The mother of a young boy with autism says his primary school forced him to stay in a small room alone with her and a teaching assistant for nearly two months.
Stacey Jackson, 30, from West Lothian, Scotland, says son Andrew Robertson, nine, was kept apart for almost the entire period he spent at East Calder Primary School.
Stacey Jackson with son Andrew Robertson, whose school kept him in a small room for almost two months
Jackson says Andrew, who also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and hyperacusis, experienced problems from the outset last August.
Primary warns of ‘excludable’ actions
Shortly after starting, the school warned his mother that Andrew had shown numerous “excludable” actions, including spitting.
Jackson believes his behaviour unravelled because staff failed to establish boundaries and did not understand his sensory needs.
She says Andrew also has symptoms of pathological demand avoidance (PDA). Jackson says consistent boundaries help him feel “secure”.
School asked mum to stay with son
Staff asked Jackson to stay with Andrew. They told him he could only leave the room when he was calm.
The room was not much bigger than a box bedroom, said Jackson.
Andrew spent two hours a day there with his mum and a teaching assistant before leaving at 11am.
The school never locked the door, but sometimes staff would block Andrew’s path if he tried to leave.
Andrew ended up at the school after single mum of four Jackson moved house.
Lawyer warns of unlawful exclusion
Polly Sweeney is a lawyer who specialises in children with additional needs.
She said she has “serious concerns that there have been a number of breaches of the law” through an “unlawful exclusion” and Andrew’s “human rights”.
Andrew is now returning to his previous school.
A West Lothian Council spokesperson said it has clear policies for supporting children with additional needs.
The authority said it was confident the school had followed “appropriate policy”.
Related:
- Government gets tough on exclusions
- Exclusion forces parents to give up job
- ‘Repugnant’ school exclusions banned
- Legal fight over exclusion for behaviour
- Schools ‘unable’ to stop exclusions
- MPs back call to cut school exclusions
- School behaviour policies may break law
Published: 14 November 2020
