Scottish teachers- can I do anything apart from go off sick?

[kotcheff]

I am on my knees trying to manage my mainstream P1 class and one very, very high needs child. Keeping him safe seems nearly impossible and he shouts constantly.

Currently he goes home at lunch but his Mum wants him in all day. HT says he is facing pressure from above him to have all learners in full time and it's about his rights.

HT and Mum also want him in the Christmas show and party (afternoon) and trip to the pantomime (nearly full day). I feel like none of this is achievable and none of this is in his best interests. I actually feel physically sick at the thought of taking him out of the school.

I don't know where to go or who to ask for support. Would the EIS support me? HT made it clear that I am 'excluding' him and tbh I'm about to just get myself signed off sick.

Impossible situation and in no way comparible to children of similar needs thriving in a specialist provision. I was a 1to1 to a child with some language but similar behaviours. He didnt go on trips by the time I met him because of past terrible trips, this was at his families request. It was a 'least worst option' choice. He was left out (bad) or out and about running away, hurting people, crying and screaming in distress (worse) the compromise was that he had some small fun changes to his day that he could cope with on the day he was at school with me and the class was out and other things just for him at different times that other class members wernt getting.
For your situation its either 2 to 1 with staff or family if that is what he needs to be safe or he doesnt go, we know Mum isnt obliged to come re disability discrimination but in reality he needs to be safe above all else whether it be by staff being found from elsewhere or family attending.

I had a similar situation recently and I ended up writing a formal email to my headteacher quoting safeguarding concerns, health and safety regulations and union guidance. I then had a meeting with him and I point blank refused to have the said child in my classroom for the safety of myself, my colleagues and the other children.
It did the trick. Finally some assessments have been done, he has a 1:1 adult and he's calmed down a bit.
But I had to kick up a big fuss. To be honest it's pushed me over the edge and I'm planning my route out of education as a result. I'm fed up of being put in a position where I have to teach classes with so many SEN needs with no additional support, and yet still we're expected to get them to expected standards.

If you need to sign off sick, then please do for your own sanity.
Send a formal email, speak to your union, your governors.

You shouldn't have to put up with this. The rest of your class shouldn't either..people seem to forget the other children deserve a decent education too without constant disruption.

It’s awful OP, he is being failed by the system and I feel sorry for the rest of the class having to cope with a clearly unwell child who should not be in that kind of setting to begin with.

I wonder when society will realise this is not the way to educate young ones.

I don't think all those who are saying he must be included have ever actually spent any time with a child with the needs you're describing op, let alone had the responsibility of keeping them safe and alive, which is a huge responsibility. I've worked with children with similar needs and quite frankly I'd refuse to accept that level of risk and responsibility by taking him anywhere. In all likelihood he won't enjoy it anyway as it's likely to be overwhelming for him. He sounds like he definitely needs to leave mainstream school and attend one more suited to his needs, one where they have one to one ratios for these sorts of events. If you can't get anyone to listen and support you then I would definitely call in sick, let the head take the responsibility as they should be stepping up in support of you and looking for a better solution.

Not a teacher but DD had a child like this in her P1 class (now P3). Classroom evacuated constantly and the Xmas performance I went to had him running around the theatre. His parents were there but couldn't give a shit. It really impacted the class. Thankfully it came to a head when he attacked the HT and he now has 1 to 1 support all day. He shouldn't be in a mainstream school. It's ridiculous and I feel for you OP.

I'm a teacher and a parent. I feel for you op. Sadly some children are not suitable for mainstream. We've one in their teens who regularly attacks staff and pupils and it's dangerous. Why the right of one child trumps the rights of all the others I'll never understand.
I'd go off sick and then get something included in a stress action plan.

Yip. So many children are being traumatised in their school. It's beyond sad and needs changed from the top by providing aalternative provision. It's a national scandal.

And to the op - I really feel for you. You shouldn't have to but you can go off sick.

The poor children in your class don't have that option.

This is awful @kotcheff 😓 I’m so sorry that you’ve been put in this position. And I’m sure there are many others like you too!

I’ll be completely honest and say this was a contributing factor in my decision to defer my (nov born) DSs entry to Primary 1. There are 2 very very high needs children in the P1 intake when he is 4.5, as well as a few with less severe needs. I know the nursery struggle with them hugely at their staffing ratios and the nursery have expressed their concern at how the school will cope with what little additional help will be in place. It’s horrendous for the SEN children, who deserve to be in an environment where they have the proper support to learn and develop and to be safe. It’s horrendous for the teachers being put in a position where they feel forced into situations that they feel are unsafe and out of control. And it’s horrendous for the other children who deserve to be able to have some attention and support from their teacher.

This is a sad situation for everyone (adults and all the kids)

It’s a panto ffs - there’s going to be all sorts of unpredictable stuff like sudden noises, people shouting out and music/singing which the child may not like listening to.

You are clearly frazzled from doing your best but not being able to keep anyone happy.

