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Reasonable adjustments to school behaviour policy?

2 replies

ghislaine · 03/12/2020 19:41

Hi everyone, I hope this is the right place for my question. I'll just plunge straight in!

DS8 has a diagnosis of ADHD and anxiety. Loads and loads of supporting information, including from CAMHS. He doesn't have an EHCP but he's on the SEN register and has quite a lot of support, for which we're very grateful. He is in a mainstream primary and doing well for the most part.

My issue is that the school apply the behaviour policy in a very rigid way - there is no acknowledgment that his behaviour transgressions might be a result of his ADHD - we are consistently told he ''made the wrong choice." They also seem to be under the impression that if he has enough sanctions he will eventually change his behaviour.

I want to approach them and ask them to make reasonable adjustments to the behaviour policy and take into account his diagnosis. I found a decision of the SEND Tribunal on this very issue (a secondary school child who had ADHD), which states that blanket application of behaviour policies without regard to SEN issues was disability discrimination. However I don't want to go in waving the law around as an opening move. DS has a few more years at this school (I hope!) and I want to maintain good relations. I accept there should be some response to his behaviour but don't think that continually giving him internal exclusions is appropriate or effective.

Does anyone have any experience of this and have any advice to pass on?

OP posts:
Ellie56 · 12/12/2020 22:38

"I want to approach them and ask them to make reasonable adjustments to the behaviour policy and take into account his diagnosis."

So just do that and if they refuse, remind them that all schools have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

Maybe you could go armed with suggestions about what could be put in place?

ghislaine · 13/12/2020 19:15

I don’t want to go straight for the law as I feel it could cause issues for DS. That said, the behaviour lead is adamant that he can comply and chooses not to. I would be keen to hear how anyone else has dealt with this.

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