My 13 yr old son, excluded permanently for having cannabis at school

[NickiBH]

Can anyone offer me any remotely positive advice please? My sons school called me in today, he has been found with a very small amount of cannabis at school and excluded. He was given it (for free) from another student. The school have said it is 99.9% sure that he will be excluded permanently and that no other school will take him on, as they all have a zero tolerance approach to drugs. They did however ask him for as much info as possible about the other child. My son was very honest and told them that he had smoked it quite a few times outside of school with 2 friends who attend another school, one of which has contact with a dealer. The boy in his school and him have had a few conversations about weed, and today he apparently called my son over and gave him this free (Tiny) bag. The school have told me that there is a massive drug problem locally and that dealers are often recruited this way, with freebies which will have to be paid back somehow later on. This boy has also told my son that he grows it at home...I can only assume he means his parents?? .... and that he gets £5000 a shipment and makes a lot for himself. Anyway, it seems that this boy may well get to stay in school, as he is saying he found the weed on the street, but my son’s only option is now a CSS unit with other excluded kids and limited GCSE options.
Needless to say, I am absolutely devastated. I didn’t realise this was happening and feel like a complete failure as a Mum. I just feel like he has now blown so much opportunity for the future over one stupid thing.
The school have said I will have the right to appeal, but that this will most likely come to nothing.
Does anyone know anything that may help me?

I am very sorry. I think most people will realize that he did nothing different to most kids and was just unlucky to get caught. How is he dealing with it?
Based on what you’ve said, unless there is a massive drop feed coming, I think he has a good chance to get into another mainstream school, although I am basing that on common sense/gut feeling rather than anything else.

When my ds was expelled he was home schooled (didn't actually happen thanks to exh) ended up in a pupil referral unit a year later. He accepted his behaviour was bang out of order. Got reinstated into a school in my area. Managed gcse's and went to college.
Reformed and model student in year 11....
Ultimately your ds has to want to reform.

He will go to a PRU for probably 6 weeks and they will assess him and put him back into another mainstream school I would think. At my previous school we had a few that came to us this way.

I would be as focussed on his social life and the contacts he has as his education.

I worked at a school with a zero tolerance drug policy (I think almost all schools have this) but the one occasion when someone was caught with drugs every support was given to him to find a place in a neighbouring school. Both schools knew this was a teenaged mistake and that the sharp shock of permanent exclusion was sufficient punishment. The boy went on to gain a good set of GCSEs. I think it is unlikely your ds is genuinely damned to an exclusion unit for the rest of his school career unless this is the last straw of a series of poor choices and bad behaviour (and it doesn’t sound like it is).

Are you sure you know or have told us the whole story. The other kid is likely to get away with it and your kid isn’t?? Surely there is a reason for the school treating them differently?

Forgot to say my ds was also caught with weed...
At 18 he hasn't smoked anything at all since he was 15. Doesn't drink or get into any trouble.
Left him to join the army this week. Model ds now tbh...
He was very lucky he escaped with no real criminal record - he is very appreciative of that
..

I'd be very concerned about the potential for county lines running in your area given what you've posted.

Offering freebies, having teens passing to teens, owing people money is textbook county lines. By any chance are you in a smaller rural town/post industrial town within 1-2 hours of a city? The picture you describe here sounds very different to a student happening to have a little on them. They would be excluded for any drugs, but a probable link to county lines would probably be a big no for schools. The problem is county lines also target those in PRUs and/or those who are vulnerable so you may want to get some advice from the safeguarding lead or a local drugs charity.

If his behaviour and attendance is otherwise good, I'm surprised the school isn't helping you work with the LA for a managed move to another school. That's what would happen in our LA anyway and another school would take him. Trickier if he has poor attendance etc as other schools won't want him.

It's usual for schools to be zero tolerance for drugs but schools also understand about a one off mistake. PRUs do excellent work but are best for seriously troubled children, those who've made one mistake are best kept away.

While schools obviously have to have a harsh policy on these things the fact that the whole situation screams county lines means they should be coming at it from a different angle and definitely “dealing with” the other student ( it necessarily punishing as such). I think I’d ask for a cross-institutional look at this case involving the local police etc as they might be able to make the case that permanently excluding a pupil in this case will actually make him very vulnerable and exactly the sort of kid targeted by these criminals. This is a massive safeguarding issue as everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe and I’d strongly push this safeguarding side of things.

I’m not saying he doesn’t need to be punished but the consequences could be very far-reaching and I think the school need to consider that. (I’m a teacher by the way so usually back up the school!)

If your son was caught with drugs, then there’s evidence there to exclude him on.

What he says about anyone else is purely hear say to the teachers and if there’s no evidence then they can’t act upon it other than a verbal warning at most.

I do feel for you, but I also think the school is doing the right thing.

If your son and his friend were dealing within the school then that could have the potential to lead to a much bigger problem. I wouldn’t want someone like that in the same class as my child IMO.
But from a mother to child point of view I absolutely feel for you.

Jesus christ how's that other kid getting away with it after he was distributing it?! I assume he had more on him than your son did? I'm just appalled his lie (if what your son has said is true) that he's found it, then given it out and your son (and probably others) who recieved a small bag was not excluded.

I'd appeal it, make a point it's not fair the child who supplied drugs to your child is not getting punished is highly unfair. Have you got a local county Councillor? Get them involved they're usually quite helpful in finding schools and giving advice.

Sorry op, I don't have older children but I know this is a very big problem in my area, recruiting children to sell drugs is disgusting.

