To go the press or walk away?

[KateGrey]

Hi all,

A couple of months ago we went to tribunal for disability discrimination against my son’s mainstream school. On the day school looked to settle and we now have a letter admitting they discriminated because of his disability and failed to make reasonable adjustments. They will undergo training and a review of policy. But the head and senco remain in post. The acts of discrimination were deliberate (refusing to allow us to go on the bus for school trips, refusing to let him come in at the same time as his peers). These are the tip of the iceberg. We informed ofsted about it and the CEO refuses now to meet with us. We plan to take this to our MP and our local council. Would you do anything more? A few people have said the press but I don’t know. I feel our story should be told to help other parents. Especially as the head who made each last decision with the senco (we met with him weekly). His conduct was awful (very unpleasant emails). What should we do? Or should I let it go? My son now no longer goes there but my other son who has Sen does still attend. It’s an academy if that makes any difference.

Gosh. What a question!

Firstly, I am in great admiration for what you did taking it to tribunal.

What will happen to your other child if you go to the press? (nb the guardian have been doing a good run of articles on the failures of sn education).

That is the nub of it for me. Although I went to Ofsted and now the head looks through me... And we're going to take no. 2 out soon.

I still have two other kids there. My son has Sen and he’s in year 4. The only reason I’m not moving him is he’s got a great circle of friends and is happy despite the leadership being appalling. We’ve contacted ofsted but some friends feel we should go to the press especially as the CEO of the trust refuses to meet with us. Relationship with the school is already very poor but I’m disappointed they’ve left the head and senco in post.

My son's school nearly broke him and just expected him to be like everyone else. He has an asd diagnoses but because he is so bright no adaptations were made and he was treated very cruelly. We ended up pulling him and his siblings out and moved away. I wish we had taken it further.

Well done on getting that result from your claim for disability discrimination- although obviously it’s hardly a cause for celebration finding out that your DS was discriminated against.

I think I’ve ‘spoken’ to you before - our case for disability discrimination was also for failure to make reasonable adjustments for our DS’s disability. We had to go through the hearing at Tribual though - the School probably thought the panel were going to find in their favour til the judgement came out - the Head was very arrogant.

We didn’t go to the press. DS’s privacy was very important- he was in the sixth form when the events happened. They had a profound effect on his mental health and we wouldn’t have wanted that in the paper.

But in our case the Head got his come uppance. The school was in the national press about a year ago for its policy of stopping students moving from Y12 to Y13 if they got lower than B grades in their exams. The Head was suspended and subsequently resigned.

They'll already hate you anyway if you've taken them to tribunal! In our case, I am trying to move DD from the mainstream school that DS used to go to now that he is safely ensconced in special school. But it's easier said than done: there is a waiting list for the alternative state school and the private schools are too competitive. She had a taster day at a school which turned out to be with a teacher who was previously at her current school. When the Senco at the taster day school started bleating on about 'we don't have children with moderate learning difficulties here' [DD is a bit behind but unlike DS no way does she have moderate learning difficulties] I just knew that the teacher who used to be at their mainstream had dished the dirt on DS's problems there even though we never had any contact/problems with her herself.

I would not go to the press myself. Remember, you can go to them with your story from your point of view; but you cannot control how the journalist would present it! Hypothetically, they could take a completely different pov and present it as "unreasonable parents.....", and you could end up being embarrassed by how your story is used!

Other parents stories have been told in the press, and imo, it does nothing to improve the experience of all parents of SEN children; because really it all comes down to lack of proper funding for special education, social care, the NHS, etc by the government - which is a deliberate ideological policy! Funnel all resources upwards from the un/deserving poor to the ultra wealthy, and then the poor will be too tired and disorganised to have the energy to do anything about it!

I think that going to the press can be a good idea if you need to get something out of the LA or NHS eg services for OT/S&LT or a specific placement (I've witnessed this several times as a successful strategy in my past professional experience). I personally wouldn't in your case as the Head and SENCO have clearly been shown to be discriminatory and their reputations will now be at risk. So although they are still in their positions they won't have come out of this looking good. Which is great. I think that going to the press would be too much of a personal risk.

Well done for having the guts to go to Tribunal. You're amazing!

OP, I'm so sorry to hear what a terrible time you're having. Personally I would not go to the press, because your children are staying at the school and your relationship with the SMT is already so strained. You're clearly the better person, so build bridges with them if you can.

I meant your child's staying there, not children.

That’s my biggest concern. There were some big safeguarding issues but as it’s an academy they’ve closed ranks. The chair of the academy wasn’t remotely interested 😕 Ofsted also won’t inspect the school as we raised concerns about the leadership. They haven’t been inspected in 5 years. I’m so so disappointed that there is no system to protect our children. I’m going to go to our MP and also high up in our local education authority. The head and senco remain despite admitting serious safeguarding issues and discrimination.

Surely the Head and SENCO are accountable to "someone"? How can they be allowed to do this?

