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SN children

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Original poster

Governors sided with school re exclusion

45 replies

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 16:52

Got a nice letter from govenors handed to me after a positive (planned soft soaping) meeting today. HT mentioned she was sorry to give such a letter after such a good meeting but its a short letter saying that the govenors supported her decision to exclude.

I took it, thanked her and told her I will be oposing their decision.

So.......who do I contact to represent my son now?

good grieeeeeeeeeeeeeef

OP posts:

davidsotherhalf · 11/05/2012 16:57

i got a solicitor involved,

WetAugust · 11/05/2012 17:02

I think it's the LA that is the next tier of complaint.

starfish71 · 11/05/2012 17:02

That is awful. Know others will have advice but your school just gets worse doesn't it? :(

flowwithit · 11/05/2012 17:11

Oh no what a nightmare. I would get solicitor involved too.

Triggles · 11/05/2012 17:11

oh no. So sorry you're having to deal with this.

davidsotherhalf · 11/05/2012 17:13

LA can't step in and investigate the complaint, my dd got excluded a few yrs ago for having asd, (was sn school) p/t placement, they excluded her for 5 days in first letter, but the date of her going back to school didn't add up.....so they sent another letter out excluding her for 47 days....i went to govs etc, went to la, nobody could do anything, ended up going to solicitor, school wouldn't have my dd back, saying they don't do asd, and couldn't meet her needs.

cansu · 11/05/2012 17:19

Just had a quick look on IPSEA website www.ipsea.org.uk They have a section on common problems and under this a massive section on different types of exclusion with advice.

WetAugust · 11/05/2012 17:20

I think this is quite complicated by the SN aspect.

I've seen the Handbook that the LA issue to Governors. It explicitly forbids them to deal with any SN complaints and instructs the Governors to refer all SN related complaints to the LA itself.

Coff's is indirectly an SN related complaint. That's why I think it should be the LA who should handle the complaint. And ultimately schools are under the control of LAs.

If it's a complaint that 'due process' was not followed prior to the exclusion then it's a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman as a matter of maladministration.

Coff - is there no other school at all he could go to? This situation is not going to improve and the constant attrition will gring you down.

appropriatelyemployed · 11/05/2012 17:27

I had a quick look at the ACE guide but it doesn't set out any right of appeal.

It does set out the correct procedure though so you need to look if this was handled properly.

I would ring ACE to chat it through.

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:27

hmmmm having a coffee and dwelling a sec waiting for my spring into action head.

On a good note he is suddenly allowed his cupboard which I have been requesting for last 3 years but thats only due to the asd man coming today. Language for Thinking has been started this week and they have agreed that perhaps they should look at sports and arts and crafts in the afternoons when he is most tired and overloaded with small group work HALLELUIA

So the meeting bucked them up but his exclusion and all the other ones wouldnt have happened if they were doing this and adhering to the statement and gone on the courses requested. Letter says gove has been active volounteer for years (AND?) and whilst in ds class he has been treated with exceptional skill, patience and respect. I THINK NOT

OP posts:

bochead · 11/05/2012 17:28

ofstead & michael gove

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:30

soory x posted while sipping coffee.

Steps I took were letter to Chair requesting meeting, copied to LA so they were aware. Had face to face meet with disiplinary committee and now got this letter.

OP posts:

nothinginthefridge · 11/05/2012 17:34

I am disgusted coff33.

I think we were all concerned it might end like this. I would definitely find a way to appeal, whatever that may be.

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:42

Well I re read the ACE guidelines and I did it to the book according to that right down to handing them the bullet points.

But the guide doesnt tell you what to do next

It does say the governors are supposed to let you know the result within one day of the hearing but I have had to wait 7!! and still have no copy of the minutes

OP posts:

notactuallyme · 11/05/2012 17:43

Hi Coff33 - so, you had a governors hearing to appeal to the governors about an exclusion (fixed term or permanent?)
next step is an independent appeal panel, and depending on the type of school either they or the la set this up. so, academy or maintained?

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:43

Am also looking at Michael Goves site

OP posts:

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:45

They changed to an Academy last Sept. It was a fixed term exclusion of 2 days.

LA are involved with school as DS has a full statement

OP posts:

bialystockandbloom · 11/05/2012 17:47

So sorry to hear this - though it's probably par for the course they'd back the school up

Can you afford to speak to solicitor? I think Clifford Chance sometimes give pro bono help in some cases (or they certainly used to).

notactuallyme · 11/05/2012 17:48

btw independent appeal panel only (i think) for permanent exclusions.

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 17:50

ah thanks notactually :)

OP posts:

alison222 · 11/05/2012 17:54

and for you. Sorry no constructive help but didn't want to read and run - I have been silently following this.

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 18:06

Thanks Wet. From the Ace guide it says a representative of the LA would have been invited but rarely attends? LA were aware of this letter as I emailed them about it so would assume they would have spoke to the school.

It was all soooo cushy today. EP did come in but not to do report just to observe and bring invite ASD team along to go through some transistion ideas etc. Chair of governors was "volounteering" in DS class, HT buzzing around smiley smiley.

Miraculously he can have his cupboard and everything I said was agreed with I think for the ASD Team mans benefit.

I dont know what Michael Gove can do but I could email him. It was only 2 days but it was what it was for and the fact that they had calmed him down and he was happy to be there. Its just that its the last straw of many exclusions, having to keep him home if he wont go on trip so TA can go blah blah. It grates.

OP posts:

notactuallyme · 11/05/2012 18:14

The old exclusions guidance is the 2008 set and a new set will take effect from sept 2011. You can find it all on the dfe website. Unless you had reached more than 5 days in one term, the governors didn't have to meet you. It may be worth looking at your academys funding agreement (one of the annexes) to see what it says about sen and exclusions. Try googling it or looking on their website.

Original poster

coff33pot · 11/05/2012 18:24

Well he got his statement December and the agreement was he was to go back gradually to FT once it was in place. Kept asking but they didnt have a TA. He didnt go back to FT till I put my foot down in March. Theoretically (sp) you could say he was unofficially exluded for 80 ish half days? This last one is official

OP posts:

bochead · 11/05/2012 19:42

In any complaint further up the chain eg Michael Gove make sure the unofficial exclusion is listed!

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