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I've told her, she was upset so I've had to reassure her.

Does anyone have any experience of the princess trust? Do you think it will be good for my daughter?

Do you think it's worth appealing her exclusion from college?

Sorry for all the questions

https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/help-for-young-people/programmes

Hi. My daughter is in y10 and she’s doing Princes Trust as one of her subjects in lieu of GCSEs. She’s autistic and educated in a unit and they run a program which she accesses.

Even though your daughter wasn’t able to volunteer through her old school, there may be other opportunities for her.

Hi Rosieflowerbloom,

I would appeal the college exclusion, not just for your own daughter but for any other child in her position. If the college cannot put in place the necessary support then they should not have accepted your daughter in the first place. Indeed the Senco at the college said that there would be a teaching assistant in the canteen at break to give your daughter support and had this been the case then the incidents would never have occurred. So I would contact the college and ask them for the full details of the incidents including the name of the teaching assistant on duty that day, did they make contact with your daughter and how did these incidents occur if the assistant was indeed present? I would also raise this with the LA and get some support from them - does your daughter have an EHCP? Also look at the college's procedure for exclusion and make sure that they have followed it properly- eg should you as her mother not be given some warning after the first incident especially as she is under 18 and so not yet an adult? Also speak to your local MP about this - I am a great believer in making your MP work for local issues!!

Please don't let the college get away with this. Glad the meds are working for your daughter - my daughter has the same problems and the meds are a godsend. Also I have just had to throw a massive strop at my daughter's school over an incident , and she is in a special needs school and so they should know better!!!

best wishesxxx

I agree with Windfalls - an appeal is not just about getting her place back but about setting the record straight - or at least including your / your daughters view of events as well as getting the college to see where they have let your daughter down. It seems to be affecting what she can do as it stands - my understanding is that the school were told by the LA to withdraw their offer of voluntary experience? - how far will they take that? - will she be stopped from joining other courses? Surely if the school were happy to have her then she should have been supported in this step towards her future goals? If they are suggesting the Princes Trust is this something they can rearrange? What will then be offered her when she has done it - will she get her college place back? How keen was your daughter to do the college course she was on? I’m not asking you to answer these questions but just pointers in your response to the college.

My daughter started a hairdressing course at the same age - was really keen to do it - didn’t get the basic support agreed (this was inadequate anyway as they only asked her to the meeting to discuss this - not her tutor from supported learning or me) - the TA was ill for the first few weeks and she ended up not being able to cope - she asked to go back to supported learning (which they had told her was an option) but was told she had to start a catering course which was the only entry level course they offered. These colleges need to take support needs seriously when accepting someone with learning difficulties onto a course - and make sure they actually provide what is needed.

Hi Rosieflowerbloom,

I think windfalls has given excellent advise. I would also appeal the decision, particularly since this has not only affected your daughter's college attendance but is now making bigger waves. I would also ask for more details about what actually happened. What does "was asking for fights" mean? Like windfalls I would ask very detailed questions about the TA who was (not) present.

It wasn't just your daughter who got things wrong three times. The college also had three opportunities to put support in place, which they had agreed to before she started. Your daughter is being shamed and humiliated for something she has little or no control over. The college however has control over how many TAs are in the canteen and could have prevented this from happening. They need to take responsibility for that.

Hi, so sorry for not replying sooner.

Donatella, I was told by the local authority exclusion team that they want my daughter to do a 4 month princess trust "practical skills course" so don't know whether she would in a unit unfortunately like your daughter.

windfalls, I sent the exclusion appeal letter to the college yesterday so hopefully they will receive it on Monday. I have emailed the SENCO yesterday asking for full details of the incidents and the teaching assistant on duty on those days and if they made contact with my daughter (I know they didn't) during break. She doesn't have an EHCP unfortunately, we have applied to try and get one 3 times! The college did inform me after both the first and second incidents but the college didn't do anything to try and stop if from happening/support my daughter so unfortunately it happened a third time. I'm sorry for what happened at your daughter's school xxx

Safia, I have sent the appeal letter to the college. Yes her old primary school were told by the LA to withdraw their offer of voluntary experience due to "safeguarding concerns". Her old primary school were more than happy to have her. The local authority just keep on saying she needs to do the 4 month Princess Trust course. The head of her old primary was more than happy to have her and has said the local authority has said they will "reconsider" once my daughter has done the 4 month Princess Trust course. My daughter loved her college course and really wanted to keep on doing it. I'm really sorry for what happened to your daughter at college

chestnuttree, I have emsiled the SENCO asked for more details of the incidents and have asked questions about the TA who was (not) present. I just want the college too take responsibility for not supporting my daughter. The college didn't put any support in place after the first or second incident.

Thank you so much for all the help and advice so far.

I’d have to say that I found our local college to be pretty hopeless. I have a 16 year old son as well and he’s been educated in SEN units since he was 6. When we were looking at post 16 education we were advised to look at colleges as well as 6th form - he’s academically very bright and wanted to do As.

I made an appointment at our local college. I waited 30 minutes to be seen - they forgot. They then took me to their staff room to discuss my child - complete with staff coming and going, having coffee, food etc ... didn’t impress me.

I asked what provisions they had in place for non physical disabilities - my son has adhd and ASD. They looked baffled and it transpired that actually they employed a suck it and see approach. I decided there and then that there was no way my son was going there!

So, sadly, I’m not surprised by your experience. It’s not uncommon.

