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Original poster

Hi-vis vests for SEN kids in playground. Anyone else uneasy?

51 replies

sickofsocalledexperts · 22/10/2014 20:48

I have now heard of at least two schools where the kids with SEN are put in hi-vis vests at playtime, so the staff member can easily see them and "check they are ok". Does anyone else find this odd? Surely some kids wearing these vests must feel rather singled out? Or is it just me and it is a sensible move in a busy mainstream playground?

OP posts:
Runningtokeepstill · 23/10/2014 10:16

Have worked in primary in the past. It's not that difficult to keep an eye on children who may need extra support. This is crazy and I would strongly object if anyone did this to my child. Probably best to be polite on the first approach. Some schools get very paranoid over H & S issues and may just have overreacted without thinking it through.

Icantfindaname · 23/10/2014 13:29

School lunchtime staff did this to my DD. It was done with the best intentions, but was obviously wrong. I raised it with SENCO and it was stopped immediately. They thought they were keeping her safe, I pointed out they were treating her differently to everyone else and it wasn't inclusive. When I suggested a bell they realised how awful it was.

zzzzz · 23/10/2014 15:15

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Glittery7 · 23/10/2014 15:20

Is it much different from the "I've got autism" badges some parents pin on to their kids in public?

Glittery7 · 23/10/2014 15:22

I'd rather my child was being observed and assisted even if she's wearing a bright vest than be left floundering without one.

MooMummyMoo · 23/10/2014 15:37

I just don't see why a child can't be cared for properly without having to wear something different than his or her peers.

zzzzz · 23/10/2014 15:44

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elliejjtiny · 23/10/2014 17:58

No, it sounds like a terrible idea.

cansu · 23/10/2014 18:33

It's completely unnecessary. It isn't that hard to keep an eye on a particular child really.

Icimoi · 23/10/2014 21:49

It's clearly discrimination. If anyone comes across this directly I'd strongly suggest contacting the Equality and Human Rights Commission about it.

Glittery7, would you really be happy about your child wearing a Hi Vis vest if it meant all the other children taunted and bullied her as a result?

ouryve · 23/10/2014 22:02

I don't make my boys wear those badges, either.

I am fortunate that they both love bright colours (DS1 loves orange and read, DS2 loves yellow and green) and DS2's school doesn't insist on sober coloured outerwear, so I am able to make them easy to track in a natural way that doesn't single them out. There are days when DS2's not wearing that stuff, but he's well enough supervised for it not to be an issue - and that's the point. If a school deems certain children in need of more supervision at break times, then they need to find a non-discriminatory way of providing that supervision, particularly in a larger primary where they may be 3-400 children out at once. The hi-vis vests are a pretty lazy way of going about it, really.

Strongecoffeeismydrug · 24/10/2014 19:17

My sons first school suggested he wore a high viz so he was easy to spot on the playground!
I did agree to buy him a bright easily identify able coat instead !

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 25/10/2014 11:17

Okay. I'm going to take the time to point out the flip side of this.

My ds1 was in MS for reception and year1. He is a runner with no sense of danger at all. He wore a high vis vest on the school playground. It was MY suggestion. He was absolutely fine about it - he actually liked wearing it because he was the only one that got to wear one. He had a 1:1 TA and someone was always with him on the playground, but he is fast and in a crowd of children where they all are dressed exactly the same, it can be easy for them to "disappear" in a matter of seconds. It allowed the TA to step back a bit to allow him a little freedom without stress of him just disappearing in the crowds of kids.

I think if the child is okay with it, the parent is okay with it, and the school is okay with it, then it should be fine. If ds1 had not wanted to wear it, then we would have looked at other things to do. He never got teased or tormented because he was wearing it. To my knowledge, the other children never questioned it - most likely because he was well known for being a runner.

