How should school respond

[JimRoyle]

I was punched in the stomach, barged at with a chair (which hit me) and kicked today. Happens regularly to the child’s 1:1 TAs, I am their teacher. It’s the 2nd time I’ve been assaulted by this child.
Haven’t heard a peep from my SLT either time. Aibu to think this is wrong? How should they be responding? I’ve logged it all on our school safeguarding platform. I’ve had no restraint training.
Considering leaving.

Anyone?

This is awful and I'm so sorry this has happened to you. You have a right to feel safe in your place of work. Are you in a union? You should be, and I would be contacting them asap. If the child has a 1-1 TA and is known to be violent, I would have thought you should all have restraint training and there should be a plan in place for when this kicks off. I think it's so awful that SLT haven't even been in contact. I have to say that in itself would make me want to leave. Contact your union (or join one asap!) then try to forget about it over Christmas and enjoy your break xx

Yes in a union, I think I will have to seek advise yes. No risk assessment in place. I emailed to ask for some training and got a very scathing reply. I’m so shocked by the lack of compassion and being dismissed/told off after I was attacked instead of being supported. Lovely way to end for Christmas!

Thank you for your message x

It is interesting you say it regularly happens to TAs. I would hope risk assessments and action would be taken whichever member of staff child physical to. Child obviously dysreglated when this happens and behaviours need addressing so correct support can be given.
Saying that, as a TA I know high threshold of what is expected to accept. It is good you are flagging up for sake of the child, other children and staff in general.

Where is the Senco in all this?

Where I am, assaults on staff have to be documented and reported to county. I don't know if this is the case everywhere. I'd expect the child to be excluded. If this isn't exclusion, what is?

I’m SLT - in our school an assault on staff is an automatic exclusion - length is dependent on severity of attack. Parent also in for meeting post exclusion.

I’m sorry that you don’t feel supported. I’ve been assaulted and it’s horrible when you feel like no one cares. We also offer some time out for the member of staff if needed as it can shake you up.

Sometimes it turns out that the member of staff escalated the situation and we’d have a discussion about what went wrong and what to do differently (although member of staff wouldn’t be blamed unless they really stepped out of line) but this wouldn’t be while emotions are still running high.

This is terrible. I would be making sure you document what has happened to you and be sending this on an email asking the SLT what they will be putting in place to protect you from further harm.

It sounds like the child needs much more support than they are currently receiving or they need a different environment.

If your school are ultimately so indifferent to their staff, you should consider going elsewhere.

If the school leadership don't care or are useless, often putting things in writing focuses their attention. Put bluntly, if anything serious happens to you, they will be left vulnerable to legal action if you can show they did not act to protect you.

It sounds like you and other staff are unsafe in the classroom- I would absolutely contact the union for advice.

I would also email SLT and your SENCo, ideally with a record of all the incidents you remember. State you feel the classroom is unsafe for yourself and students (who are presumably witnessing this) and ask for a risk assessment for this student to be put in place.

Edit: In my school this child would alread have been excluded, but I'm guessing you are primary and that won't happen?

Postapocalypticcowgirl

I read your post and knew immediately you were secondary.
me too - it’s really like a another world when it comes to physical violence isn’t it?
I can only assume that parents are shocked when their kid who has been assaulting staff all through primary comes to secondary and is excluded as soon as they start doing exactly the same thing.

it’s grossly unfair to primary school teachers who should not be punch bags for uncontrollable children.

Very much not just teachers but TAs/ other children as well...
I am primary.
If children not getting support they need/ inappropriate school environment behaviours will reflect that.
Whole system needs reviewing in my opinion.

Yes, I think they are! And I hate to say it, but sometimes the thread of PEx or alternate provision can make them a bit more proactive in e.g. seeking diagnosis or help (not all parents, obviously).

I really don't understand why primary schools have this "keep the child at all costs mentality" and don't at least look at temporary exclusion after every violent incident?

There is a very high tolerance of violence in primary schools. I also agree that this does then mean that the transition to secondary is a shock. A child who has been used to swearing or behaving aggressively when heightened without a formal consequence will be shocked when the same behaviour results in a suspension or a detention. I think it also doesn't serve the child well in the long run as you sometimes find these children have no EHCP or diagnosis when they need them to access alternative or specialist provision. I also work in secondary and a child hurting a member of staff would be a significant issue. For it to be ignored by SLT would be very unusual and frankly not tolerated by staff where I work.

Because almost inevitably the child will be on the SEND register and, whether correctly or not, the LA will advise that exclusion would be illegal.

You can absolutely exclude a child on the SEND register, especially if they don't have an ECHP though? Even with an ECHP it's possible, although difficult.

I've worked in (secondary) schools which have excluded children with SEN for violence against staff and extreme violence against other students?

I wonder if it's a lack of knowledge/confidence in primary SLT that they're not prepared/able to make their case to the LA?

I agree with all of this! It's a shock to both the child and the parents, and it can make accessing appropriate provision and support really difficult.

I also agree that a child hurting a member of staff is taken very seriously at most secondaries, and still very often is an instant PEx- it definitely wouldn't be ignored by SLT.

Even serious child-on-child violence (I'm talking actual attacks, not "playfighting" or "horseplay") is usually taken seriously by secondary schools and will usually result in at least temporary exclusion!

If secondaries can do it, why can't primaries?

No, it's the LAs not primary heads. There was a similar thread on Reddit. Primaries are not inexplicably staffed by people who are less experienced or knowledgeable than secondaries, they are just expected from all sides to put up with a lot more. Bear in mind many of the children with SEND in primaries never make it to mainstream secondaries, especially those with EHCPSs.