Discrimination against a Disabled Child

Can you please help me! I have a son who is seven years old and has Autism. My son was going to Costons Primary School in Oldfield Lane South, Greenford.Middx.UB6 9JU, until Thursday 23rd of April 09. I left my son at school as usual on Monday 20th April 09, thinking he’s in safe hands! The next thing I know, I am being informed that my son as to be picked up from school because he got out of school! I thought he must of walked out of the school when someone was leaving or something of that nature, the next thing I know I’m getting a phone call from his Headmaster saying “did u leave me a message to give you a ring?” I said” no”. He then went on to say “anyway as you’re on the phone, I’ve been informed by the Local Authority exclusion department that he would have no option but to exclude my son Jamal Lawrence as the school could not guarantee his health and safety”. I was shocked to hear that from the Headmaster as my son had been going to Costons for 2years and he was in the Primary Support Base with 6 other children’ so how did he get out of the school in the first place! On making my own investigations I found out that my son had made his way onto the public road and had crossed 3 roads when he was found by a member of the public, who then rang the school to notify them that 1 of their children was out of the school”. I wasn’t told that by the school and the member of public who had found my son had children who also attend Cottons. I was and I’m still in shock, alarmed and distressed to hear that whilst under the supervision of Mr Mike Baldwin and the rest of the staff, which had an appropriate staff ratio 4-5 people my son was able to leave the classroom and the school premises and managed to make his way out on to public road without being found by any of the unit staff- who I also understood had walky-talkies for emergency communications should an event of Jamal leaving the classroom ever occur. I also understood that my son had received funding for extra help and supervision in the class and at lunchtime.

He was however found by a member of the public who returned him to the school. I question how this happened? What would of happened to my son had he not been found by a respectable member of the community? I am still finding this situation and lack of reasonable answers extremely distressing so therefore I asked for an investigation to be carried out as I felt and still feel there is no justifiable reason for this incident to have occurred other than showing the lake of competence of Mr Baldwin and other staff in the unit. I also questioned why my son was faced with expulsion leading from the event when I am sure you will agree the lack of competence shown by the staff was apparent and obvious to blame. I feel that my child has been penalised from the event. I have so much more to say about my son since he was excluded from the said school and before he was faced with exclusion. My son has been to two different schools for assessment to see if they can cater for his needs, school number one say they can cater but he’ll need 1-1 they need to know if the council will pay? The council need to have meetings etc. so my son started school number two which said they don’t cater for Autistic children, my son has been left confused just like myself! He went to Costons for 2 years then Hillingdon Manor School from Wednesday 29th of April-half day 1st June where he was sent home because the Local Authority’s SEN department made a mistake. Jamal couldn’t attend Hillingdon Manor School while other children where being assessed! My son came through the front door thinking he had done something wrong! He even said ”I WAS A GOOD BOY” Which was right. He then started going to Ealing Primary Centre 4th June, bearing in mind he was out of School for 4 days. He is now more confused than before, another school and different school, they couldn’t cater for his needs so I had to pick him up early because he wasn’t happy and letting them know!  So now he’s been out of school since 8th June and we are both left waiting to find out where my son is going to go. He’s been off school now for a further 5days. Talk about messing around with my sons’ life and of course my life because I have to work! I’m a single mother and I have bills to pay like everyone else and because of this situation I’ve had to pay for someone to look after Jamal while I go to work or I’ve had to have days off or change my hours of work!!

So my son on public road, exclusion, teachers, Schools, Local Authority, No proper investigation even though I asked for one and I followed the Complaints Procedure. I wrote my letter to the Governors and it wasn’t shown to the Governors as they were not allowed to see the letter. This is because the chairman the Reverend Neil Richardson took it upon himself to do his own supposed investigation, which didn’t answer any of my question in fact there wasn’t even an acknowledgement of them being in the wrong re the well fair of my on; not even a sorry! I can’t understand these people, messing up child’s life………….

The other thing I find so hard to understand is: I was so upset about the way my son was being treated that I even went as far as contacting the Local Gazette, who appeared to agree with the way I felt. Monday 1st June the photographer came round to my house and took some pictures, he also agreed with me that my story needed to be told, I kept the reporter informed on a regular basis, until I started to feel the reporter should have enough information from me and also the Local Authority SEN department to be able to print my story, so on 11th of June I rang the reporter again and left a message on his voicemail as he didn’t answer my call, asking him to let me know when was he going to print my story ? He still hasn’t rung me! So I decided to do a little investigating myself and boy was I unprepared for the outcome! I found out that Coston Primary School uses the Gazette on a regular basis to do stories on events etc to make the school look good. My findings let me know what was going on behind my back and also left me feeling let down yet again, but I thought no surely someone out there must be able to help me, I then rang the Sun Newspaper and well let’s just say they weren’t interested, the reporter I spoke to said “we don’t do those kind of stories”. I thought don’t waste my time just ring another newspaper, so I then rang Daily Star, spoke to the reporter who asked me why hadn’t I tried he Local Newspaper because I had a good story! Of course I told him! He then replied by saying” sometimes

That happens”. He said he’d do the stor , he took my telephone number and said he would ring me back! Well yet again I’m left waiting, that was the 12th June  and today is the 17th June, I find it hard to understand how the media can agree with the way I feel in words but appear not to be willing to back the words by showing me some action! Yesterday 16th June I was told by Hilary Blake of the Local Authority department that my son application for Hillingdon Manor school hadn’t been successful, he didn’t meet their class criteria ‘Can u believe it Hillingdon Manor School for Autistic children ‘ can’t cater for my sons needs and my son is Autistic! It’s an independent School so they can choose who they like, another let down! And because of that my son had to go back to Ealing Primary Centre again, a place where they don’t have Autistic children , so they have to be getting advise from other school and professionals on how to cater for my sons needs, there is only 5 weeks left to end of term which means he may well end the summer term at Ealing Primary Centre and still have no school to go to in September, because there aren’t any vacancies in the borough and Hillingdon can’t take him and that school was of course out of the borough also. I feel like I’m fighting on my own, fighting to get my son into a school , the Right school  and the people that are supposed to be working on my behalf and for children like my son! Have let us down!

.                             Sign Sheila Dawkins.