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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

Original poster

Is this an illegal/informal exclusion?

205 replies

Pressthespacebar · 13/05/2025 07:42

My son is in reception and has been put on a reduced timetable (9-12) since the second half of the spring term, following an exclusion of 4 days. The head basically said to me that unless he went on a reduced timetable the risk of him being permanently excluded is higher.

My son has a learning delay and they said developmentally he's around 2 in some areas, they also say he probably has ADHD and PDA is something that has been mentioned recently.

Ehcp has just been sent off for and appointment at the doctor's is booked so we can go down the right to choose pathway.

I assumed the reduced timetable would be temporary but the school have not contacted me to increase his hours and the last couple of weeks I've been trying to get a meeting sorted they keep coming up with excuses and saying they'll get back to me.

Im aware my son is a handful but he is entitled to a full time education. Has anyone else been through this and what happened?

OP posts:
Daisydiary · 13/05/2025 07:43

I cannot believe that this has happened. They’ve excluded him because of his SEND?! I’d be on to the LEA quick-smart!

Floatingonahope · 13/05/2025 07:44

Why work against what the education professional has told you? They were clear your son isn’t coping of managing himself in fulltime so this has been designed to help him.

TequilaNights · 13/05/2025 07:50

Have they told you specifically why they put him on a reduced timetable.

I know a few children in reduced timetables, from nursery to secondary school, and it is mostly for the child's best interests, which is why I ask.

Do you have anything in writing, if not, start an email trail so you have it in writing.

Agix · 13/05/2025 07:52

Surely this isn't an exclusion, it's a reduced timetable because your poor son isn't coping, and it's causing him to act out (which is impacting other children I imagine) and they're trying to help him and others.

Yes, everyone is entitled to a full time education. That doesn't mean your son can cope with it at the moment. Just as everyone is entitled to a full time job, but not everyone is going to be able to cope with one (I.e health issues). The teachers can't do more to support him without medical intervention it sounds like.

MellowPinkDeer · 13/05/2025 07:53

Something significant obviously happened to cause his exclusion which you haven’t included in your OP? I would say that’s quite important information??

Whinge · 13/05/2025 07:54

MellowPinkDeer · 13/05/2025 07:53

Something significant obviously happened to cause his exclusion which you haven’t included in your OP? I would say that’s quite important information??

I agree, a 4 day exclusion isn't something the school will have done unless the incident was incredibly serious, especially for a child as young as the OPs.

Swiftie1878 · 13/05/2025 07:54

If he’s not coping, you should be thanking the school for trying to make this work for him.
His right to an education does not trump his right to be safeguarded both emotionally and physically.

loobyloo1979 · 13/05/2025 07:56

Why was he excluded for four days?

Renabrook · 13/05/2025 07:57

People cant really help unless you give them the full picture

MathsMagpie · 13/05/2025 07:59

If there has been any violent incidents from him, he may not be able to utilise right to choose. That’s the case in our area at least and wasn’t something I was made aware of and found frustrating!

Original poster
Pressthespacebar · 13/05/2025 07:59

Sorry I meant to include why he was excluded.

He basically just had a really bad afternoon and his behaviour escalated, he was running around the library and no one could catch him, he got into the trophy cabinet and then ripped down a wall unit. When the teacher finally got hold of him he pulled her hair and scratched her.

I understood why the timetable was out in place but I thought they would be gradually increasing it to get him used to full days again.

From what I've googled this is illegal, was just wondering if anyone else had been through it.

OP posts:
Fearfulsaints · 13/05/2025 07:59

Your child is entitled to a full time education and part time timetables are supposed to be temporary with a clear action to increase time (with support) and shouldn't be for managing behaviour but for supporting attendance.

If you don't agree to it, you should write and say that you dont agree to the part time timetable. You dont think it's in is best interests, that the school is using it to avoid using it's best endeavours to secure sen support and that you feel it's discriminatory. You are dissatisfied with the delays for a regular review which guidance says you must have with a part time timetable and will be making a formal complaint if they don't meet with you to discuss this by ...

He may well end up permanently excluded if he is full time and the support isn't right, and there is a limit to what can be achieved mainstream. It's a very rocky road ahead and a lot of children with sen are excluded but it's important to follow the right processes. The government gives quite clear guidance on part time timetables.

