PEX - Confused and anxious about child's future.
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation because we feel a bit stuck at the moment.
My son is 5 and in Year 1. He has had ongoing behavioural difficulties at school and home (not listening, no care for consequences until it happens, impulse control etc) and ADHD is strongly suspected by us and the school, with a private assessment booked (privately funded by us when he's 6 next month).
Over the last year there have been a number of suspensions (ranging from 1.5 days to 5) and he has now been permanently excluded. We have always agreed to support being put in place, but a lot of the external input discussed never actually happened. We agreed to an Educational Psychologist referral, but this wasn’t followed through. A specialist from a PRU coming in was discussed and we signed consent forms - this wasn't done.The SENCO also said she would look into starting an EHCP assessment, but we never heard anything further and an EHCP has not actually been started.
On his second day of latest suspension (always for classroom disruption, failure to follow instructions etc etc), we got a call to say further information had been reviewed and they were perm excluding him. He tries to run out of the classroom and on this occasion when the teacher went to lock the door he hit her arm. This info was there in the CPOMS records that were sent to me, just don't think head was aware / taken time to get full picture because she was busy with ofsted on the day he was suspended. He is super bright, he's flying through all the work with me at home they sent with little input from me needed (especially maths) but put him in that school environment and he's not for having it although they have said when he does the work he's really good. He doesn't like school which isn't helping... suspensions are like a reward. Appreciate behaviour can't go without consequences but they weren't working. We see the defiance at home but it's tenfold at school.
Right now we feel stuck between the school, SEND services and the local authority with no clear idea what suitable provision is actually going to look like.
I’m currently on maternity leave so I can manage him being at home temporarily, but normally both parents work full time, so this clearly isn’t a long-term solution. I also just want whats best for him, have no doubt he will be fine in a mainstream school once we can work on the right strategies and get to the bottom of the behaviour and what's driving it such as ADHD.
Has anyone else had a young child permanently excluded where ADHD/SEND needs were suspected or not yet fully assessed? What happened next for you? What provision did the LA put in place, and is there anything you wish you’d known or done sooner?
Any experiences or advice would be really appreciated. Sorry, rambling a little but feel so lost and out of control with it all. Plus side, we had a cracking "PE lesson" walking to the shop and playing spelling games and I spy 🤣