I think it all depends on the situation. It's not a necessary precaution now because he is at a smaller specialised school. Although they have recently asked me whether or not I want him to move to the older playground right now (as he is a bit unsettled at the moment), as the last time he went to that playground, he tried to run off and a teacher chasing him ended up on crutches (long story, but basically the teacher vaulted a fence chasing him down - and still caught him which was pretty damn impressive!). So I've told them that no, I'd prefer he be in the other playground where it's more secure for now. But still, no high vis vest needed at this school.

zzzzz · 25/10/2014 11:22

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PolterGhoul · 25/10/2014 11:37

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AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 25/10/2014 12:37

zzzzz For others, yes. I am sure they can come up with other ideas that work just as well. For us, it worked well. Ds1 wasn't fussed at all about wearing it, as he liked the bright colour. If it was ds2, then it wouldn't work, as he wouldn't wear it. It's just one of those things that, IMO, has to be looked at from an individual standpoint.

clam · 25/10/2014 12:46

There are 240 kids on our KS2 playground. It's not that hard to work out what's going on and where and who to keep a special eye on. Sure, I suppose it could be argued that a bright colour might be easier, but I think the downside of singling kids out in what is probably a negative way is much worse.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 25/10/2014 12:47

I think the defining factor in our situation was that all of us were quite happy with it as a solution - the school, myself, and ds1. If any of us were not okay with it, then no, it wouldn't be okay.

clam · 25/10/2014 14:41

I see that, but I still don't think it sends out a good message. It would sit very uncomfortably with me, even if I knew the family concerned were OK about it.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 27/10/2014 07:14

I don't think it sends out a message at all. I think it's simply the course of action that we agreed upon and it worked for us. If you wouldn't want that, then obviously you wouldn't agree to it. I was fine with it. In our situation, it was utilised so that he COULD play with the other children and allow the TA to step back a bit more, while still keeping an eye on him at play time. Otherwise she needed to be right there next to him, which inhibited his play somewhat, even though she often organised games and such to include other children.

I think that people need to remember that different things work well for different children. It's up to the parents, the school, and the child to decide what is okay and what isn't.

If ds1 had not been happy to wear it, or if the school was using it simply to allow them to shirk responsibility of having a 1:1 on the playground with him, then yes, it would not be good. But he was happy and still had his 1:1 on the playground. So it was win-win as far as we were concerned.

Keeptryin3 · 28/10/2014 00:15

Hi. I'm new. I saw this thread and signed up so I could answer it. I have three SEN kids at local mainstream school. My middle one is a " runner". He has no awareness of danger. The school wanted him to wear a hi vis jacket at playtime because they were worried they would lose him in the nearby woods or he would get hit by a car on the local A road. I agreed. My son actually loves his jacket. He chose to wear it for the last two weeks of the summer holiday because he wanted to go to school. I tried to hide it but he found it and put it on! My other two though, no way! I gues every child is different and for my middle one a big thumbs up! He calles it his life saver jacket. :)

MeAndMySpoon · 28/10/2014 18:39

Hi, Keeptryin. Smile Welcome to MN special needs. You'll stay now you're here, won't you?

I'm not sure what I think now - I thought I knew when I saw the thread title and now I've read posts from at least two commenters who've shown the other side of this strategy and how it works for their own DC. I think the fear that it could replace proper supervision and vigilance is still valid, though.

(This summer, I tie-dyed a whole lot of t-shirts bright, vivid colours for DS2 (and his non-autistic brother) to wear. Grin It did indeed make me relax a bit more on beaches, parks or at fairs. Boys' stuff is so sludgy-toned usually.

PassTheProsecco · 28/10/2014 20:08

I think there is a world of difference between parents/school deciding that a high-viz coat would be helpful for a single child, and buying one, vs schools insisting on putting hi-viz vests over multiple SN childrens' clothes/coats.

A single high-viz coat in a playground is just another different coat? Multiple coats/vests the same marks children out as different, and I would have a lot to say about it if it happened in our school.

Original poster
sickofsocalledexperts · 29/10/2014 10:47

Yep, I think that sums up my view perfectly too Passtheprosecco

OP posts:
StarlightMcKenzie · 01/11/2014 09:05

When Ds was in nursery, I attended a phonics 'show'. All the kids were on the carpet and Ds was sitting to one side on a green spot.

I was appalled. Not only did it obviously single him from out from the other kids, but it did it in front of all of the parents (despite him having his own TA - who sat with other kids with behavioural diff).

When I raised it with the school they treated me as if I was denying my child effective intervention. The Autism Advisory service had recommended this as an 'independent of adults' solution to signal to Ds that he must keep his arms and legs inside the spot, and to apparently give him a 'location' on the carpet to go to and stay on.

They had NO evidence that he needed this.

Spots are used with kids all the time in things like PE and I would have had no problem with the strategy if ALL kids were sitting on spots.