As kindly as possible, it's sometimes just not possible to include one child with very high needs without essentially preventing enjoyment for everyone else.

This is my job and I know what slt and governors will say. I’ve been there, been upset, angry at the unfairness. My kindly comment was to say I don’t disagree but going by experience I recognise everything being said. So back off with your sarcasm.

My comment stands.

I feel for you @kotcheff I was in the same situation 2 years ago. Some HT’s are ineffective and expect miracles from teachers. I went sick as every day I was being spat at, kicked, bitten and head butted, the class LA was often called away and there was no 1:1 yet the parent insisted they did not want specialist provision. The straw that broke the camels back was when the HT advised that I hold a yellow card up for the children to stand at the walls of the class to allow the child space and a green card to evacuate the class if they started attacking other children. If I’d done any of those things those children would have been standing at the wall for half the day. Assemblies were a nightmare and at the first nativity the child clawed another child’s face. I submitted risk assessment after risk assessment, updated everything on the chronology and emailed SLT until I was blue in the face, my union were also involved for the two months before I went sick as I raised a grievance. I never returned to teaching, I’d had enough and couldn’t face going back. My advice is to go sick and take as much time as you need. Also ask to be referred to Occupational Health, I found them very supportive.

I echo what others have said about a Risk Assessment and contacting the EIS.

My experience is secondary. I was told that a child with profound learning difficulties would be joining my S1 class, because the parent had complained to the Director of Education. The child had been in mainstream for primary, but the case had been made that they wouldn't cope with secondary.

The child's learning difficulties were caused by a genetic condition. Non-verbal, but did grunt from time to time. On top of that, they were registered blind.

The classroom teachers in our school were all mainstream trained only.

However, a TA was allocated to work with that child only. At the very least, I'd say that that is the provision that you should have for your pupil, OP. Two to be shared with the class is no use - my class had a second TA or sometimes SEN teacher allocated for the rest of the class. We could cope because the learning difficulties of the other children were moderate at most and it was a smaller class, half the size of the norm.

Nevertheless, it didn't work out. I'd already written reports to say that the child was doing no work. The region had bought in a specialist computer programme, but the TA was doing all the work for the child. (I'm still baffled as to how a child who could only follow bright light was supposed to access the work on the screen.)

The parent finally agreed that the child could move to specialist provision after I had to write a report about them masturbating in front of the other children.

The point I'm trying to make is that - given what you've told us - mainstream is not the place for the pupil you've mentioned, OP. As a mainstream classroom teacher, you can't be expected to magic up resources for a pupil with profound needs.

Mainstream didn't work for our pupil, even when one-to-one was provided. You've been placed in an impossible situation.

Thinking about it, if you have to write up your concerns, you might mention that there's no space in the WTA for you to provide a differentiated programme of work which articulates with all aspects fo the CfE for this child. (As I used to tell staff, the WTA doesn't just work in favour of management.)

If you have to go off with stress, do it.

There is no board of Governor's in LA schools in Scotland.

What the comment I agreed with but have said it makes zero difference? Good for you. Make a stand 😂

Does he have a full time ASNA?

I left teaching last year due to similar circumstances (after 12 years in the classroom) as it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. But unfortunately EIS were in bed with HT and vice versa. No confidentiality.

Good luck.

Does he have an educational career plan,
I remember a thread on here from a couple of days ago on the opposite side of a very similar situation. Child being asked to go home at lunch and not allowed to go to the school play.
however the school was simultaneously saying their wasn’t enough evidence to apply for ECHP. It is unreasonable fair that their is no willingness to support these children in a more appropriate setting but at least they should get assistance from the school to apply for support

I'd definitely go off sick with stress. Tell the GP you can't sleep at night because of the dangerous situation. Get signed off.

I say that as a mum of a DS with SEN. I have accompanied class outings in the past for this very reason.

It is very hard, if it isn’t safe it isn’t safe and you can’t take this child.
if the school can’t support you then you all you can do is remove yourself. It is a reasonable reason to need time off for stress!

Again, my comment stands.

Similar situation for us with an evacuation protocol - usually too late as it would follow someone being hit / scratched / having had something thrown at them / a table suddenly bring upended. And that was with a 1:1 TA. I had a p2 learn quite the range of swear words over the course of a year, and come home confused that their teacher could be told to fuck off with no apparent consequences. It was of zero surprise when the teacher left, and heartbreaking for all the kids that they have to keep enduring it. And I do mean all the kids, because inclusion isn't working when their peers are 'othering' them due to their behaviours - so no party invitations or play dates or anyone to play with at break time - and they're being excluded due to the system being unable to meet their needs. Inclusion doesn't work, it's just cheaper.

If nobody will listen, OP, go off sick.

And yes, as has already been corrected, there aren't governors in Scottish schools.

Do you get ECHPs in Scotland?

The system is different.

enquire.org.uk/parents/getting-support/co-ordinated-support-plans/