School requesting child to be collected early

[Albanyriver]

My child has been struggling to meet behaviour expectations at school recently. Recent AuDHD diagnosis. EHCP/ECHNA process just starting.

School have asked me to start collecting 30mins before the end of the day.

I work, and don’t get annual leave. I can’t flexitime. Any advice whether I should make my professional life really hard and ask to leave early, or refuse schools request and take the approach it’s an unofficial suspension each day.

Why Op? For what reason have they given?

A “wobble” at 3pm. They couldn’t tell me what the wobble was as it was the nurture unit where he wobbled. The senco called. They think he started to struggle and want him to not wobble tomorrow.

I think you’re underplaying this

you think on the basis of one wobble the senco department are saying your child leaves the premises before everyone else?

We’ve had some totally unacceptable behaviour this week that would have been a suspension except for his SEND needs. Hence why he is now in nurture, to try to meet needs. He had an internal exclusion yesterday. The phone call was that he had a great day today, did all his curriculum work in the nurture space, had a wobble at 3pm (their words) and ended the day working and playing in the corridor outside his mainstream classroom (it’s the continuous provision area). There was zero clarification on what this wobble was. Hence my concern as to being asked to be collected early. I know it’s an unofficial suspension and they cannot insist, but it’s such a struggle at the moment.

The school should not be doing this. You would be well within your rights to refuse to collect early unless the school is formally suspending DS.

It may help you to read the government suspension and exclusion guidance if you haven’t already, and remind the school of it. You can see it here. In particular:

“Telling or forcing a pupil to leave school, or not allowing them to attend school, is a suspension (if temporary) or permanent exclusion (if permanent). Whenever a pupil is made to leave school, or forbidden from attending school, on disciplinary grounds, this must be done in accordance with the School Discipline (Pupil Exclusions and Reviews) (England) Regulations 2012 and with regard to relevant parts of this guidance.

19. Suspending a pupil for a short period of time, such as half a day, is permissible but the formal suspension process must still be followed. Each disciplinary suspension and permanent exclusion must be confirmed to the parents in writing with notice of the reasons for the suspension or permanent exclusion.

20.Any exclusion of a pupil, even for short periods, must be formally recorded. It would also be unlawful to exclude a pupil simply because they have SEN or a disability that the school feels it is unable to meet, or for a reason such as, academic attainment/ability; or the failure of a pupil to meet specific conditions before they are reinstated, such as to attend a reintegration meeting.

21.If any of these unlawful exclusions are carried out and lead to the deletion of a pupil’s name from the register, this is known as ‘off-rolling’. Further examples of off-rolling include:
•exercising undue influence over a parent to remove their child from the school under the threat of a permanent exclusion and encouraging them to choose Elective Home Education or another school place
•moving a pupil to off-site AP where that is not in the best interests of that pupil
•encouraging a post-16 student not to continue with their course of study when this is against the best interests of that pupil
•sending a pupil home without a formal suspension regardless of whether it occurs with the agreement of parents
•placing a pupil on a part-time timetable for behavioural reasons
•Intentionally removing a pupil from the school roll without correctly following regulations”

Don’t worry if they go on to suspend. A formal suspension rather than an unlawful informal exclusion it will a) provide you with evidence of unmet needs, b) force the school to follow due process, c) limit the number of days the school can suspend for, d) allow you to challenge any suspension, and e) means DS would be eligible for alternative provision once he has reached that threshold.

Whatever you do, put it in writing so you have a paper trail as evidence.

Where are you in the EHCP process? Is the LA sticking to the timescales?

Thank you for all that support. I’m pushing them to get on with it, I need them do to the ECHNA first, as I know we will have more success with it coming from them although I know I can do it myself. So we are nowhere near anywhere with timescales but we’ve had an EP obs and a behaviour support team specialist to observe. She recommended full time nurture in the mainstream school for now, but today was his first full day in nurture.

Has an EHCNA actually been requested from the LA? If not, do that ASAP yourself. Don’t wait for the school. Waiting just delays the process.

I have just emailed the LA now, thank you!

No further clarification, she said she’d find out tomorrow as she wasn’t there. So I have no idea how huge this wobble was, for the general call to be positive, but then the curve ball of a shortened day! There is literally no drip feeding here, I’ve said his behaviour was enough for suspension earlier in the week, but he managed a good morning til 1 yesterday and a good day til 3 today! So to me that looks like an improvement, not a reason to cut the day short.

Yes, violence. It isn’t acceptable, and we address it at home but short of hurting him at home, we don’t have much left. Screens get taken away, no screens before school as normal, limited access to what he can watch on TV, lots of outdoor activity, gets rewards when things go well, toys get confiscated when they don’t. Every supplement going. Starting play therapy privately. I’m all ears to extra suggestions. Behaviour is worse at school than home, but we do get some at home, and he has boundaries at home.