School not doing anything

[CardyMow]

On 19th Nov my 7 yr old was pushed over and knocked out in the playground at school. He suffered a severe concussion was in hospital for 3 days, having cat scans etc. I had to send him back to school on Friday 27th as doctors note ran out on 26th. The school were given the information from the head injuries nurse that he is not to do pe or run around for at least 3 weeks. Also that my son has retrograde amnesia and will probably never remember the facial features of person that did it. I've narrowed down that where it happened it had to be a yr 6 kid. The school didn't call an ambulance, have refused to meet with me over this, and only by phoning every department of the local authority have they been told they have to give me a copy of the H&S reprt they submitted (which by law I should have seen BEFORE submission). I got the report it's full of inaccuracies, and downright falsehoods, Head is refusing to meet with me or even book a solid appointment to see me, there's no other local schools with space for both my children, the school are trying to mae out he tripped on paving slabs. I'm now left with a 7 yr old, who is normally one of the school's 'star pupils' (he's 3 yrs ahead of his peer group in most areas) who I'm having to drag kicking and screaming to school when he's saying he's not safe there. He's absolutely petrified, and the school won't do anything. Sorry for long post, desperately need help, board of governers don't get any complaints as you have to hand them in to the office, and TASCC and the LA are saying that as the schools are 'self regulating' there is no other course of action. WHAT do I do???

[nickschick]

Ive been in a v similar situation only it was a teacher bullying my son -fortunately he wasnt physically injured as your son was -im horrified at your post and my heart goes out to you.

Long and short of it is 'been there done that' you wont get anywhere they all pi** in the same pot and stick together - we fought for 2 years our ds was tutored privately at home (the LEA paid) for those years and a while after.

We did everything right up to the LEA and beyond wrote to MPs and ebrything the teacher admitted it and was offered retirement.

Us?? we swallowed it and moved away,put our son into a school that was in our home town he thrived and is now studying 4 Alevels and hopes to become a lawyer - hes just read your post and said when I qualify thats the sort of work I will enjoy doing.

[CardyMow]

OOPs posted this again. . I just don't know what to do, due to having my first child at 16, I didn't sit my GCSE's, and therefore am not 'qualified enough' to HE, plus with my disability (I have epilepsy) last time I looked at HE (had massive problems with the same school with my LD daughter, now in secondary), Social services basically told me if I HE, they'll take the kids away on the grounds that I'm not providing them with a 'normal childhood' aside from their carimng duties...As I'm a lone parent on disability benefits, I don't have any money to fight anything, and I've been told by TASCC today that as the schools are self regulating, my only option is to complain to the board of governers through the office, who don't pass it on. I'm lost, as if I leave my son at the school, it will destroy his views on education, and he's got amazing abilities, yet if I take him out and try to HE, I'll end up losing my children....

[CardyMow]

Sorry, to clarify, my area apparently doesn't have an LEA in the traditional sense anymore (news to me today, I tell you!!), the chain for problems is Headteacher, Board of governers, then Mr Ed Balls via DCFS. There's nothing else locally inbetween until sept 2010 when the local ombudsman 'opens for business'....

[nickschick]

H.E isnt for everyone anyway (dont think your lack of GCSEs stops you btw) but I dont see how you can get the situation with school to change- ime at a v bad school, the board of govs are people chosen by the head anyway so really why bother??

I really think you need to look at a different school and perhaps appeal to get both your dc in.

Would your Dr support you if you told him about how your ds is behaving and perhaps give you another note?.

[CardyMow]

Our area is waiting for a new school to be built, there are current reception kids having to go out of area the schools are so over full. To put a case in point, my 7 yr old's class has had 34 children in since he was in reception (without an additional teacher in class, breaching ICS), and my younger son's year, the school were made to take 90 children instead of 60, his year is full in my whole town, the nearest school to my house with spaces for my 6yr old in yr1 is 30 yes THIRTY miles away....

[CardyMow]

To get my yr1 into a school in my town would breach ICS regs, my neighbours son the same age is taken to the school 30 miles away by taxi every day, I had older kids attending the school, she didn't..

[CardyMow]

That's what my mum said....go to the papers. The police are refusing to get involved, as my son is only 7 and due to the head injury is suffering from some 'retrograde amnesia' (I think that's what the head injuries nurse called it!) That he wouldn't make a 'reliable witness' so they won't take it on. That and without knowing who is responsible, we can't prove if the person who did this is over the age of criminal responsibility. I don't know how to contact the local H&S people, I want to as the report that's been submitted to them ( I only got my hands on a copy by getting upset on the phone to TASCC, who told the school to give me a copy) is utter balderdash....Neither the school nor TASCC will tell me who to contact. I tried to get parent partnership's help, as they've helped me out before when I've had probs with this school, left a message on their answerphone, but have heard nothing back. My local CAB offered me an appointment on Tuesday 2nd FEBRUARY....

