Week two at High School, a follow up from Starting High School.
Thankyou all for your interest and encouraging words about my son’s first day in specialist education and also high school.
It’s been an emotional week as I have had time to reflect on his time in primary school now we are no longer living the nightmare that lasted seven years. I’ve decided to start trying to raise awareness of what some children face in mainstream schools and have written two extremely difficult to write posts about frequent problems my son faced in primary school.
If you have read them you will understand the contrast we are experiencing now and why I am so relieved that he is in the school he’s in.
Last week went well. He came home happy every day. The only hiccup all week was Wednesday and here is where the contrast between schools is so evident.
He has PE on Wednesdays. This was his first Wednesday. He hates getting changed. He was worried he wouldn’t be good at the sport. He was worried other children would laugh at him and he was worried because he didn’t know who the PE teacher was.
He was in a bit of a state by the time he got in the taxi and even tried to get out halfway up the road and when he eventually set off he was crying his eyes out with his coat over his head. I rang the school and explained why he was about to arrive in a huge stress! I was reassured they would deal with it and not to worry.
It’s hard not to worry because past experience has taught me that this type of start to a morning would turn into a meltdown, pick your child up early kind of day so I made a cup of tea, had a little cry and waited not very patiently for the call to pick him up.
Twenty minutes later the head teacher rang me to explain that he had turned up at school and was very distressed when they met him from the taxi so they had taken him to a quiet room and had a chat about PE. They had got the PE teacher into the room to meet him and the PE teacher had told him not to worry about being good at sports because he himself was rubbish at football. He was told no one would laugh at him and he was given the choice to stop PE if he was struggling. They also told him PE includes climbing and canoeing (!) at this school. Then when he was feeling happier they got him some breakfast and I wasn’t to worry because he was happy. They dealt with the situation perfectly for my son and he came home on Wednesday happy like every other day.
For me this is such a big deal. My son has never come home and said he’s had a good day at school. We have had daily meltdowns for seven years of primary school and I have had endless meetings and been called into school constantly but now my son likes school! I’m not having to worry while he’s at school because he is in the right environment now and he’s being taught and looked after by people that understand him and his needs!
At the end of the week I had another phone call from the head to tell me that he is really pleased with my son who he thinks is a lovely, polite child. Such a contrast from the “your son is really naughty, don’t you think it would be better if you kept him at home” that I’m used to hearing!
I am beginning to think it is the best decision I ever made getting him out of mainstream!
Thank You for your wonderful support and encouragement over the last week!
For those of you with unhappy children trapped in mainstream schools, and I know there are many due to the overwhelming agreement and response to my latest posts, big hugs and don’t ever give up fighting for your babies!
I love this! My son is Autistic and just started high school. It is amazing how the right school can make everything go so much better. So glad it is working out.
It is isnt it! Thankyou and hope your son is doing well!
Thank you! Yes, he is so happy right now.
Thats great news!
I’m so glad your son is having a much better experience with his new school! It always eases so much stress off us parents when we know our kids are going to be okay at school. It must be such a huge relief for you:)
I am happy for your son. Hope he’ll do well in future too:) thanks for sharing.
I am glad your son is happy. You must be quiet satisfied now. Wish him all the best for the future 🙂
Good to hear you son is enjoying his new school and environment. Member those stressed days of daily meltdowns area thing of the past!
First of congratz to your son. Wish him all the best for future. But I must say every school should have this kind of PE teacher who can understand the mind of student rather force them to do so.
Very happy to know that your son is doing good and I wish him all the best for the future!!
I guess you are contented as of now?
That’s such a nice school your son is going to! Not many would have welcomed him so warm, talk to him and assure him that everything will be ok. The fact that they gave him breakfast and gave him the option to stop PE is really kind of them as well. They are definitely professionals.
I’m so glad to hear that! It’s awesome that you guys found a better school. Hearing him say he had a good day is everything 🙂
This is just wonderful. Imagining your routine for the past 7 years, and now you will even have extra time, that you used to spend on picking him up from school. Education is so complex, and I am glad that teachers in the new school know what they are doing.
Glad to hear that your son is now comfortable in new environment.Must say school staff is so supportive.Have a great future ahead.
Glad to hear that your son is enjoying his new school. Comfortable school will be good for every children.
I am glaad that your son is having a great time with his new school. and I wish him all the best in his future.
Good to know that your son is having good days at school. I am not a parent yet but I can understand how important it is for a parent to confirm about the feeling of their child when they are not with them. All the best!
It sounds like you have found the right school for him now – it must be such a relief.
I love the honesty in how you write.
It’s amazing to see the difference in how a right school can make to a kids day. I wish you and your beautiful son the happiest life!
Oh wow, that’s wonderful, clearly he is in exactly the right school, what a relief for you after all this time #SmallStepsAA
Glad your son is it the right school and had a great week! Wishing him an awesome school year!
xoxo,
Gabi
It is very good that your son is enjoying his high school. As they called you and said that he is a polite child which also relieved your stress.
I’m so glad he’s enjoying school! The staff sounds incredibly understanding and well-trained for calming him down. I read your post about his first day of school last week, and I’m glad your anxieties went unrealized 🙂
School is fun sometimes? just kidding. I understand him on how he feels on school. There are worries and happiness also on my school days.
I’m glad he is liking his new school, it’s such a relief and you made the best decision for him to get him in this school. Also, it’s even better when the school lets you know that your son is polite and doing good.
Reading this post has made me so happy for you and your son. We went the SEN route right away, and we were very lucky to get our son his place. I did wonder if I had done the right thing, not giving mainstream a try, but I know that my son is in a place with people that understand. I feel that I don’t have to worry when he is at school. I can’t begin to imagine how worn out you must be feeling having to battle for seven years. I’m so glad your son had people around him who knew how to deal with the situation correctly. Being happy is the most important thing.
Thanks for linking up with Small Steps Amazing Achievements
x
Im so pleased for you that you managed to find a great school for your son straight away, I wouldnt wish what my son went through on any family! I really am so relieved I dont have to worry about my son anymore x