We asked to see the CEO to talk about our concerns about both as we had comments made by both the Head including when we asked if our dc could start at the same time as her peers he commented that “other parents might complain” and the senco also said how our dd had no teacher input as she was unteachable.

The CEO seems as bad and replied to us in an email that their court costs have had to come out of public money that could have been spent on the children’s education so I’m not sure we’ll get that far with her.

Wow! Just wow! In that case I would definity at least threaten going to the press. Maybe point out that parents are baying for blood right now and there's been lots of recent press attention around SEND failings and Ofsted are saying that SEND support is a bit rubbish. What the CEO said is inexcusable and she should be held to account for this.

Scrap that, I think you really should go to the press. At the end of the day things aren't going to improve if we all keep schtum. Those comments are unbelievable

It's true, some despicable stuff goes on and it's appalling that they can get away with it. Head at mainstream said 'DS needs to leave for the sake of the other children' but denied it when I brought it up. Needless to say all other teachers/staff present mysteriously had no recollection. Head instituted system that all special needs children had to wear a yellow swimming hat in swimming lessons (school uniform is navy blue) - and that'll be £2 for your yellow hat thanks! The trouble is most teachers are hugely overstretched; all they want is a quiet life and less work/problems. Of course they're going to close ranks.

I think it was the fact that support was offered from the LA and by us (private OT, private behaviour therapist). It was all turned down. She was never given a proper chance in the school. And she was in a class of 18. I think it wouldn’t have been so bad if the attitude hadn’t been so awful. She wasn’t allowed to even try being in the Christmas play so was left for two mornings in a portakabin outside of her classroom area that was used as an external breakfast club, we weren’t allowed on the bus for school trips (I had to drive her). I would be going these trips but we weren’t allowed on the bus. Plus she was locked out of classrooms. I know education is a mess and teachers are stressed but my dd was never given a chance. This is the same head who sent us a solicitor letter saying she didn’t have to have our son at the afterschool Lego club (which is in fact illegal). Even though we offered to have one of us with him. It’s more the attitude. Which seems to be the same as the CEO. They had numerous chances to make things right (we raised a complaint with the head of governors) and when we submitted our papers it was clear what we wanted.

It shocks me how inclusive some schools can be and I get how tough education is now and I do get that but that doesn’t mean you have to have such an awful attitude. Your poor son. Does he sill attend the school?

And I thought that our school was crazy! Sounds like the CEO needs to go as the culture is obviously coming from her. Will any other parents agree to be interviewed with you, if you do go to the press?

All the threads about going to the press while your children are in the school say it's a really bad idea . (Sorry, in bed with the flu and getting really cross about SEND failings at the moment!)

I think that if you want to expose them properly you need to get your other kids out. I do though understand your feelings about that.

The CEO seems as bad and replied to us in an email that their court costs have had to come out of public money that could have been spent on the children’s education

This is such nonsense. If they were concerned about court costs they would want to take effective steps to prevent any recurrence. I'd be really tempted to investigate what the CEO's salary is - and it's probably into six figures - and ask him how s/he feels about taking that money which could be spent on the children's education.

CEO takes £120k. Headteacher of one secondary but is CEO to three trust schools including the secondary she’s head at all.

I know this sounds really dramatic but the whole thing has left me feeling quite low and a bit broken by it all. It’s probably made worse that two of the kids remain at the school including our other child with autism. The CEO clearly has the same attitude as the headteacher and its left me feeling angry and very upset even though my youngest no longer attends. I’m also worried as my other child is on course for that secondary school. The whole experience including the time my youngest was at school has been really hard and I feel quite damaged by the whole the experience. My youngest seems okay. But is very scared going up there if there’s ever an inset day at her school and we have to go and collect my other two children.

You're definitely not overreacting. It's an awful experience for anyone to go through, made worse by the fact that there's no accountability. You have been under a lot of stress. Well done for standing up to them, hopefully other parents will now take your lead.

OP I know how you feel. Having to battle the place we entrust our kids to, hoping they will do their best for them is shattering. I get what you say about feeling damaged. It kind of rocks your faith in human beings when people lie and dissemble about the truth. Hope you will find a way to heal. Thanks for posting your heroic struggle. It is heartening to know people are taking on the system and that the truth is coming out about the behaviour and culture within some schools.

The CEO has agreed to meet with us but will not discuss the tribunal only Sen provision as our dd is not in their school anymore. We’re going to go and explain about how the attitudes aren’t acceptable and that saying a child with Sen is unteachable is not right. Will be highlighting all individuals have broken the Trust’s code of conduct not to mention teacher standards, teacher code of counduct and the Sen code of practice. I’m also reviewing my son’s file (he has autism and remains at the school) and will see if senco is doing her job and there is anything in his file relating to assessments etc.

Well done! You're amazing! Remind her gently that there's been a tonne of publicity in the press about SEND failings lately and that parents are becoming increasingly willing to talk to the media. That'll worry them more than MP etc and it's very effective. You're right to keep a hawk's eye on everything relating to your son and let her know this. Tell her that you're willing to work with her blah de blah. Good luck!!!!!