Permanent exclusion help

[MumnMore]

My son in Year 10 was permanently excluded last week! It’s expected and unexpected. Expected because they threatened it soon after behaviour issues started and unexpected because the behaviours are not disruptive or extreme.
does anyone have experience of attending a PDC (governor’s meeting) to review the exclusion?
Do I have to provide my report/evidence to the school prior to the meeting? Would be grateful to hear any experience of this meeting please x

Sounds like his relationship with the school has broken down and the best outcome is a managed move for a fresh start asap. Whether that's a school setting or a pru

Your son is taken up huge amounts of staff time. Failing to follow simple rules is akin to persistent disruptive behaviour which is a reason to permanently exclude. He may not be disrupting lessons through his behaviour but arriving late is disruptive, having staff looking for you several times a day is disruptive, failing to wear correct uniform and having staff chase is disruptive. Your son is persistently disruptive, that is why he is being permanently excluded.

Taking what you’ve said, I’m not sure why the school has gone straight for permanent exclusion rather than at least offer a managed move, alternative provision etc. I would check all the letters following suspensions, and also then was all the offered help/support followed up and actioned, look through and make sure the school has followed the statutory guidance below. Did the school explore a managed move, which schools did they approach, are there short term courses, alternative provision he could have been offered in order to turn things around - all questions to ask.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion

Whilst in the vast majority of schools permanent exclusion is an absolute last resort, there are some who wash their hands of a child and try to jump to permanent exclusion. In some cases, it is also the only way to get a child the help they need.

Usually managed move is first option.

I'd be asking why this wasn't suggested.

I'd also be asking why they think he's avoiding taking the same route as others to lesson - screams bullying to me.

Especially if this behaviour is new and recent.

Don't underestimate the positives of a school move or even some time in a PRU. If you get the right one they are very therapeutic.

But you are right that something is going on and it needs to be addressed. If it's bullying moving will help but he'll need support at a new place to manage his fears and anxieties around it happening again.

What does your son say about the reason he attends late and truants?

I do on occasion chair PEX panels. The guidance we all have to follow can be found at assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ef773513ae1500116e30db/Suspension_and_permanent_exclusion_guidance_september_23.pdf

This details what factors schools need to consider when looking at permanent exclusion, along with what governors need to consider at panel.

With persistent disruptive behaviour, schools are expected to have detailed notes on what behaviour contributed to the decision, along with details of what behaviour management has been tried, how effective it was, whether they have considered any Sen assessment, whether they have consulted with external support eg local authority behaviour team or academy trust. There needs to be evidence that parents have been included in these discussions.

These are the kind of questions you can ask at the panel. You can ask the school leadership and there should also be someone from your local authority "fair access" or similar - their job is to ensure schools are following the guidance appropriately and can advise on what options may have been available to school.

Sometimes it is hard to get to the bottom of a change in behaviour, and some time in a APC which is staffed with people who can help with this may be a good thing. Managed moves could help, but if the root cause of the issue is not identified, often the pattern repeats. You can ask school if a managed move was considered and if not, why not.

I hope it goes well and whatever the outcome, it is the right one for your family.

You don’t want to hear what people think
you just want people to agree with you that the meany school are picking on your misunderstood ickle boy.
if he’s so bright he’ll know what the consequences are - he was told - but like you thinks they won’t apply to him. You’re not doing him any favours
schools don’t exclude lightly

if my kid it their education was being affected by yours why shou They be??

As described your son’s behaviour would not ordinarily be associated with exclusion. Make sure you explore the initiatives they have used to support him, the outside agencies, the internal pastoral support. Have you seen the GP about his suicidal comments? You should do this anyway but also to have a paper trail - your son looks to be struggling and in need of care or else is a bit immature and needs some firm monitoring and sanctions. Let’s hope you have a head who hasn’t submitted many and isn’t great with paperwork - good luck with your appeal.

@MumnMore what have the school done so far to help improve the issues ? What support have they offered? Has he said why he takes the long way /is late to lessons? Is there a pattern in his behaviour?

I can't believe they're trying to exclude on that behaviour (as bad as it is ,especially from a safeguarding point of view, there's a lot worse going on) . Since it's not one serious incident situation, they need to show what they've put in place , that it was given time to work and that it hasn't worked.

I do think you ought to have had some formal warning that this could happen so you could address the issues. In an employment setting this would be the case

You say you work in a school so you obviously know what disruption does and how severe it needs to be for exclusion to take place.
Are you are a teacher or a dinner lady type role?

I work in a school and I’ve never see a permanent exclusion for this type of behaviour especially when it’s only been a few months.

The OP seems to be saying here that she does know how exclusion works.

But later in the thread doesn't.

If he was on a pastoral support plan, this would have been warning that things were heading this way. Schools have to be careful with this as this could be seen as ‘off rolling’ - making threats about PEx in order to get the student to move on to another setting.