NorthernGirlie · 13/05/2025 08:01

He's entitled to an education but his current school isn't right for his needs. The teacher is entitled to not be injured at work.

clocktick · 13/05/2025 08:04

This happened to my friends child, I’m not so sure that it only magnanimously happens because of the child - a lot of the time it’s because the school don’t know what to do with them. That doesn’t make it wrong but it certainly isn’t in the child’s best interests.

CaptainFuture · 13/05/2025 08:04

He basically just had a really bad afternoon and his behaviour escalated, he was running around the library and no one could catch him, he got into the trophy cabinet and then ripped down a wall unit. When the teacher finally got hold of him he pulled her hair and scratched her.
Ripping down a unit from a wall and staff having to stop him running around the library I'd imagine is considerably distracting to the other dc, use of staff and being chased by adults would be considerably distressing for your son.
How badly scratched was the teacher? Did he actually pull any of her hair out?

itsgettingweird · 13/05/2025 08:05

It’s the grey area.

yes - technically it’s illegal as all children are entitled to FT education. Technically also he should be placed where his needs can be met so he can attend a FT education.

But the flip side is as mentioned above. He isn’t coping. So do you fight for FT education (with risk of further exclusion) because it’s right or accept PT because it’s right for him?

Send education is getting worse in this country and we have so many pupils placed incorrectly who can’t access their education and the time scales to rectify that are way out of the legal parameters (EHCP should take 20 weeks).

so really you have to decide which “right” you are fighting for. I don’t think there are any right answers to that one.

gillefc82 · 13/05/2025 08:06

I suspect the lack of response could be due to them being in the middle of SATs and coming up to half term holidays. Do persist with the school for a meeting. Whilst it sounds like the exclusion and the reduced timetable were a reasonable response to your child struggling, you are also reasonable to expect to work with the school to agree a clear plan for getting them back to full time hours.

Swiftie1878 · 13/05/2025 08:11

What age is he? FT education is only ‘compulsory’ once a child turns 5 (just from a legal perspective).

But you need to be focusing less on what the school is doing (or not doing) right now, and ask yourself if he is going to cope with FT hours? Haven’t coping before. Do you feel he’s ready now?

lavenderlou · 13/05/2025 08:13

Reduced timetables can be used (my DD is on one at our request) and are valid but they need to be regularly reviewed every 2-3 weeks and should be time limited. If your DS is still not managing after trying a reduced timetable, the school will need to contact education access or similar. Unfortunately the EHCP process is very long.

Mischance · 13/05/2025 08:18

I understand why you want your child to have full time education, but it sounds as though, at the moment, he is not in a position to benefit from that. Being trapped in school is clearly torture for him, so I think the school is right to limit his attendance to what he seems to be able to manage.

Hopefully, when fully assessed, there will be some funding forthcoming for proper support for him (but don't hold your breath - often a need is assessed, but the funds are not available).

Children like your son find school hell. He needs a breathing space to mature a bit and perhaps be better able to cope.

Please do not go into an anti-school mode and fight them - it may be that their decision is wise, both for him and for the other pupils - don't forget that they have a school to run and the safety of all to consider.

If he is getting nothing out of school except frustration then it is not for him full time.

clocktick · 13/05/2025 08:20

Reduced timetables aren’t the answer.

The child just falls further behind and that also means that behaviour is impacted.

Nominative · 13/05/2025 08:21

Yes, it's an illegal exclusion. Government guidance is clear that a reduced timetable should only be used in restricted circumstances and for the minimum time possible. They should be looking at getting advice on how to deal with your son, putting in extra support, and applying for an EHCP. Leaving a child without full time education for a long time due to his SEN is also disability discrimination: if they think he won't cope in school they should be working with the LA for him to have tuition during the periods when he is out of school.

I'd suggest you look at applying for an EHCP yourself, and ask for a meeting with the school to talk about integrating him back into full time education. Refer them to paragraph 30 of this guidance and paragraphs 66-67 of

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66be0d92c32366481ca4918a/Suspensions_and_permanent_exclusions_guidance.pdf

Fearfulsaints · 13/05/2025 08:22

Yes, this balance of having a right to something but that thing not necessarily being in your child's best interest anyway is something that is a tricky balance as an SEN parent.

But, I do think that the school should be reviewing this with the parent as she has asked for a review. They should, at the very least, be able to explain to her what his time in school is like, what support they have in place already, the support they hope to get from the ehcp procesd, the realistic timescale for more time in school and why they think the timetable needs to continue.

Nominative · 13/05/2025 08:25

Unfortunately the EHCP process is very long.

By law it must not take more than 20 weeks, with limited exceptions. The time limits can be enforced relatively easily.