Exclusion advice please, long sorry

[xenzani]

I have in the past posted about my dd2. She is 7, has a diagnoses of mild tourrettes and has various control seeking, aggressive behaviour problems.

She has been excluded for these behaviours, normally following a pattern of either routine change, finding the work hard ( she is a very able child) or just deciding to not cooperate. She had a consistent management plan that was working very well as long as everyone in contact with her followed it fully. She had a lot of support in place in the form of the home school mentor being in the class and then having the class LSA on a one to one basis in the afternoons. The school had a lot of input from behaviour support. By the end of year two, she was a different child, as long as the CMP was being followed, and she needed less support overall.

Fast forward to September. She joined the junior school (same site but separate schools). I asked in July what they would have in place for her and aired my concerns when told nothing. I told them they needed things in place but their response was that they like to see for themselves what a child is like and that most of the time, they actually don't need the support that they had.

She started September, and in the lead up, she was showing small signs of being anxious about it. She had been separated from her two best friends aand this was bothering her a lot.

By the 18th, she had been excluded for half a day for unsafe behaviour. At this point, I had repeatedly asked what was being done to help her and told that they may put her on a watered down CMP and give her a star chart. I asked if they had read her file, which they denied knowledge of recieving. I knew they had it as I had seen the home school mentor in the juniors have it.

between then and yesterday, she has had various incidents of running out of the classroom to hide under the table outside (her safe place) and generally refusing to do her work. Yesterday, I got a call to collect her at 10am.

Due to her behaviour, throwing things, screaming, lashing out at people who came close to her, and finally kicking a member of staff. This resulted in an exclusion. I mentioned it was time they got behaviour support back in now, and they agreed, saying her behaviour is not normal for a seven year old. Finally they listen to me.

This exclusion is for seven days. I do not agree with that, a day after, she can't tell me why she was sent home, so what good will a week do. She loves being home, she has become very clingy with us. The letter from the school says it is for a week because they have tried everything else and that is the only option left, when infact, they had not. Had they read her file, they would have found ways to deal with her, and that preventative measures are they way to go. Behaviour support, a year ago told the infant school not to exclude her as it does not work and gave them alternatives that did work.

I want to appeal the exclusion, I agree for a day but not a week. How do I go about this? Is there anything else I can do to make the school listen to my concerns (was pretty much brushed off about her behaviour a few days ago...doing well, everything is working etc). I can't help but feel had they read her file before she came up and listened to my concerns that things may have happened on a lesser scale.

Sorry it is long but I wanted to give as much info as possible.

The first question I would also ask here is whether your DD has a statement of special needs in place. It does not appear that she has a statement; if this is the case you need to apply to the LEA for such a document urgently.

You need to talk to IPSEA as a matter of course as they can further advise you; www.ipsea.org.uk. Their website also has information on exclusions.

This will help you get started:-

www.ipsea.org.uk/what-you-need-to-know/exclusion/school-exclusion-in-england-from-september-2012-onwards.aspx.aspx

Go take a look at the IPSEA website. Excellent advice there on exclusions.

In the first instance write to the Chair of the Governors, copied to the SN officer at the LA.

In your letter here's some of the following points you need to make. (Get IPSEA to help you with the wording as I'm crap at it!).

1. A carefully tailored support plan was put in place and proven to help your child access the NC in infants.
2. Juniors have chosen to ignore the professional advice of the behavior support team and the Infants school. This has meant that currently your child is unable to access the NC.
3. You feel that the exclusion is a direct result of your child not receiving the support she needs for her ,.
4. You need to know from what date the Junior school will be able to provide the appropriate support for your child, and consider that as they have proven via this illegal exclusion that they are unable to manage your child without it, that it be done immediately upon your child's return to school with no further delays.
5. You believe this exclusion to be illegal for the reasons stated above.
6. You expect a response within 5 working days. (they get summat daft like 55 days to respond but it shows you want this sorted pronto)

Then write a second letter applying for a statement to the director of children's services for your area. Include a copy of your child's diagnosis, any reports that state the support she received in infants and now doesn't etc. Proof that your child needs the statement = school are havingto exclude her, therefore obviously don't have the resources to cope . Let your school SENCO have a photocopy of this letter.

I know this feels awful right now, but in excluding your daughter, school have actually given you the evidence required for the LA to take your request for proper legally protected support as is required by a statement seriously. In the long run you may feel this turns out to be a blessing in disguise as a statement will protect her from this kind of thing all the way through secondary too.

