Can you expel a P1????

[Gigglebizmizz]

My DD is almost 5 started P1 in Sept the education board were dragging their feet a bit on the whole classroom assistant front and finalising the statement DD has ADHD, Dyspraxia and lots of temper tantrums.
Her behaviour in school has been just terrible throwing chairs, hitting out at the teachers, poking the other children etc all down to her frustrations. The board have now granted a full-time classroom assistant and the statements is finalised but today the headmaster has said if her behaviour does not improve within 6 weeks of the classroom assistant starting she will have to leave!!!!!!
Am feeling gutted relationships with the school are at an all time low they have been punishing DD when this does not work we asked them to distract her as she does not make a choice to be bad she just gets so frustrated with herself that she lashes out.
It's pretty clear the school don't want my lovely girl I am shocked though that they expect her to improve her disability???????????

You need to contact ACE.

They can and do expel 5 year olds :(

ACE exclusion

They have a duty of care to your DD, but they also have a duty of care to the rest of the class. They probably need advice on strategies to help your DD, but can you imagine what it is like for the other children in the class, who are only 5, when she throws chairs, hits teachers etc.
I have taught children like your DD, and been a SENCo, and am also a parent of a young person with Aspergers, so can see all angles. I have fought to keep children in school with difficulties like your DD, but could see the effect on the other children.
Maybe Mainstream is not the place for her.Don't automatically condemn the school, but look at other options where her needs might be better met.
I agree that punishing her will not work, and that they need to look for the reasons behind her behaviour, but maybe that is an indicator that this isn't the school for her.

My DS is 4 and in primary 1, he's been excluded from school 4 times so far and he only started in august. Sadly yes they can expel, and any exclusions stay on their record too.

They can expel a 5 year old. My DS was excluded 3 times :( that was until they put more stratagies in place and realised that punishment wasnt the best policy and recognised that he couldnt cope full time in a whole class all day.

How long has the statement been going? Is his TA with her all the time? What suggestions did the EP give them and are they implimenting them as in removing her from stressful situations and working out what triggers things off.

What kind of things would try expel/exclude a 5 yr old for? Just curious what the boundaries are?

My lad was kicked out at six. They can, they do and they will permanently exclude.

However it's clear evidence the school isn't meeting the childs needs under the DDA so you do have options. Excluding a child of this age is a sign of failure on the part of the school, especially if it is recognised they have sen. In effect they are saying they can't control a 4 year old.

Get in touch with ACE & IPSEA straight away and then write to your education authority & the governors asap - you need the LEA involved before things get worse.

It maybe you conclude this school CAN'T meet his needs (frankly if a school is led by an unsympathetic head you are aways gonna be struggling). My own child is now at a different school where the attitude towards him is kindly and helpful, and where they care. He is blossoming and is so much happier, he's like a different child now he's no longer being driven to melt down for stuff he just can't help. This school has the wisdom to see the difference between say a verbal stim and deliberate disobedience - result = verbal stimming much reduced as he's not bawled out in front of the whole class for it.

mango DS was excluded for threatening behaviour the first time. This was before they were aware of not to touch him or chase him. He ran to hide under a table and the teacher went and dragged him out so he wriggled free and his elbow caught her and he ran off to a cupboard. The teacher then got 2 other ones to help her by cornering him in the back of the cupboard and so he threw a stool that was in there at them. All this however was before they realised that what he was fighting was the fact that they were going to take him back to the classroom with all those kids in it but he couldnt explain that. Now they know not to do that and to make another low key activity they dont get this problem anymore.

It does sound difficult to prepare them for those sorts of scenarios... Can imagine DS doing the same right now.

A lot of it has got to be guesswork so I can understand why the school excluded him as what he did was wrong wether or not there was a reason behind it. But a good school would then if they are smart work out a pattern of events. Thats why I love the home book as you can work out so much from them and can locate triggers when things seem to repeat themselves on certain days etc. If it is the right school then they should be willing to work with this than expell permanently.

It really does depend on your relationship with the school though and just how far they are prepared to go that extra mile. Mine have a few hic cups and stubborn ways and do try but fail on occasion due to no training.

ignore the 'threats' for now, and concentrate on the fantastic fact that they have found and funded a ft TA for her. you need to arrange a meeting as soon as possible, because the more that the TA knows and understands about dd, the less likely it is that any exclusion will happen.

does she have specific triggers? (especially in a classroom situation?) is there a warning period - does her beahviour escalate, or is it a really short flash-to-bang period?

the TA needs to know how you deal with dd at home and which techniques have the best results. does 'talking her down' calmly work, or does she need training in restraint techniques?

what is the current classroom plan in case dd gets overwhelmed? (most classes have a standard procedure where one child runs to the office to get help, the rest of the class evacuate to the school hall/ the next door classroom/ and the teacher/ TA remains with dd until the situation is under control and it is safe for the class to be allowed back in/ or for dd to have been removed for quiet time to the library/ safe space etc.)

have they implemented a system where she can 'opt out' in a non verbal manner if she needs to? some teachers have special cards whihc children can show, or a code (they put their pencil/ red tractor/ ruler/ wahtever on the edge of the desk and leave to a pre-determined safe zone) this will be easier with a TA providing support and watching for clues/ triggers.

hopefully dd will 'click' with the TA. but you need to make an appointment with the ht and the Ta and classroom teacher an focus positively on how this can work for the best. it's a great thing. quite why the ht had to ruin it by threats makes my blood boil, but try and get past that. he's probably feeling emasculated by the fact that he can't control a 4yo girl. which is his problem, really.

none of that stuff is completely out of the ordinary and schools do manange to cope - with the TA there is every chance this will be the turning point that matters.

and if it isn't, then it was never going to be the right setting for her, and so it makes sense to walk away in a dignified manner and find somewhere that suits her better (whether ms or no)

good luck x