What actually happens if a child becomes permanetly excluded from school?

[WhenTheDragonsCame]

DD1 (14) was suspended yesterday for the second time yesterday for refusing to attend detention on Friday. In a meeting this morning she was told that if she truants class again (the reason for the detention) she will have to stay after school that evening for 45. If she refuses she will get another fixed term exclusion. After 6 occurances of this she will possibly be permanently excluded.

I have just had a call to say that she truanted a lesson today and if she refuses to go to detention it will result in another exclusion, meaning she would be half way to permanently being excluded.

I have looked at the government website but wanted an idea of what actually would happen in this instance.

Until she moved to the new school in september she had issues but nothing like this. The school have said that if she didn't pick the friends she has they do not believe that she would be behaving like this. They also think that she is very immature and doesn't (possibly isn't able to) think of the concequences of her actions.

Thank you.

Thank you. I will have a look at those later.

I did have contact with an agency supporting families, after someone asked her on facebook if she would meet him for sex, but they aren't getting involved because the school told them that they were supporting us. I will try and give them a call as well.

I was surprised to read that they threatened permanent exclusion for truancy and that might be an empty threat from a member of staff who does not make those decisions. However arriving at school stoned is in another league and I am surprised the school didn't call the police straight away.

As others have said, you might have to consider a managed move or the PRU (not always spaces and not many girls) which the school would prefer over an exclusion.

Alternatively some schools will offer a reduced timetable where the pupil only attends certain lessons, especially if truancy is a problem. Or an alternative curriculum with off-site provision and more emphasis on social skills than the academic.

Does your daughter have a social worker? Where is she getting the weed from? It does sound like she is in a very bad place at the moment.

A state school can not exclude on a whim. They can't permanently exclude for just truancy, but I am not sure about illegal drugs. A school has a duty of care even for the most difficult of children. I may well be that the pupil referral unit is the best place for her.

They have said that any truancy will result in an after school detention that day and if they refuse to attend the detention the will get a fixed term exclusion. If they get 6 fixed term exclusions they risk permenant exclusion.

She has said that this was the first time she has smoked weed (not sure if thats true or not) and she got it from a lad she has been seeing. I think if she had still had some on her she would have been permenantly excluded there and then and the police informed.

The school have said a few times that on her own they do not believe she would behave this way but i can't get her to even see what she is doing is wrong.

Thank you.

It sounds as though the threat of exclusion is not because of truancy but the defiance as a result of refusing to attend detentions (ie. follow the school rules). A school cannot operate with children picking and choosing which rules to follow.
I'm sorry to hear she has been excluded again for smoking weed; did they search her on arrival to school?

It is hard to judge just from reading posts and there could be a multitude of reasons for her behaviour. I would say however, from working in a secondary academy, this is not hugely unusual behaviour. Definitely something she can turn around. Does your LA have some kind of social services triage? As they should be able to signpost/offer relevant support.

Does she have any aspirations/what does she want to do when she leaves year 11. Sometimes a lack of direction along with peer influence can be a disaster.

The school shouldn't be looking for you to take her out, they should be sorting out a managed move. The point of that is that it is properly planned between the two schools with any necessary extra support being put in place, so it stands a better chance of success.