Dunno about rewording boch's post. I'd just cut & paste it

Hi, I am sorry you are in this situation. I have been there too with my ten year old sons (AS) who both have had several fixed term exclusions for violent behaviour. The length of time seems to be entirely up to the HT - ours usually used three days. Others I have heard have gone straight for the maximum of 45 days I think.

For my sons exclusions did not improve the behaviour - infact probably made it worst. On one notable occasion ds2 returned from one exclusion to commit another offence within 30 minutes of being returned to the classroom. At this point the school did finally realise that preventative measures rather than punishments were the way to go.

It must be so frustrating to have gone through this at her previous school and for the junior school to ignore. I wonder whether it would be possible to set up a meeting with staff from the previous school, the behaviour team and the current school to work out what stratagies she needs.

One of my sons did end up being permanently excluded and is now in a BESD school where he is much happier so although we thought it was awful when it happened has actually been very positive. The one thing we did learn was not to be too hard on them during exclusions (or behaviour at school in general) as they were stressed (and depressed) enough already. We have also recently moved ds2 to a smaller school with an ARP unit as although his behaviour had improved he clearly remained very withdrawn and unhappy. Very early days but he does seem a bit brighter so I would also recommend considering a move of school if they continue to be so unhelpful & actually to do it sooner rather than later. The attitude and flexibility of the HT can make an enormous difference to our kids.

Cross-posted with bochead. Great letter and yes, start thinking of the exclusions as ammunition to get a statement and proper support for your daughter.

She does not have a statement, as it was believed she never needed one, when the CMP was working she was doing really well. I had bought it up in the past, especially with all the hours of support she was having, but it was deemed that she was okay without one. She did have an IEP along with the CMP, and was having counselling to try and get her to be more vocal with her emotions. Is it worth me maybe putting an application in for one? I know the school wont do it.

I asked to see the current one they say they have in place but couldn't give it to me, and that I should have had one come home. My guess is that they didn't have one in place. I should be getting that today, along with contact details for the behaviour support team

I ended up going to see her old home school mentor, who was shocked at the length and how bad things have gotten so soon. All the triggers for her behaviour are the same as what they always have been, no new ones, which, again, had they read her file sooner, they would know. They were also informed many times that she would still need help. She gave me some advice for the meeting tuesday.

I read on the link that they aren't supposed to do a re-integration interview, they did that on her last exclusion. I have a meeting with them on Tuesday to 'discuss ways in which we can prevent this happening again'

I am now unsure when she returns to school, as it says from 17th-25th, 7 days, which if I am correct, she is not back until after half term.

I will be calling IPSEA when I am less emotional.

Thank you for the advice so far, and for listening

Thanks again all. I have written a letter using bochead's points, and will be printing it out tomorrow (no printer at home)

I do have another question, her exclusion is for seven days. To quote IPSEA's sheet about exclusions (5-15 days, no statement)

"Schools should take reasonable steps to set
and mark work for pupils during the first five
school days of an exclusion, and alternative
provision must be arranged from the sixth
day."

What does this mean exactly? The school have provided her with three maths sheets, and a book on comprehension. The letter the school gave me states "We have tried to arrange alternative provision for dd during the period of exclusion but unfortunately have been unable to do so. Therefore, we will be providing work for dd to complete at home."

Does this mean that they school have failed to follow another rule in excluding?

Is that seven school days or seven days including the weekend? If it's seven school days, then they should be organising education from day 6. If it's the second option, then it counts as a five day exclusion so the rule doesn't kick in.

Sorry, just seen your earlier post - it is 7 school days, so they should be organising full time education on the 24th and 25th. Get on to them tomorrow and tell them you're expecting them to comply with the law just like they expect dd to comply with their rules.

It is seven school days, the last day is the 25th and it started on the 17th.

Is that school days or weekends as well - don't think the latter count.

Worksheets is pretty standard for the educational provision - although doesn't sound very much for seven days! We got lots of maths (as that was the boys favourite subject) but also literacy and topic work. Ask for more if she completes it - they are meant to mark it anyway.

All the boys fixed term exclusions were for three days or less so alternative provision did not come into play until ds1 was permanently excluded but even then it took longer than the 5 days to arrange because the PRU normally used was full.

Forgot to say that in your exclusion letter they should give you the name and number for the exclusions officer in your LEA. It is worth contacting them to make sure that the school practices are correct. They will also be able to tell you what alternative provision the LEA has for excluded children in your area.