Michaelbaubles
I'm glad another teacher read this and thought it sounds like county lines.

It's a hard one because the school need to take a stand, but exclusion also makes those involved in county lines even more vulnerable and more likely to be sucked in.

Without wanting to scaremonger, knowing how county lines work, I can't help but wonder if there's more regarding this than the OP is aware of (eg saying his friends have a dealer, but actually the friends are the dealers recruiting in school/creating a market in schools and the teen social circles).

I’m sure that Ofsted would take a very dim view of a school permanently excluding a child in this situation and then shrugging their shoulders and basically saying what happens next isn’t their responsibility - it IS their responsibility because this makes him a vulnerable child at risk of exploitation. I’d really hammer that point rather than the “it’s not fair because X didn’t get in trouble...” thing. They can’t and shouldn’t just leave him to the mercy of fate here and I’d question their safeguarding practices if they can’t see that.

I work in a college and there have been times when we’ve been reluctant to take a student off roll simply because being in college is a hundred times safer for them than being out on the streets doing god knows what.

he did nothing different to most kids and was just unlucky to get caught

Most kids of 13 don't smoke cannabis.

I do feel for the OP as clearly this has been a huge shock, and I'm not having a go at her son, but I do have to take issue with the implication that most 13-year-olds smoke cannabis.

Agree with the county lines comments. This is a safeguarding issue and should be escalated to the police.

Are you going to appeal the decision? Has he been offering drugs to other students in his school. I thought the rules for permanent exclusion was if behaviour breached school behaviour policy AND keeping him school would endanger the remaining school community. I may be wrong but just check.

I think I’d ask for a cross-institutional look at this case involving the local police etc as they might be able to make the case that permanently excluding a pupil in this case will actually make him very vulnerable and exactly the sort of kid targeted by these criminals. This is a massive safeguarding issue as everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe and I’d strongly push this safeguarding side of things.

I agree this is the right approach to take.

Ilovellamas
The thing is that being linked to county lines DOES put the remaining school community at risk.
That's what makes this such a tricky situation because school can't have drugs in school (especially if they have a range of information about county lines), but equally excluding a child on the fringes of county lines makes that individual more at risk. It's a really complex situation where there are consequences to both outcomes.

I agree with PP that most 13 year olds don't do drugs.

OP you sound very gullible. Please get yourself educated on this pronto. (And no, not by your DS) get information from people who like what's going on in your area. It is far from normal for 13YO's to be smoking cannabis.
What are the chances he's been caught in the 1 day he had it on him? You don't really believe that surely?

Another agreeing with those shouting possible country lines.

A friend of ours son was caught up in this & it did start this way. He's the most unlikely lad that you'd ever expect to get caught up in something like that, but he was grieving a close relative & vulnerable & they are sharks.

Just heard of another real shock, a friends 16yo arrested for dealing drugs yesterday. Absolutely not the sort of lad you'd guess, even DD agrees & Im hoping not, but it looks like possible county lines again, it's rife.

OP, research county lines. If your son was given "free" drugs it may mean he is at risk of exploitation. I would be asking the school to escalate to the police, to be honest- which they should have done anyway, if drugs are being handed out on the premises.
Your sons future is not ruined- just changed.

I suppose I must be very naive as well, as I didn’t really know much about County Lines. But, yes, we are in a seaside town less than an hour outside of London. The school actually said that they are aware of the problems and children within the school making £500 a week, but that they need proof of this. The words of the teacher were ‘their time will eventually come’. The teachers told me there are ex students heavily involved in dealing and that one ex-student they are aware of recently stabbed in a gang related crime. I did know of drug problems in the area, but really didn’t realise the extent and severity of the problem.
My son has a completely clean school record. He has never been in trouble, his attendance and behaviour are good. He assures me he has never been involved in any kind of dealing and has never been asked to be. He just said he has smoked it a few times and didn’t think it was that big a deal. After today, I can see that he is feeling very nervous at the thought of the CSS unit and has said he knows he has massively messed up.
The other boy has been excluded from today, but they said it is not necessarily permanent for him, and dependant on investigation and on how much proof/evidence they have of whether he supplied my son intentionally or really did just find the weed.
I will definitely call tomorrow and discuss the safeguarding issue as I am so scared that he could become more of a target now. I really don’t want to let him go to the unit. The school did not discuss the possibility of a managed move and I didn’t know what that was until now, so I will ask about this too.

Would this not be reportable to police? The school are aware of a possible drug exchange on site. They do not need to investigate, the police do.

Were you given notice of your right to have the exclusion reviewed? I'd strongly suggest you contact the School Exclusion Project - schoolexclusionproject.com. Given the circumstances, I suspect that a lot of schools wouldn't contemplate permanent exclusion for this.

If he is permanently excluded, the local authority will be required to organise full time education for him from the sixth day after the exclusion. If other schools have vacancies, they won't be allowed to refuse to admit your son.

And yes, I realise it is not normal for a 13 year old to do drugs. As a family, we have never been involved with any drugs, which is perhaps why I am not more clued up on this. I will ‘educate myself’ as suggested, although I don’t consider myself gullible...

This happened in our school with some kids

It was dealt with as a safeguarding issue

Simply excluding a low ranking pawn (your son) is shortsighted

OP you do not sound quite aware enough about the fact that your son is friends with drug dealers, and has made some bad decisions. You seem more worried about the exclusion.

In your shoes I would try and get the school to see it as a safeguarding issue