hand, I think going in to see the HT about NQT (generally fab and enthusiastic) and NCT shows an unusual overinvolvement - particularly (from what you have said re childminders and not seeing your DS until 8pm) as you seem to work full time/long hours.

My only advice for any meeting would be to take a list of points to the meeting with you as otherwise you may forget half of what you want to say.

Stay calm and polite at all times.

Take someone with you.

Make notes of what they say.

Hi errdunno

Just read your post (after mine a few days ago!)

If you didn't write to the school removing him from the role, then could it be that your son's new school requested his file - therefore putting the process in motion?

Could the new school have rung the old school before the Head made her announcement to the class?

Just trying to make sense of it!

If this wasn't the case and the Head in fact instigated the removal, then I'm not saying that you should necessarily let the school get away with this. However, I do feel that you need to consider whether this was the right environment for your son. If you're happy with his new school, and his old school were prepared to behave in this way, then I'd see it as a lucky escape and wouldn't waste any more energy on them!

Just caught up with this post and haven't read the full thread. Firstly it is a big financial commitment to change from state to private so something must have happened for you to make this type of decision. Exactly what seems harder to fathom.

If the scenario you describe had happened to my ds and I couldn't contact anyone by email or phone I would have sent a registered letter. There must be a complaints procedure and within that a time frame for dealing with the complaint. Have you followed that?

From other comments you make about the head it sounds as if something more has been going on. You appear to be unhappy with the head in general. If you weren't then your description would be different and you would have supported the temporary appointment of the NQT. It may be that the head was unsure about the NQT as a permanent hire but wanted to give her an opportunity to show what she could do. Temporary staff are of course much easier to dismiss than a permanent member of staff. This decision makes sense to me but if you have other concerns about the head's leadership of the school then your opinion will of course be different.

I am not sure what you have to gain in pursuing your complaint since your son is now happy in his new school. You need to support your son in his new school and rebuild his confidence. You also need to reassure him that this upheaval has nothing to do with him (if the scenario in your OP is completely as it happened and there is no background that you have chosen not to detail). He sounds as if he is getting on well and making friends so be happy and move on as best as you are able.

This story doesn't make any sense at all to me. Im not sure if anyone remembers my story going back a year regarding my son?!

We decided after 2 years of bullying and no support from the teacher, head, governors or lea, to remove him from his state school.

We are based in East Sussex so things may be done differently but to remove him from the schools register (roll) we had to write a letter of our intention to remove him to the Head of the school and the Governors. You cannot 'sack' a child from a school just like that!

I now work in a secondary school and it takes many forms, meetings etc etc to permanently exclude a child from school, it just cannot be done on the whim of a head teacher.

My son is 9 and would most certainly have told the Head in your scenario that he was NOT leaving the school and they had got it wrong.

Plus why on earth did your child have an autograph book at school for messages/autographs? on the day that the announcement was made if he is only in year 5? he was not leaving then?

CGM

CowsgoMoo

I don't think errdunno is saying that her son was excluded from the school; rather that the Head presented his leaving the school as a fait accompli by announcing his departure to the class, without her prior agreement.

I didn't see mention of the autograph book, but haven't been able to read through all of the posts. However, could perhaps the teacher have suggested the book subsequent to the Head's announcement? I don't know.

I expect the private school wrote requesting records etc hence why your son is no longer registered at his previous school.
I find it very strange that on teh word of rumours and a nine year old you enrolled your son at a new school

Tbh I also find it very strange that you went to see the head in the first place to disucss something you'd heard as rumours and which was absolutely none of your business.

I don't believe you.

the autograph book was the childs that the children leaving year 6 had signed for him as is common in a lot of school.

The op was concerned that yet another NQT was was teaching her child and this NQT had previously been turned down before for a position in school.

She claims she had made no reference to her child leaving school but the head told him he was leaving school and had everyone wish him goodbye.

The op tried to contact school bearing in mind it ws the summer holidays and the lea advised her to speak to the head who was away for 4 weeks after many emails calls and letters the holidays were coming to an end and the op having got no further in her enquiry investigated altenative schools none being suitable her dp pays the fees.

Why disbelief her??

*disbelieve

Giving the OP the benefit of the doubt, it was pretty lame to rely on a couple of emails to the LEA over the holidays.

She should have used Recorded Delivery.

squeaky im not denying perhaps the op wasnt as on top as you or i may have been but if youve ever dealt with the LE in this sort of situation(i have) it really is a long drawn out affair our case took over 2 years to conclude.
recorded delivery would have only proven the letter got there the person alloted to read it may have a baclog of 6 weeks etc etc ....we actually went into lea offices had lea officials in our home for meetings almost 3 hours long and still it took 2 years.