Parent, Leicestershire
My stories
My School Story
I was very close friends with a teaching assistant, our friendship broke down and she started targeting my child verbally and physically, she moved next door and my child had to deal with his teaching assistant screaming through our windows, shouting obscenities through our walls and playing music at full volume for hours a day.
The school didn't take this seriously until I wrote a 9 page complaint detailing all of the sensitive and private information including details of her cpoms password, children who she'd told me that were on care plans etc. She was suspended for six months until I mentioned I would home educate if she returned, she returned 2 days later.
The school had to contact social services to confirm whether my child was safe at home because of the teaching assistants behaviour. When I complained about the way the school had dealt with this I was told I could no longer take it further, given false information and encouraged to have conversations via telephone rather than on paper, there was very little paper trail and I couldn't prove the incorrect information given to me.
My child was physically assaulted by a member of staff, subjected to a year of abuse in his home, he couldn't use the garden, was scared to leave the house in case his parents were threatened and had to deal with an adult screaming and banging on walls at 5am every morning.
Even though the school had full access to video evidence, proof the teaching assistant had broken numerous safe guarding policies and evidence of the assault on my child in school, they chose to sweep it under the rug and she was reinstated working with the most vulnerable children in the school.
The school didn't take this seriously until I wrote a 9 page complaint detailing all of the sensitive and private information including details of her cpoms password, children who she'd told me that were on care plans etc. She was suspended for six months until I mentioned I would home educate if she returned, she returned 2 days later.
The school had to contact social services to confirm whether my child was safe at home because of the teaching assistants behaviour. When I complained about the way the school had dealt with this I was told I could no longer take it further, given false information and encouraged to have conversations via telephone rather than on paper, there was very little paper trail and I couldn't prove the incorrect information given to me.
My child was physically assaulted by a member of staff, subjected to a year of abuse in his home, he couldn't use the garden, was scared to leave the house in case his parents were threatened and had to deal with an adult screaming and banging on walls at 5am every morning.
Even though the school had full access to video evidence, proof the teaching assistant had broken numerous safe guarding policies and evidence of the assault on my child in school, they chose to sweep it under the rug and she was reinstated working with the most vulnerable children in the school.
What happened next...
It was a very scary decision to remove my child for his safety, but he has thrived being home educated, he is 13 and due to take two GCSEs this year, he has made solid friendships within the home ed community, he has travelled the country learning about history in a hands on way.
Until being home educated he had never enjoyed art or creativity due to being told his picture in year one wasn't good enough. He now loves creating art in all formats. He has self taught himself how to code and animate, is almost fluent in Japanese but most importantly he no longer has issues with his mental health.
Until being home educated he had never enjoyed art or creativity due to being told his picture in year one wasn't good enough. He now loves creating art in all formats. He has self taught himself how to code and animate, is almost fluent in Japanese but most importantly he no longer has issues with his mental health.
How I think schools could be better.
This is a difficult question, there are many children who thrive in school, however after being part of the home ed community for 4 years I see that for a vast number of home educated children, school was not safe. I don't know what can be done to make it safer or a happy place for those who struggle, a bespoke curriculum would be ideal, but I don't see how this would be workable.