Can school push out a pupil with SEN before Year 11?

[Mustneatenedges]

DS is 15 and in year 10. He is returning on Tuesday after a 3 day suspension for swearing at the deputy head, who came to remove him from a class after he was told off for talking and being disruptive. DS has inattentive ADHD and school has been a bit of a rollercoaster since year7 to say the least. The school presents itself as supportive, and I am supportive of the school as a whole, but it's very focused on results (considered to be the 'best school' locally, very tight catchment etc etc) and it feels to me that they are keen to push him (and other children who are not going to do well in exams) out before the end of year 10. I am trying to find out whether they can actually do this, or if they will be simply upping the sanctions (which it feels like they've been doing for the past year) - part of the problem seems that the sanction process seems very unclear and inconsistent e.g. another pupil suspended for a day for punching someone. Can I ask to see their policy - if there is one? I feel like he is on a conveyor belt to the exit. He had an 'off-site direction' before Easter for 2 weeks at another school, for taking a photo of a maths class and posting it on snapchat (no faces or pupils in the photo), which while is not ideal, did not seem to warrant missing his mocks and having 2 weeks at another school. While I obviously do not condone the recent swearing at a teacher, he was very agitated and upset and the whole thing should have been handled differently / better, but he has now been escalated to a 3 day suspension. I think this was partly done to fit in with the Easter hols, as he was sent home on the Tuesday and told he would be off for the rest of the week. I am trying to get him a slightly reduced timetable and feel he needs to be treated as someone with additional needs, rather than just being 'punished' all the time. He feels the teachers hate him and is very unmotivated by school now, to the point that I worry he will end up not going and then crashing out of the system in year 11.

They could look to suspend or permanently exclude. They would have to follow the proper process and the suspension and exclusion guidance though (assuming the school is a state school). They can’t just do exclude because they feel like it. If you haven’t read the government’s suspension and exclusion guidance, do that. it is also worth reading the school’s behaviour policy.

What support is the school providing? What have they already tried? What reasonable adjustments, including to the behaviour policy, have they made? Was it a formal, lawful suspension? Did the suspension follow the correct procedure? Did you challenge it? What outside agencies have they involved?

They could look at off-site direction again.

They can’t off-roll if that’s what you mean.

Has a managed move been suggested?

Does DS have an EHCP?

Thanks Chasingmoresleep. I will read the government’s suspension and exclusion guidance - I didn’t know that existed so that’s useful to know.

DS doesn’t have an ECHP, but he does have an ADHD diagnosis. There have been some adjustments- exit card, movement breaks - but there is inconsistency amongst teachers and what seems to be a compulsion towards constant sanctions.

They have mentioned a managed move but I’ve been very clear I don’t agree. Whether that makes any difference I’m not sure. Personally I think they want to off roll (is that the same as offload) him, and others in a similar boat, in a clean up pre-year 11. I can’t prove this of course. But it seems like we’re being propelled through some sort of process. I don’t know what I can do to challenge it.

Request an EHCNA yourself now. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

Alongside this, request a meeting with the SENCO. The school should be providing more support and making more adjustments. Follow up the meeting with an email to create a paper trail.

Managed moves can only take place with the consent of all involved.

Off-roll and off-load have similar meanings. The preferred term currently is off-rolling.

Having an EHCP doesn’t mean a young person can’t be permanently excluded.

Where did I say that a pupil with an EHCP couldn’t be permanently excluded?

Thanks for the replies. My son doesn't have an EHCP. I'm not sure if having one would help. In any case, we've probably left it too late as he's in Yr10. My issue is that it seems as if the school is dealing with these incidents in an unhelpful and escalatory way, given that he is SEN. They tell me they are considering his SEN needs, but it doesn't seem that way to me and they have not been able to demonstrate this in any meaningful way. For me, the recent situation where he swore at a teacher could have been handled completely differently so that it didn't escalate to such a level and it didn't warrant a 3.5 day suspension which is now on his record and means he is closer to a longer off site direction or worse, as he heads towards year 11. We have the meeting tomorrow morning with the head, deputy head and head of year, and I will be asking to see their policies around sanctions and suspensions, plus their record of his sanctions so that I can see it all clearly. If anyone has any advice or has been in a similar situation, please advise! Thanks.

Did you challenge the suspension? If DS is suspended again, you can challenge it. Particularly if adjustments and support for DS’s SEN has not been made.

An EHCP would help DS receive the support he needs.

EHCPs can last until 25, or 26 in some cases, so it isn’t too late.

Is the school’s behaviour policy on their website? If so, it would help to read it first.