My son is now happy in mainstream 6th form with fab support. When it’s my daughter’s turn to move in from her unit, she will not be going to that college. I have something else in mind.

Do fight it. It’s never ending but if we don’t advocate for our kids, who will? x

Donatella, your local college sounds very unprofessional (like our local college!) if I'm honest.

I wonder whether asking the local authority about 6th forms would be better than the 4 month princess trust "practical skills" (exactly as the local authority exclusions team described it to me) for my daughter?

I am going to fight the exclusion, I've sent the appeal letter x

My daughter is now singed up for the princess trust course and starts next Tuesday, it's all online (working from home) until at least January though, she does the course on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so 3 days a week.

The college have called me back to say they received the exclusion appeal and have asked us to come in for a "disciplinary appeal hearing" (exactly how they described it to me) on Friday. My worry Is that even if the appeal is successful and she gets her college place back, the college might not put support in place just like they didn't last time and she might just get excluded again.

That all sounds very positive - hopefully the disciplinary panel won’t be too long - and as the issue of classroom assistant at break will come up - and if they haven’t had that in place or if they have it wasn’t effective for whatever reason - that will be something they would need to change if she is readmitted - so no way should it lead to her being excluded again. That is something you’ll be able to monitor and feedback to them if there’s any problems with how it’s working. Also she should be able to do the voluntary work when she’s finished the course. Make sure you get them to comit to providing extra support to help her catch up with what she’s missed. If for any reason they don’t take her back then you’ve got lots more info to give the next place. Hope the Princes Trust course is interesting! ?

Hi, so she started the Princess Trust course online (working from home) on Wednesday. We had the "disciplinary appeal hearing" on Friday and they have asked us to come back in for another "disciplinary appeal hearing" because they would like to "look into this further" (I have a feeling they are just trying to drag it out as much as possible with the hope I will give up with the appeal) and will arrange another meeting with us within 14 days. In the meeting they absolutely refused to give anymore details of the 3 incidents or any details of the Teaching assistant who was (not) present in the canteen.

I just don't know where to go with this, they won't tell my anything about the incidents or anything and won't tell me whether she will get her college place back after the next "disciplinary appeal hearing" (how they describe it). I guess I'll just have to wait for the next meeting and ask again for details of the incidents and the Teaching Assistant who was (not) present in the canteen.

Do you have a SEN parent support service in your area? I assume there is - used to be called SENDIASS I think and you should be able to contact them through your LEA. I think they might be able to be present to support you at the meeting - and if not will certainly be able to advise. IPSEA will also be able to advise - I’ve found them excellent but you have to be very persistent to book a consultation. They might be able to provide advice by email I’m not sure. You could also try AUK maybe. I certainly wouldn’t give up and keep on asking the questions even if they’re not providing the answers. Maybe - if you haven’t done so already - you could give them the questions in writing before the next meeting?

Hi Safia,I'll speak to the LEA tomorrow and ask how to contact our local SENDIASS. I'll also try to get in touch with IPSEA as well on Monday and will get in touch with AUK and see if they can advise.

I will keep on asking the college the questions even if they’re not providing the answers. I did email the SENCO the questions before the meeting on Friday.

Also, thank you so much everyone for all your help and advice so far.

It's all just so stressful, especially when the college won't admit or take any responsibility whatsoever for not supporting my daughter. It's just so stressful.

It makes you question your own sanity at times!

Poor you! How awful.

Like Safia, I would put things in writing, so there is a paper trail and your questions and their lack of answers is documented. You could ask for a written response, so it becomes clear how they are trying to wriggle out of this.

Could you demand any written information they have on your daughter based on the Freedom of Information Act? They surely must have written notes on the incidents. I don't know if this is actually covered by the FoIA, but if not, you could try to bluff them by going in and demanding it on the spot (that worked for a friend of mine).

Could you involve the virtual school?

How about your adoption agency? We have had sw attend virtual meetings when we have requested it, even 8 years after placement. Or is your daughter in therapy? Could a therapist attend?

Good luck!

Have a look here:

https://schools.essex.gov.uk/data/information-governance/Pages/FreedomOfInformationAct2000.aspx

This sounds as if this situation is covered and they are not acting lawfully right now. You asked for information and they are withholding it.

Safia-it absolutely does!

chestnuttree- I did email the SENCO with the questions before the meeting last Friday and did ask for any written information they have on my daughter based on the Freedom of Information Act during the meeting and just got told that they will "look into it when we have time" (exactly what the assistant principal said to me in the meeting)!

Will speak with the adoption agency as you said.

I have already called her specialist ASD and ADHD nurse this morning and I'm just waiting for a call back because I had to leave my number and await a call back.

I'm just going to sit down now and ring the LEA and ask how to contact our local SENDIASS. Also going to call IPSEA and will call AUK and see if they can advise.

Will update later when I've called them all!

Hi, so I've called the LEA to ask how to contact our local SENDIASS, the LEA said they will get someone to call me tomorrow. I've also called IPSEA, they said to wait for a call back from them but never gave any time frame, might just ring them back tomorrow?

Still waiting for a call back from her specialist ASD and ADHD nurses.

I'll ring the adoption agency and AUK first thing tomorrow.

I've also sent the SENCO another email with the questions again.

I'm just so tired now after dealing with all of this.

Is there another appeal after the first appeal? Or can you only appeal the exclusion once?

Thank you so much.