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I saw this too. I don't know much about the school in question, I don't even know the age of the kids. I hope that it's about training, or lack of. Although, when you think about it, the kind of things we've had to learn about as parents of challenging children are not things that are wrapped up in a training course that I know of, and certainly not one that would be given to teachers. x

I think it’s about training and organisation - if it’s dangerous the way things are they need to change what they are doing - I think there’s plenty of alternatives - my daughters school did something called team teach which I think is some kind of behavioural support strategy where the staff back each other up - not very clear I’m afraid but it sounded very effective. At the end of the day they should not be taking on children they are not equipped to cope with - it’s a safeguarding issue for both adults and children

I hadn't heard of this but had been thinking about such matters only today. Dash goes to a school for SEMH. Very high staff to student ratio. They do seem to struggle to keep a lid on some of the behaviours and both teachers and pupils have been hurt. Thats not to mention the emotional toll. I don't actually blame them. You can't prevent all those behaviours (even if on paper we know what would help to keep a child regulated). Dash described something that happened at school yesterday that was very concerning. It didn't directly involve him but I was thinking only today that it seems to me that the young person involved (assuming that Dash's report was accurate, which cannot be assumed) should be in a much more specialised provision. We have asked for clarification from school. It made me think about refusing to let Dash go back there. The trouble is the system seems to be that the LA sees what it can get away with (cheaper) so assuming this child has been moved out of a mainstream school, instead of something even more therapeutic, he has been put in this school and I suppose will only be moved once things go pear shaped. It made me think some children need one to one (actually two to one for safeguarding reasons). Isolation to keep other children safe. At least the adults have 'signed up for it' and getting paid (though I am 100% sure they don't get paid enough). One thing about training is not everyone 'gets it'. You'd hope that those drawn to special ed would 'get it' but our experience is that its not always the case. So teachers can do training but not really make it a part of how they are. Dash's tutor last year said things like Dash's behaviour was attention seeking. DH explained something to him and a lightbulb seemed to go off but very soon after we were getting reports of Dash's behaviour which suggested to us that he had forgotten the conversation. Dash's life story therapist has offered to do some training which will be relevant to several pupils at the school but so far the school have not taken her up on this offer. There is no cost attached (it will come under Dash's therapy) but they would have to make some time available.

You're right, LarstI, some teachers just don't get it despite much explanation. My dd wasn't violent at school but she easily became dysregulated and very occasionally lashed out though no one was ever seriously injured. Mostly she caused issues by refusing to cooperate or running off, eg. into the toilets. Or she could do irritating things on purpose to get attention. Confronting her when she was dysregulated didn't work. Allowing her space and time to calm down did. But one senior teacher, in particular, just couldn't grasp that. He was convinced that because she COULD be delightful and cooperative, that she was being deliberately awkward when she wasn't. On several occasions he pushed her into worse behaviour by ranting at her and demanding she complied when all she needed was a bit of breathing space. At least once this led to actions on her part where he ended up excluding her. We were fortunate that a highly experienced professional became involved - someone who understpod trauma based responses. She was able to train and coach the staff in how to understand and deal with dd. But as she said to me once, they still needed reminders!

Milly it seeme to be very common to think that because someone (even an adult) can be lovely, when they are 'unlovely' they are making a choice, don't care, etc They might just be highly stressed. Surely that's just obvious. Another example would be 'I know you are capable of sitting still so I am going to punish you for wriggling' What?? And going off topic a bit I suppose we can all be rather harsh even with ourselves and think we 'should' be able to do all sorts of things, by trying a bit harder....for example 'snap out of' depression by sheer will power. We do it to ourselves and we do it to our children even our most vulnerable children. And if we can't blame the child we blame the parents (eg ADHD is not real, its poor parenting). Rereading your post Pingu, I don't think there are any answers. Well there may be some answers which are unacceptable like tranquilizers (for the children) or something else morally indefensible.

Both of my daughters attended schools for children with special needs, but neither would take children with "behavioural problems" and children who were too difficult were move out to more appropriate provision. Both schools accepted levels of behavioural difficulties which wouldn't have been tolerated in a mainstream school, but there was a limit. And if a child's main issue was behaviour then they wouldn't take that child. But of course LAs kept trying to get them to take children who had significant behaviour problems - it's cheaper for the LA than to send these kids to appropriate provision. So I wonder if this school has had an inpouring of children whose needs are not matched to the resources at the school.

I am wondering that now too, Flosskirk, as what appears to be their website actually only says 24 staff , 96 pupils, nearer 1 to 4 than 1 to 1.