Child being being bitten in special needs school

[Bobser]

My 10yr old is being bitten in class by another child with sensory issues. Had thought this child bit everyone in the room but have been told this week my child gets it more because she doesn’t retaliate. Been gutted since hearing this, does the fact he picks her out constitute bullying? and what should I do ? She can’t tell me this is happening but is making herself sick on bus on way into school.

Whether it can be construed as bullying or not, the school has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in school .

You should complain that the school is failing to keep your child safe.

This has been happening for a while, the teacher has asked for another member of staff, answer from E.A is no. Teacher says even with another person in room they couldn’t prevent it.

It is unacceptable that your child is being hurt on a regular basis. Kick off big time. Make a formal written complaint and take it all the way to the DfE if necessary.

Is this a mainstream or special school?

It’s in a special needs school. the bus wouldn’t collect her at a time because her being sick on the journey was upsetting the other kids. I drove her to school myself, had some horrendous mornings with her choking herself to be sick once she realised we were heading to school.

You have to protect your daughter and be her voice. If the other child is biting everyone else and your DD in particular, he needs to be removed to a place where he can't do it. Special school or not this is not acceptable.

Your poor daughter must be going through hell with being physically attacked (and bites are very painful) and suffering constant anxiety through the fear of it happening repeatedly.

I'd keep her at home until they deal with this. She's not likely to be benefiting from going at the moment. Make official complaints at every level as pp has suggested, and make a huge fuss

I teach in a special school and have done for many years. It is true that it isn't always possible to prevent every injury, but if a child is regularly hurting others then the school needs to do more. If it were my class, I would be writing a risk assessment (and rewriting and rewriting as the situation evolves) and putting the child on 1:1 support. I would be planning seating and transitions so that your child and the other child are not together. I have in the past had to do things like have a separate playtime for a child if necessary to keep the others safe, and even educating the child in their own room if they can't cope with being in a group. I would be investigating as many possible strategies to address the biting, such as meeting the sensory need in other ways. I would be keeping detailed records of incidents so we can spot patterns. I would be asking for help from senior staff, occupational therapists etc. The school may be doing many of these things, and obviously they can't tell you how they are handling another child, but you should be able to get some impression from talking to them whether it seems like they are actively addressing it. I sympathise with the teacher if requests for more staff are being denied, but actually having complaints from you will support the teacher's cause. I suggest you kick up a fuss (in a polite, reasonable way) and keep going until the school are keeping your child safe. This is not good enough.

Your poor DD. The school are failing both children, don't accept nothing can be done.

Transport should not be stressful. If DD can't cope on the bus the LA should provide a taxi for DD. You do not have to drive DD, but if you wish to you should get mileage.

The transport isn't stressful in itself; it's the fear and anticipation of what awaits her at school which is making her freak out.

The transport doesn't need changing, the school situation does.

Of course the school situation needs to change, but OP should not be pressured in to driving DD to school because the transport isn't suitable, which it isn't if the driver refused to take her, being on a bus rather than an individual taxi is likely to be exacerbating DD's already sky high anxiety. And if OP does want to drive DD she is entitled to mileage.

@Bobser

This has been happening for a while, the teacher has asked for another member of staff, answer from E.A is no. Teacher says even with another person in room they couldn’t prevent it.

This is an absolute nonsense, for all the reasons stated by @bluechameleon. In any event it would be perfectly easy to prevent it by having a 1:1 sitting next to the other child with a wall on the other side so that s/he is shielding all the other children from him.

I think you need to get the school's safeguarding, bullying and complaints policies and ask the school for a meeting involving the class teacher, head and any other relevant teaching staff at which the sole agenda is going to be how they keep your child safe. Emphasise that this needs to include reassuring your child and working on her fear of coming into school. Take someone with you to take detailed notes and produce your own minutes afterwards detailing everything that has been agreed.

If they won't do this, or don't keep to what is agreed, contact the local authority to make a safeguarding referral and ask for a transfer to another school as this one is not able to keep your child safe.