I am a school leader in a primary school and have experience of permanent exclusion. Once the governor panel meeting starts, the PEx cannot be rescinded (it can be not upheld of course). I would locate the LA’s Alternative Provision team and urgently speak to them to see if there is an opportunity for your son to spend some time in a different provision along with a managed move to a different school. Schools often get asked to rescind permanent exclusions if the LA puts things in place.

If it goes to panel, sometimes a PEx is not upheld if the school hasn’t followed legal procedures which it is thought could contribute to the PEx. For his suspensions, did they follow all procedures including informing you with a letter and not suspending for more that 15 days in a year? Did they put support in place following the suspensions? You mention a pastoral support plan - what this entail?

Children of 14/15 don't just wake up one morning and decide to skip lessons, or refuse to wear school shoes and blazer. That, plus the threatening of suicide, says to me he's either seriously depressed/anxious, or desperately seeking attention/crying for help in some way.
I wonder if he could be being bullied in some way. Is there anything going off at home? Sometimes kids act out at school because things are happening at home they can't deal with.

Thank you so much for this post. I am going to seek legal advice next week. Something just isn’t right or fair about this.

There are things they’ve said they will do but haven’t. His school record showed an email from a teacher saying “he needs to be placed in report (LSP1) “. This was never done.
The PSP wasn’t useful because it was all about anger and how to behave in lessons which is not what he is struggling with. There were no personalised targets at all.
I want to take his suicide letter to the Head and ask her to reconsider but I’d be so hurt if she dismissed it.

Op I know you are very stressed now but I have tutored (independent school so slightly different) someone who was PEX and one who was a managed move (yes they happen, they aren’t called that and it isn’t a formal process).

Both students it worked out for the best. Fresh start, shock their behaviour has consequences, change in peer group, grateful for 2nd chance or combination of all the above. Yes it was bumpy road but did end up well.

if staying at that school isn’t an option then push for a managed move.

(if you think your son is serious and in immediate danger then take him to A&E, keeping him safe is the first priority)

I agree- you need to act swiftly though as once the panel is held, the school will be unable to rescind.

Legal advice at this stage is not necessary. Go to the panel, ask your questions. If you still feel that the decision is wrong and it is upheld by the panel, you have the right to take it to an independent review panel. That would be the stage to seek legal advice - but you would need to find someone who really understood the education landscape. In my experience, the solicitors who have been involved have not really understood the legislation around exclusions, are frequently more used to attending EHCP tribunals and while they understand Sen law, general education panels are not a law court and they regularly get told off for treating them as if they are!

This is the right thing to focus on. Why has this started to happen? There is no point moving him around if you haven't got to the heart of what is driving this behaviour at school. It sounds like there are several things he is now struggling to tolerate? Can you get the LA inclusion team to arrange an Ed Psych assessment? Or if funds permit, can you talk to an independent Child or Ed Psychologist in the hope of getting some insight into unmet needs. All behaviour is communication...

Op

I think they might have jumped to exclusion because all the usual punishments don't seem to have worked. Ie they've assigned him detention for being late but he just doesn't turn up etc. they simply can't be seen to just allow him rock up late to multiple classes every day.. it sends a really poor message to the rest of the school

Is there any chance this is a wake up call for him though.

Their behaviour policy states that students should be placed on report. First to their form tutors, then to Head of Year, then to SLT. For me, if they haven’t done that then how can they have exhausted all other methods, how is this permanent exclusion a last resort?
I definitely don’t think it’s ok to be constantly late though. It is absolutely a wake up call for him. I’m gutted it had to get to this though.

I think showing that they haven’t follow their own behaviour policy is a key point to discuss in the meeting. When is it?

8th April - the Easter holidays have delayed it sadly. But it gives me time to write up my evidence - there’s a lot of it!

Honestly op

I think you have a strong case based on what you've said here. Pull together your evidence where they a) haven't followed thur own steps eg putting him on report etc . You can argue that his expulsion is illegal in that regard. You don't need legal support unless you lose here and wish to appeal/

However you some how need to get to bottom of what's going on with him because if you succeed in appealing and win and nothing changes , all that will happen is they will follow their own procedures correctly and exclude him again permanently.

Thirdly: I would plan for worse case scenario by visibly local schools and meeting other heads. Just in case you don't win . It tends not to be a quick process so have an idea for the school you want . Maybe a more relaxed approach might ultimately suit him better. Kindly given that they have jumped at the chance to get rid of him, it doesn't sound that will ever be interested in getting to the bottom of his new behaviour: you need to think about that also. Do you really want him somewhere that doesn't want him.

Sympathy op. I'm more than aware that these kind of issues can crop up in any family and ultimately you're a mom who wants what's best for him regardless of how he's behaved .