Parent, UK
My stories
My School Story
For my eldest child from nursery through to year 7 she has suffered bullying from both boys and girls, sometimes these times would end in physical harm/hurt to her! School never wanted to help solve situations, she is possibly sen and even though school knew her struggles they never once spoke up or offered any extra support for area’s of learning she struggled in!
All this left my daughter with severe anxiety and speech problems which again would add to her being bullied! My final straw was when she was purposely singled out and bullied/verbally abused by a male teacher within high school (the same teacher who worked there when i was at this school and was known for touching girls bottoms!!!!) still working!!!!!
And then my daughter ended up been taunted and abused via fake social media accounts and again school didn't want to help and instead would have her in isolation everyday for what OTHERS was doing to her! My child is the model student, gets her head down, never been known to be “in trouble” or needing punishments!
Since home educating i've become aware of just how behind my child is in some subjects and it just breaks my heart! How schools just do not care for their students, kids are just numbers for ofsted reports and it is all wrong! Our children deserve help, a chance, a safe environment and schools these days just don’t support that.
Now imagine my child now gets diagnosed, they turn 13 soon… thats 10 years of no help in school settings, abuse, bullying, hurt, mental torture to the point she hated the skin colour she is beautifully has, cut her hair off, she has huge panic attacks and breakdowns at the mention of another school!!
She is much more happy, settled, relaxed and able to learn at her own pace and cover past subjects she hasn’t been able to process and learn within a school setting. My other child is sen and has also never had any help in school due to high masking, she struggles massively with massive burn outs after school aswell as poor attendance due to mentally been unable to face going and suffering more on some days.
All this left my daughter with severe anxiety and speech problems which again would add to her being bullied! My final straw was when she was purposely singled out and bullied/verbally abused by a male teacher within high school (the same teacher who worked there when i was at this school and was known for touching girls bottoms!!!!) still working!!!!!
And then my daughter ended up been taunted and abused via fake social media accounts and again school didn't want to help and instead would have her in isolation everyday for what OTHERS was doing to her! My child is the model student, gets her head down, never been known to be “in trouble” or needing punishments!
Since home educating i've become aware of just how behind my child is in some subjects and it just breaks my heart! How schools just do not care for their students, kids are just numbers for ofsted reports and it is all wrong! Our children deserve help, a chance, a safe environment and schools these days just don’t support that.
Now imagine my child now gets diagnosed, they turn 13 soon… thats 10 years of no help in school settings, abuse, bullying, hurt, mental torture to the point she hated the skin colour she is beautifully has, cut her hair off, she has huge panic attacks and breakdowns at the mention of another school!!
She is much more happy, settled, relaxed and able to learn at her own pace and cover past subjects she hasn’t been able to process and learn within a school setting. My other child is sen and has also never had any help in school due to high masking, she struggles massively with massive burn outs after school aswell as poor attendance due to mentally been unable to face going and suffering more on some days.
What happened next...
Home education is going brilliant for us, our approach is child led but that works best for my children, knowing they can learn to their own pace in ways that are not just paper and work books. My children are so much more calmer, regulated, relaxed, happier, less anxious. They are happy to learn, excited to learn new things or try new ways of learning. Home educating has been amazing for us as a family and especially for the girls mental health. Their happy and their learning i’d call that WIN WIN.
How I think schools could be better.
Children should matter like it used to be in the 90’s we actually had teachers that noticed things, cared, helped, these days kids are just numbers towards good ofsted reports.
Tackle bullying, stop and think when you see children struggling! Children don’t just struggle for a joke they need help!
Safer schools, more education for school workers on sen and how no 2 children are the same, learn sen children needs and ways to help them within schools.
Educate on girls and masking this is a huge problem I'm finding everywhere! Girls are known to highly mask yet we are then told due to masking no help is available, this is just a circle that does not help anyone, this isn’t just at schools. This is a known fact for girls with autism so why is it not acknowledged? The pain and suffering this causes these children is heartbreaking!
Listen to parents views, opinions, advise when needed. More awareness for children about other children being different to them/disabilites, what they can do to help, how they can engage/try be friends.
Tackle bullying, stop and think when you see children struggling! Children don’t just struggle for a joke they need help!
Safer schools, more education for school workers on sen and how no 2 children are the same, learn sen children needs and ways to help them within schools.
Educate on girls and masking this is a huge problem I'm finding everywhere! Girls are known to highly mask yet we are then told due to masking no help is available, this is just a circle that does not help anyone, this isn’t just at schools. This is a known fact for girls with autism so why is it not acknowledged? The pain and suffering this causes these children is heartbreaking!
Listen to parents views, opinions, advise when needed. More awareness for children about other children being different to them/disabilites, what they can do to help, how they can engage/try be friends.