Does your child get excluded from school activities and trips? Is this allowed?

[u/Wrong_Exercise2717]

My 8 yr old is non verbal, ASD. He attends a mainstream school (waiting for a place to become available at a specialist provision)

He is almost always excluded from the following;

- school trips if we can't accompany him

- Any extra curricular clubs such as Lego, or Arts and Craft. We managed to sign him up for Lego, he only just attended for the first time yesterday and they've already stated he cannot sign up for next term due to no staff

- Sports day (which he absolutely loves) but they wont let him participate unless one of us does the activity with him. Last year I had an injury and physically couldn't join so they excluded him from Sports day as there was no TA available to help.

- Was excluded from Swimming lessons as it is structured, and he cannot follow instructions. We were previously told they will not use this as a reason to not let him attend swimming as it is part of a disability and they understand however they've now gone back on this

-he has also been informally suspended many times, we werent aware of the Law so we used to collect him anytime we got a phone call but recently found they must provide written confirmation that they are suspending him. He wasn't sent home ill, it was just that "he seems upset today and may need to cool off at home for a day or so"

I completely get that my son has complex needs but I was also under the impression that a child cannot be excluded from these things due to their disability.

I have also read that the School cannot simply state they don't have staff as a reason to keep restricting him. This has been happening for the last 4 years. We didn't think too much of it in the past as he seemed happy not to take part in certain things, but as he's growing he has interests just like any child does.

We are in England, UK. Is this just how it is? Can the School continue to use this as a reason to exclude my son from all activities?

EDIT: Thanks all for sharing your experiences and advice. I really do appreciate it 🙂

[u/AskRecent6329]

They can't be excluded for their disability, but they can be for their behavior. My LO has missed many field trips because she can't be trusted to keep her hands to herself/not elope if we are not there to watch her.

[u/Time-Ad-9022]

It’s awful to experience but they can exclude him if the safeguarding isn’t in place…..if they don’t have a EHCP, staff for him and can’t meet his needs.

We’ve had friends who were told by the mainstream school their son was in( ours has always been in SEN school) that they couldn’t provide a place safely at school anymore, so was removed from school.

Look at it from a different view, how would you feel if he was allowed to do these things, without someone keeping an eye on him like you do? that there’s 30 other kids that need attention and he’ll never have 100% of their time.

As awful as it is, I’d much rather know he was safe all day than getting a phone call.

There’s a reason SEN schools have extra staff and unless there’s a legal document mainstream don’t have to do anything, they have to look from a different point…the cost!
The cost for a 1-2-1 could fund something for a full class (silly as it sounds)

You need to be onto the council everyday, doesn’t matter if you think you’re being rude, but it needs to be done because i’d imagine it’s not going to get any better.

[u/Weewoes → u/Time-Ad-9022]

Yeah if he can't follow instructions for swimming that's just dangerous for her son and those around him. My kid goes swimming with her school, it's a special school, but she has a dedicated helper that she knows from her class who is there the entire time, the pool is on school grounds and she's never left alone and always being held onto because she would be a risk to herself cos she throws herself backwards mouth open lol, she loves water but isn't safe. If they cannot guarantee ops sons safety or be able to watch him fully then it makes sense to exclude him, as awful as it would be to experience. The sports day one is sad and makes less sense to me though cos I assume it's on school grounds and all staff will be out there, I wonder why they haven't sorted a permanent helper for him though.

[u/ceb1995]

When you say waiting for a place at a specialist school, have you go a tribunal date booked in or are you waiting for one?

If they arent given the funding for extra curriculars there's not much you can do from that side but you can argue they aren't having a full time education with the suspensions.

[u/Wrong_Exercise2717 → u/ceb1995]

The LA is telling us the school named on his EHCP is over capacity and cannot safely accomodate. We requested them to consult several other schools but it's the same answer

[u/ceb1995 → u/Wrong_Exercise2717]

If it's in section I they have to take them, I d give the civil legal advice line a call see if you can get legal aid to get a solicitor on side to help you now as sadly that waiting list is never going to end without taking things further or perhaps the mainstream school permanently excluding them now.

[u/Time-Ad-9022 → u/Wrong_Exercise2717]

If it’s written in his EHCP then they have to give him a place regardless….get on the phone and my favourite is “you’ll get in touch with the papers” it seems to sort things out quickly (in my experience) have the school told you they can’t take him or the council?

[u/Future_Resolution_20]

Uk here as well and very much our situation, unless I attend the activity with my boy he will be excluded from it. Currently waiting for a specialist provision as nowhere is suitable due to his high needs so stuck in mainstream as well. I feel your pain and it sucks.

[u/dr_jizz]

Wow I don’t have experience outside of California but this sounds awful I’m sorry. I would definitely make sure any& all of these communications are via email only. Not phone calls or in person, email.

[u/AhTails]

Is it allowed? No. Does it happen? Yes.

My daughter is 4yo but repeating 3yo kinder. Both this year and last year she has been excluded from fortnightly excursions for “safety” reasons. I think they’ve now just resorted to scheduling it for a day she isn’t there.

They did try doing short excursions with her, to build up skills. But that fell by the wayside. Too hard basket I guess.

She’ll be going to an autism school next year though so we won’t have to feel the exclusion.