(UK) Ofsted SPED parents accuse schools of illegally excluding children

Oct 18, 2017, UK Tes: Ofsted: 'Alarming' number of schools accused of unofficially excluding SEND pupils https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/ofsted-alarming-number-schools-accused-unofficially-excluding-send An “alarming number” of parents have said that their schools are using unofficial exclusions as a means of dealing with pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND), a new Ofsted report says. These illegal exclusions have been used as a behaviour-management policy, in addition to fixed-term exclusions, the schools inspectorate has said.... "Across nearly all local areas inspected, an alarming number of parents said that some school leaders asked them to take their children home… It is illegal.” ... Other concerns raised in the Ofsted report include: • Many pupils identified as having social, emotional and mental-health needs were not able to access the support they required. While many areas had seen a rise in referrals to child and adolescent mental health services, these services regularly rejected referrals because they did not meet their thresholds. ...