What options are available to primary schools with violent behaviour

Counting_Pennies_2

I wonder if you can help.


For the last term and a bit a troubled child at our primary school (in the juniors) has started displaying very disturbing behaviour.


He suddenly flips out at other children in his year group, disarming them in a very violent way. Sometimes in the middle of a class, other times in cloakrooms where there are only a few other children.


Many children have damage to their skin where his force has been applied. This is not just the normal scrapes and knocks or a push or a shove he goes for the same spot every time and it is exceptionally frightening to the children who are targeted.


My DS has been the target once, and he seems to target just once and moves on to another child, although his behaviour is starting to repeat several times to the same child.


Parents have spoken with his directly, to the school, the class teacher and the head. Each time they are informed the school has it in hand and there are interventions happening, where the child is receiving counselling and other interventions. Half of play time he is to be with a playground supervisor. Apart from that there are no other known steps being taken.


Each time a parent goes in to school the head says they are unaware of the incident, and will ensure the procedures are reiterated to the staff about steps to inform us the parents of the injured child.


However the incidents are not lessening in frequency or the violent nature. The children are scared. Some of the toughest children who have this done to them are scared, cry dreadfully, pitifully. It really is unacceptable that this is being allowed to continue. Each week the children matter of factly tell parents after school what has happened to a child, then the parents text the parent of the injured child and then they go into the school and ask why nothing has been done, why the school did not call the parents etc. You get a piece of paper sent home each time a child has a bump in the playground, yet the violent incidents are not reported on. It is the same each time. The head appeases the parent saying there are interventions, but really the children are being exposed to this time bomb not knowing who or when it will happen to next.


The children are told they need to understand how this boy reacts so they can avoid being in that situation, and the teachers regularly tell off the children who have this done to them saying they shouldn't have been near him etc.


Does anyone know what steps are available to schools to sort this out. I don't feel they are dealing with it sufficiently.


There is an added complication that the parent of the child is involved with the school. So the normal complaints procedures involve the parent being one of the people the complaint goes to.


What grounds are there for suspension, expulsion, exclusion for certain activities, such as being escorted through the corridors, not being left on his own, having a TA assigned to him?


Sorry for the long one. The school are maybe doing all that is available to them, but I am not convinced it is being taken seriously enough, and feel he is being given more understanding than the children it is happening to


Thanks

Indie_Kid

Have the LEA been informed about this?

Counting_Pennies_2

I am not sure. The school are very closed to the information they are giving

georgie262

I work in a secondary school and not a primary school but with continuously violent behaviour over a prolonged period of time I would be questioning whether mainstream schooling is the best environment for this child. As a parent I certainly would be concerned. Its a difficult and long process for a school to 'force' a child out of mainstream schooling if their parent don't want them to go. Permanent exclusion is very difficult to complete now and only done (In our area anyway) in really exceptional circumstances. It does seem that the school can't cope with him but in my experience unless the parents want to engage with outside agencies these agencies can withdraw (CAHMS etc) whereas the school can't and are left with a child that they cant do anything with. I really hope this is sorted out for you it does sound like a frustrating and frightening situation.

girlsmum

Unfortunately they have to go through channels, nothing happens fast unless it is a something they class as a major violent attack, in this case they are likely to exclude him and look into a permanent exclusion or a managed move to a more appropriate school environment who can deal with his behaviour, unfortunately they cannot do a move without boxes crossed, normally a report from an educational Psychologist or similar, plus parental agreement. I doubt the school can afford to pay a TA to be with him solely, unless he is statemented, this is something the school might also be looking into getting.
Also the parent should not be involved if the complaint is about her child, write to the governor and request that the parent is not involved.

rpc

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

So the normal complaints procedures involve the parent being one of the people the complaint goes to.

Are you sure? Normally conflict of interest rules should exclude someone like that being involved in the complaint handling.

Put in a complaint through the normal process. While you shouldn't have to, state that you do not want parent involved in handling the complaint.

Also escalate to governors and LEA if it is going nowhere.

It sounds like this kid has problems and the school may have a long-term solution, but they aren't managing the short term issues. If he lashes out in class or in cloakrooms, he probably isn't suited to mainstream education for the time being at least.

Mojisola

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

I am not sure. The school are very closed to the information they are giving

The parents can go straight to the LA and OFSTED.

Have a group of the parents tried asking for a meeting with the Head and the Chair of Governors - the school can knock back each parent over each incident but it's much harder to whitewash his behaviour if faced with a group action.

Seanymph

They COULD get support staff attached to this child for every minute he is in the school to keep other children safe from him.

This is expensive, and they will be reluctant to do it.

At my daughters SECONDARY school a child was there who had this at junior, but secondary didn't allocate him a member of staff, and he was assaulting the teenage girls.

Eventually my girls mentioned it to me because it happened to them. I found out it was known about by school, expected by the girls, and accepted.

I was appalled.

I learnt from a teacher at the childs primary what had gone on there.

I'm afraid I get very heavy with the school. They should provide a place of safety for children - So, I threatened to call the police for every assault on my girls, report the school to social services for not providing a safe place, involve the LEA - and if necessary go to the papers. I also told them I knew the provision he had had at junior and that they had neglected it.

He got ongoing permanent supervision within 24 hours.

You need to make sure the children are safe.

rpc

Counting_Pennies wrote: »

The children are told they need to understand how this boy reacts so they can avoid being in that situation, and the teachers regularly tell off the children who have this done to them saying they shouldn't have been near him etc.

Just read this bit and I am amazed. The teachers expect primary school kids to understand how to deal with a child with problems? The staff should be ensuring that "that situation" cannot arise, not relying on the children to manage it on their own.

Talk about blaming the victim...

warehouse

Seanymph wrote: »

They COULD get support staff attached to this child for every minute he is in the school to keep other children safe from him.

This is expensive, and they will be reluctant to do it.

At my daughters SECONDARY school a child was there who had this at junior, but secondary didn't allocate him a member of staff, and he was assaulting the teenage girls.

Eventually my girls mentioned it to me because it happened to them. I found out it was known about by school, expected by the girls, and accepted.

I was appalled.

I learnt from a teacher at the childs primary what had gone on there.

I'm afraid I get very heavy with the school. They should provide a place of safety for children - So, I threatened to call the police for every assault on my girls, report the school to social services for not providing a safe place, involve the LEA - and if necessary go to the papers. I also told them I knew the provision he had had at junior and that they had neglected it.

He got ongoing permanent supervision within 24 hours.

You need to make sure the children are safe.

Exactly this OP. Unless you and the other parents become a major PITA then nothing will be done.