[CardyMow]

The schools website names the governors, but there are no contact details other than you can leave a letter for them at the school office...And the governors are chosen by the headteacher, even when there is a parent vote, it is between 2 candidates chosen by the Head. I will phone the HSE tomorrow. I've already gone through the report and highlighted all the inaccuracies.

[CardyMow]

Thank you for your help. I'm going to be off to bed now, will be back after the school run in the morning (if I can get 7yoDS dressed and out of the house...)

[CheerfulYank]

I don't have anything useful to add, but I'm so sorry for your DS. I hope things get better for you both!

[nickschick]

MadamDeathstare your advice and help is great - but ime the governors wont want to know/be able to know individually - in my case one of the reps on the b of gs was actually a 'friend' of mine-any correspondance has to go through the governors,Ime also you cant cut a section either the chain goes- class teacher/head teacher,written letter to Govs,Meet with govs,LEA.

We had a rep from the LEA in our dining room going through all our paperwork and evidence for 2 hours or more when he left he assured us he would resolve the situation - we got a letter saying the head was dealing with it!.

The strong factor in how we resolved our situation was that at the time I was working in a small hotel and I overheard 'loose talk'(namely our situation being discussed and me hearing things I shouldnt-like the fact this teacher had bullied children for 15 years!!!).

The B of Gs at this v small village school was truly tied up......the ministers wife,local shop keepers,Dr,Policeman,teachers who were best friends with the head and the elected parents were also 'big' moneywise in the community-we couldnt win it came about that everyone in the village knew our business .

In the 2 years this took to resolve we had to keep ds on the register cos as soon as you remove his name you cant follow the procedure as 'clearly' there are rules apparently ...,the head teacher left the first week with 'stress' and several staff left- they tried to say it was me I had pnd which was proved entirely wrong as the Dr (another one NOT the Bof gs one) wrote a letter confirming and the clincher was that 2 weeks before this came to light - I was actually asked to work in school - you wouldnt ask someone you thought was behaving irrationally to become an employee.

[nickschick]

Anyway apologies for hijacking the thread - least im bumping it too .

bump bump bumpity bump!!!

[CardyMow]

I can't go to the governors meeting, they are always on at 7pm, I live quite a way from the school, have to use public transport (which there isn't when the meetings end at 9pm) AND as I'm a lone parent and don't have any childcare (how many people will volunteer to babysit 2 ASD kids plus an NT kid??) I'm not allowed to take the kids to the meeting, it's an impossibility...As for the staggered lunches etc, would cost more for playground supervision and catering staff costs than the school is given the budget for. I wish I could get a copy of the schools anti-bullying policy. Also this afternoon, I chatted to a friend with a child in another year (Y2) who was 'accidentaly knocked over' in the playground on Monday and required stitches on his eyebrow, and has a black eye. As his mum says, if he was 'knocked over' then why does it look like he's taken a mean right hook to the eye?? And she's been left with no appointment to see the head either, so we're both going to sit in the office tomorrow morning and refuse to leave til head has seen us both. Other Mum is likely to sue the school she says....

[CardyMow]

There's an ofsted inspection there for the last 2 days, I spoke to the lead investigator, who was very dismissive, and said he would bring it up and see what the headteacher's view of the 'accident' was...

[CardyMow]

There IS a PTA, but it's very cliquey. Only the 'yummy mummies' get to join the PTA and are actually invited to get involved. I DEFINATELY don't fall into that category. I'm good enough to help the children read in class, but not to go to the PTA, my children are on free school meals.......the PTA mums shun the free school meals mums in the playground even....

[CardyMow]

Especially those free school meals mum's who are taking up additional school budget because their child is on a Gluten-Free diet due to severe coeliac disease...

[CardyMow]

I went to the office this morning to see the Head, as he had said he would see me thursday. I wanted my friend there to support me ( I have memory problems due to my epilepsy,and also, understandably, I don't trust the school to carry out the correct action if I have a seizure there), and they said 'oh he'll see you at 11.30. My friend had to leave for work at 11, so I made the point that that wasn't a mutually convenient appointment time, and asked to be seen before 11am. The office lady told the deputy head, who came out and said to me "well you know its a busy week for the school", to which I replied "I don't particularly care, I don't believe anything else should take priority over my son's health, safety and well being. Deputy head replied "well you should care it's your children's school, it's 11.30am or nothing". I have put in a strongly worded complaimnt that I have also sent copies of to TASCC, Families in Focus (they help me often), DCSF, the Local Authority, Children's Legal Centre (who were helping me with something else, but are willing to help with this as well), the Health and Safety Executive, RIDDOR, The safeguarding board, My solicitors, Ofsted, and Epilepsy Action, as the school are breaching the DDA by not making 'reasonable adjustments' for my disability by giving me an appointment where I can have someone attend with me to help me remember everything....I darn hope the Head's eyes watered a tad when he read the (very well worded) complaint letter, and how many people will be receiving a copy....