That school was awful beyond words.
When we got there and they’d let us in a little boy had climbed up the bannister and got himself stuck inbetween the bannister and the stairs (hard to explain) the stairs were like a really old fashioned high up staircase and inbetween the bannister and stairs there was a ledge he’d climbed between and he was right at the top so if he had fallen he would of really hurt himself. That didn’t impress me to start with as the man trying to get him out was just asking him to get out rather than actually getting him out, that went on for quite a few minutes, I was looking at my dh like wtf, just remove the child now before he comes to harm.
So ds went into a classroom and that little stair climber (he was really sweet) followed ds in and said to ds hello what’s your name and ds went meowwwww (I told you before he meows like he’s a cat) so the little boy went hello meow I’m Isaac, he thought ds was called meow 😂😂😂😂 bless him.
Anyway the teacher showed me around the classrooms it was more like a big semi detached house and the living rooms had been turned into classrooms, there were no tables or chairs just mats on the floor and a few really shit toys scattered about.
There was antibacterial hand gel all over, actual bottles on the window ledge etc (ds would just drink that) so dh said don’t you put things like that out of reach? She said no we encourage the children to use it, that’s fine but it still needs to be out of reach.
Then I asked some questions, so I asked what sort of levels the other children were working at to give me an idea, she said I’m not sure off the top of my head, I said I thought you were the class teacher for this class? I just wanted a rough idea? So she said I’d have to check (bizarre if you teach a class of 4 children every day and you only have the same 4 children how do you not have a rough idea what level they are at) she was basically clueless, anything I asked her she really didn’t fill me with any confidence at all.
Then there was a big dirty fish tank with 1 single fish in and the lights weren’t working or anything and ds went up to it and tried to rock it over 😳 so she asked us if we wanted to go outside, there were rabbit hutches against a wall and one of the cages was open and in the middle of the garden the rabbit was just running about so I got ds quickly and took him back inside. He would of squashed it and she would of been eating rabbit pie for her lunch on Sunday, I’d seen enough by this point.
When we were outside the other little boy was doing as he pleased and she couldn’t get him inside and she really was rubbish at dealing with him he wanted to go on the swing so she pushed him then said last go but then he kicked off and she kept saying one more go and giving in to him.
I think the best part was when she said if ds started he’d go into the non verbal / pre verbal class to start with until a place became available in the other 2 classes. I said let me get this straight you want to put a completely verbal child (who’s speech in my opinion is good to say he has all his issues) into a class with 3 other non verbal children? She said yes. 😡
Then I asked about the work and she said they do a 5 minute activity then playtime and then 5 minute activity then playtime it’s just really short bursts of activities.
The school day is 9-1.30pm (!) and the little boy who was there when we came, his taxi had not arrived and two members of staff where loudly complaining that he hadn’t been collected and had asked his mum to come and pick him up and that’s why they were waiting for her to arrive, I felt like waiting for her and saying get your child and run and don’t bring him back.
I told sendiass how awful it was as the la are hoping I chose there as it’s the only place within an hour with a place. It’s 40k a year they just be joking I wouldn’t pay 40p!