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Hello,

It's great to join the forum.  I was motivated to do so as yesterday for the second time in my short son's life he would have been excluded from his independent school - I was given the choice to voluntarily withdraw him so that it did not go on his record. So NO choice really.  I spoke to MASH who were amazing and they put things in perspective for me and confirmed that the occurrence in question was very 'low level' and if he had been in mainstream school he would not have been excluded.  

I am very sad and frustrated that independent schools seem to be able to do as they like with no easy come back - I have seen what this has done to a young boy of 7 and now a young man of almost 13 who feels he has lost all of his friends again - at what point do these schools take the responsibility for what they are doing to 'vulnerable' children like my son who need support and education rather than being walked off the premises for the last time!

Thank goodness for the local council and SENDIAS who have helped me enormously in addition I have been lucky enough to get involved with raising money and support a local dyslexia charity/workshop and have so many contacts and people that understand my position and have been able to advise me.

Does anyone else feel the same and if so have you complained successfully?

  • Look into independent schools they are not answerable to local authorities. They are businesses and don't care. That is why all mainstream schools are against them. 

    Their failings are well documented along with the barrage of claims of falsified exam data and cheating. 

    You are right it's not the teachers but they really don't answer to anyone 

  • Somebody, or something somewhere funds these schools, either directly against a tax liability eventually, or for acclaimed or, bestowed honours for public service, or by publicly funded grants, or tax recaimed donations to a charity, that is the organisation be it a charity, person, company share holders that you have to get the public to be made aware of their failings.

    It certainly will not be the staff of the school. Do your research, get into meetings if you can.

     As I wrote above. Its all about money. so I suggest that you make your complaints initially to your elected representatives. start with your MP, and County and local councillors who depend on your vote, and be guided by their replies. unless they have a connection.

  • Unfortunately an independent school would not have to answer to the local authority. I'm not actually sure who you would complain to. I don't think an awful lot would come of it.

    The other issue is that you withdrew him voluntarily (I'm not criticising, of course you didn't want him to have it on his record). But this would make it difficult contend as on paper it was your decision, not the schools. It annoys me that schools do this. They make out they are doing you a favour by stopping it being on the child's record. In reality they don't want it on their record either.

    I do agree though. It is wrong. In mainstream they would have a conversation about whether or not the school is the right provision. If it is thought that it isn't then the local authority would be obligated to find a school that could meet his needs. Independent schools don't have to do this.

    I hope you find the right school for your son.

  • Hi, 

    Unfortunately independent schools and academy's are pretty much separate from local authorities and can do what they want for profit. That's why mainstream schools are so against them. 

  • Yes I feel the same as you. Handicapped children should either be educated in a place of excellence with specialist teachers funded either in or out of the child's local authority, by his local authority. 

    It must be obvious to all that what your son was provided with was woefully inadequate to cope with his needs.

    He did well to last  up to date with "hostile" (for a better word). teachers. It never applied to my son now 36 for whom education was at a place of excellence from age of 3.5 to 19 and then abandoned to save money.after sitting on a decision for 2 years, so no appeal was possible then.  That special school has been joined to another local secondary school. presumably as before for AS & non communicating children to save money.   

    Its all about money. so I suggest that you make your complaints to your elected representatives. start with your MP, and County and local councillors who depend on your vote.