Son moved from classroom to side room

[Bunchofhocus]

Son (5) has additional needs, suspect autism and is on his way to getting a formal diagnosis. He’s been at full time mainstream school for 6 weeks, the first 5 weeks were great and the last week went downhill, lots of meltdowns and unfortunately he hit the teacher and another child. This was a genuine mistake as he tends to flail his arms when emotions run high. On the whole he has followed instructions and even made a friend, he has done lots of learning and in general has got on so well. The two incidents in question lead to the school asking to reduce his hours. So he now goes in for a few hours on an afternoon, this will continue after halfterm. He has an EHCP so has some funding but not enough for a 1 to 1 which I hear is pretty common. So the class has a couple of TAs but not enough to support the whole class (a couple of other children have needs). I agreed to the reduced hours and now they have come back saying their plan after halfterm is to educate my son in a small group (of 4) in a side room with a TA who he has not met before. So he will be excluded from the classroom despite him being capable to learn in the classroom environment and his EHCP stipulating that he should have a balance of classroom and small group work. I feel as though they have given up on him and are judging him on two bad hours (that I don’t think they dealt well with) instead of the 5 weeks of great behaviour. He goes back Monday so I have a meeting with them to discuss the plan but I’m trying to gather myself and have something to say that they can’t talk me down from. I wasn’t over the money about them reducing his hours but they talked me round and said it would be temporary while he gathered his emotions (which he has done) and they want to continue it after half term as well as moving him somewhere else to work for the four short hours he is at school, surely all the progress he made in the initial few weeks will be lost if he has to start a completely new routine with new staff and children. He has also asked questions about why his friends are still at school and he has to come in to school late. I have explained to him and he understands he can’t lash out but he become so emotionally drained and tried to escape the classroom in the meltdown which resulted in the two people in the way getting hit. Of course this is unacceptable but it really is an isolated incident and it feels as though they are basing all their decisions on this.

would love some advice, especially from anyone with Sen experience, thankyou xx

You need to request an early review of the EHCP. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

What does section F DS’s EHCP currently say? Does it include 1:1? If that states 1:1 then it must be provided, funding isn’t your concern, if the school need more they need to approach the LA.

The school are illegally informally excluding DS. Part time timetables should not be used to manage behaviour. If you want DS to attend full-time you can insist unless the school formally suspend.

Follow up all verbal conversations with emails, so you have a paper trail as evidence.

Thanks for your reply.

They did make me aware it was my final decision for DS to go on part time timetable but they worded it in such a way that it was doing what was best for him and it was almost selfish of me to expect him to go full time when he’s not feeling well emotionally.

I am going to make it clear in the meeting that I don’t agree with the use of the side room, they have used this room to calm him down a few times and he loves it in there as there’s a sensory space etc but surely it shouldn’t be his permanent classroom.

section f says:

’a classroom environment which provides consistent structure and clear routines’

as well as

’daily one to one support time with adults’

’structured opportunities on at least two occasions daily for DS to play alongside peers, sharing and turn taking’

‘Practitioners will model and encourage interest in peers and social communication regularly throughout the day’

surely excluding him from the classroom and his friends is the complete opposite

Unfortunately, section F is far too vague and woolly. You need to pursue an early review to try to tighten up the wording. For example, what adults, how long is the 1:1 far, how often, what will they do…

No, it shouldn’t be used as a permanent solution.

He's entitled to a full time education. Don't be guilted and emotionally manipulated into thinking they're doing what's best for him by only having him in for a short time, that's not what's best for him, it's cheapest and easiest for them. It's not entirely their fault as we all know schools are hugely underfunded, but that is not your son's fault, so tell them he deserves a full time education and you want to know what they are going to put in place to make sure he gets that. Teaching (or not) in isolation is not an acceptable answer.

PP is right. Many schools try to talk parents in to not challenging part-time timetables because it is easiest for the school. You have the right to send DS part-time until he is CSA, but that is your decision, it is not down to the school. If you want him to attend full-time he can unless the school formally exclude/suspend.

Also, did you defer DS or has he turned 5 since 1st September? If the former and DS is unable to attend school full time the LA has a duty to ensure DS receives a suitable full-time education. If the latter this applies from January when he is CSA. The LA also have to ensure anything detailed, specified and quantified in F is provided, but it doesn’t sound like F is enforceable.

Thanks for all your replies.

i have taken those into consideration and I will definitely mention tightening up section f at his ehcp review that is coming up next half term.

spoke to his teacher at collection about the use of the side room, he made some worrying comments. He said hopefully DS will be back in the classroom by the end of reception, considering we are just ending first half term it sounds like this measure is less temporary than it’s been made to sound and also he said that we are lucky that the head hasn’t said that the school can’t meet my sons needs!

this seems all a bit premature at 6 weeks in doesn’t it?

i will be putting my foot down and husband will be with me at the next review, he does have a habit of getting his point across with less wiggle room. I have been guilt tripped too many times by the school and always end up doing it their way to try and keep the relationship positive but they are obviously walking all over me now.

The school is trying to scare you, ignore them. The school could say they can’t meet DS’s needs, but as they are named in section I they must admit. Follow up the verbal conversation with an email so you have a paper trail as evidence should you later require it. Don’t be afraid if the school suspend DS, it provides evidence more support is needed, it allows you to challenge it and it limits the number of days they do suspend for.

Could you suggest a balance - accepting that he is struggling to regulate in the full class for a full day, but needs some time in class. Perhaps he could (for example) have half the day in class and half the day in the smaller room? Some freeflow time in each space? Whole class input in his main classroom, with additional small group work in the side room IF this could be good for him.

Our school runs SEND classes like this (with teachers overseeing or teaching). Most children express that they prefer the SEND classes, which indicates that their needs are being better met in the smaller classes with SEND pedagogy. But it's not for every child. I'd also suggest you ask to know what skills/experience the TA has, and talked to them. If they're being forced into this, it won't work. If they are passionate about SEND and your son, then it could be transformational. Also ask for what the transition plan is - how will they work towards him spending more time in class?

if you are planning to ask for changes to the EHCP at annual review, make sure your SEND contact at the council knows this, as the school can't do much to make changes.

Any idea why the last week was worse than the ones leading to it?

as the school can't do much to make changes.

The school doesn’t amend the EHCP, the LA does. Amendments can be discussed at the AR meeting, and amendments subsequently made, whether the LA attend the AR or not (which they often don’t even if amendments are necessary).