I'm very disillusioned

[808state]

I collected my son from school one lunchtime and whilst walking into school saw a friend on mine (her son is autistic and attends this school which is a "mainstream".

She informed me that this school have asked her to remove her son from there as he is too disruptive and they cannot any longer cope with him. She is going to remove him by this summer.

This is bad enough in my opinion but what to me is even worse is that on open display outside the school office is the record of the Governors minutes in a folder (its also marked Parents Information). I've always wondered what the Governors get up to so I had a look. Inside it gives an account of the ways the school have tried with this boy (it does not name him). I think that if this child was the grandson of one of the Governors they would not write about him like this. Its absolutely appalling. BTW the child's mother is unaware of this folder but I would repeat it is on open display.

The Government talk at great length about inclusion but I feel all too many schools are too ready to exclude such pupils.

Thoughts as always are welcome and appreciated.

He is autistic but deserves as much chance as anyone else.

Perhaps the school isnt getting the funding needed. I dont think it's a case of schools wanting to exculde but just not being able to cope.

Hercules,

Thank you for your message.

Funding (or lack of) is no excuse for this particular school as I have been told by the LEA that funding is not an issue. School can apply for extra funding. BTW I have also had dealings with the LEA with regards to my son and so far I have found them to be helpful.

If school cannot cope (the Head has previously asked his Mother about him being moved to a special needs school so would think it highly likely that there is mistrust on both sides) the teachers should be better trained generally to deal with such children as these children will continue to be sent to such schools under the "inclusion" policy. He came into this school with full support on his statement but works separately from the other children.

Does the mother of the little boy mind being asked to move his school? Also, do you think that she should be aware of the folder in which you saw the information?

My ds (6yo, ADHD/Asperger's) is currently in mainstream school but only with the help of Ritalin, is he managing to attend. (He was chucked out of 2 nurseries for his behaviour prior to his school). When I was fed up of being called out of work a few times a week because they wouldn't employ any of the coping strategies we had discussed, I asked if they knew about restraining my ds - properly. The answer to this was that it's a 2 day course to teach these skills to a teacher, and they could not afford the time or the money to do it.

If I were your fried, I would certainly want to know what had been written about my child.

Of course he deserves every chance - whatever his special need, but I am surprised that if he is statemented and receiving one-to-one help, he is being asked to leave at all.

Hadn't realised there were 2 threads. I posted on the other one.

They may have trouble getting him out though. Most special schools are completely oversubscribed......

How far along the spectrum is he? Does anyone outside come in? The autism outreach team really help my son- his school would not be able to cope (or have the confidence that they could cope) without them- they go in 3 times a week.

I have said this before - and it is easy for me to write because I don't, as yet (you never know) have a child with SEN - but what if this school is not the right place for this child. Maybe by sending him to another school with trainned teachers who can deal with him, it will imporve the standard of education he is getting.

But I am welcome to shouted at!

Not shouting That's just a bit simplistic cazzybabs. The govt policy of inclusion means that actually getting a special school place is almost impossible. And a lot of special school's aren't all that good (some are but a lot aren't). Added to which sometimes problems occur in m/s because the school's can't be bothered with it. Same way as if you ring round to find a place for your SN child they'll be "full" as soon as they find out about the SN. It sounds as if 808state is concerned that the school just can't be bothered.

as for the govenors minutes- yes I would be pissed off 808 as EVERYONE would know it was my son (he's fairly well known)- do they have to make the minutes available or somehting (by law I'm thinking)

Getting a place at a special school these days is extremely difficult. As the inclusion policy came in a lot of special schools were closed down.

Some special schools (though not all) are more like a daycare centre than a school. There is very little emphasis on academic learning, which will obviously limit the child's opportunities when they leave school.

I don't know the legal situation about making the governors meetings public but I know I wouldn't be happy that what I would consider to be confidential information about my child was on display. My ds1 will be the only autistic child at his m/s school so it would be obvious who the governors were talking about.

My understanding is that in theory any child with special needs or disabilitiy, however severe, must be allowed to attend m/s if that's what their parents want (and often if they don't), whatever accommodations, changes, adaptations have to be made. The reality is, of course, a bit different. Often the problem is that either the parents don't want their child in m/s and are not given any choice OR the Head and staff at a particular school don't want that child there and have no intention of accommodating that child and therefore the placement and relationship between school and family breaks down or never exists. The person with most influence in these situations is the Head Teacher imho.

I'm a Governor at my dd's school which is a special (SLD) school.

Children are not named on our minutes! If we must indicate, we refer by initial (first initial). The minutes are lodged in the Head-teacher's office and can be accessible on request. Some minutes are even more confidential (those such as staff requests etc.) and are only accessible to senior management and Govs.

Our school adopts that policy that e.g. if a child is in an incident, then the child is not named (so the child does not carry a history throughout school), however, the member of staff is - that is if there's any health comeback for the member of staff. So you see we as a school respect the child's anonimity.

It's hard for me to comment on the school in question but I feel there should be a policy in place regarding confidentiality. We have countless policies in place. It may be worthwhile approaching the Headteacher or Chair of Governor's about this. Although the child in question is not your's 808, if there was a future incident involving your child, then your child would probably be named (so you have every right to question the school's confidentiality policy without involving anyone else!) Furthermore, I feel disability rights groups would come down heavy on the LEA and school if they were aware of what was going on.

Re: CT's comment, all special schools have to follow the National Curriculum although it is up to the teacher to adapt the delivery to suit the learning style of the individual, in accordance to the I.E.P. At my dd's school for example, her literacy hour deals with a lot of spoken language work rather than written work.

Another point, there will be SEN advisors at the LEA who will be able to advise on policies. At our school, we are apprehensive of the attitudes held within some mainstream schools. We have recently been instructed to reduce our role number from 110 to 80 within the next four years by reducing the intake in 'Early Years' and the Inclusion people are working with us, however, we do not have much feedback from mainstream schools and are concerned what the true feeling really is in some circumstances.

Thank you all for your messages; I can safely vent both my anger and frustration here at this situation!!.

I know this boy's mother quite well and have done for some years now even though my son and her's are in different classes.

I know that there have been problems in class and it has been a hard two years for both child and school (teachers not properly or fully trained to work with such children) but this in my view is a poor excuse to apply exclusion now.

I am appalled that this sort of thing could happen but I know it does go on and this situation is by no means unique. I just feel sad in that this particular boy should be given as much chance as anyone else.

She is going to remove him from this school anyway as after all this she does not want him taught there.

Davros's message struck a chord also; the Head teacher has a lot of influence full stop (this person is also the SENCO).