A South London mum ‘can’t sleep’ after her son allegedly came home from school with bruises on multiple occasions.
Yvette Roberts-Booth, 54, lives in Downham, in Lewisham, with her 13-year-old son, Kai.
The mum said Kai, who was diagnosed with autism in 2018, started at Baston House School in Bromley borough two years ago.
The school is designed to provide education for children aged 5 to 19-years-old with autism or other special educational needs.
Ms Roberts-Booth said the former principal of the school would accommodate Kai’s needs to distract him from loud noises by using headphones or taking a brief walk around the school before returning to his lessons.
Ms Roberts-Booth told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The principal would say to him if something was going on that he didn’t like, because he’s quiet, that he had permission to have his phone to call me.”
The mum claims that since a new principal started at the school in September last year, Kai felt like he wasn’t being listened to any more.
Speaking to the LDRS, Kai said that when he would try to leave the classroom when he became overwhelmed, teachers and staff would restrain him.
Ms Roberts-Booth added that Kai would sometimes cry to her, saying he did not want to go to school.
Ms Roberts-Booth said Kai claimed he was unable to breathe at times when being restrained by teachers.
She said that while she raised the issue to staff at the school, after a week the situation would be back to “square one”.
Dwayne Wallace, 57, who is a close family friend of Ms Roberts-Booth, says he has witnessed Kai leaving school with injuries.
He told the LDRS: “One time I went to pick [Kai] up and he had bruises. Hand bruises, leg bruises, a neck bruise. I took him to the doctor and Kai was full of pain.”
Ms Roberts-Booth added: “I was planning to move him. Trust me, because it was uncomfortable.
"He stopped eating food, just drinking things. He was worrying. Coming back, when the taxi driver would drop him off, he didn’t say good evening. He took his clothes off silently, and he would go to sleep.”
The mum claims that she saw handprints and bruises on Kai up to seven times after he came back from school.
She said that her son had been brought to the doctor twice about the bruising, once by her and once by Mr Wallace.
She added that before she was able to move Kai from the school, her son was temporarily suspended in July after he fought back when a teacher allegedly restrained him.
Ms Roberts-Booth said: “They gave me the day to send him back but on the date when he was to go back… they called my phone and said to me that this boy is not in school any more.”
The mum said she had been told Kai was not allowed on the school’s premises any more. She said staff also told her they had arranged a meeting for her that day that she had failed to attend, but the mum claims she was never told about it.
Ms Roberts-Booth said Baston House School told her Kai would complete the rest of the term online, but claims this was never arranged.
She said Lewisham Council has since organised for Kai to be taught at home while she looks for another school, but the delay in him returning to school has caused her a great deal of stress.
She said: “I can’t sleep. Everything is going so fast and I’m so anxious… I just want him to get back to school and to be dealt with fairly, being a child with autism.”
A Baston House School spokesperson told the LDRS: “The safeguarding of young people is of utmost importance. Racism is not tolerated – incidents are dealt with as per our behaviour policy. We are unable to comment on individual young people on account of confidentiality.”
A Lewisham Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “Lewisham Council is committed to working with local schools and supporting all children to achieve their best, whatever their needs. Although this is an independent school that sits outside the borough, as a Lewisham resident with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), the pupil is supported by Lewisham Council as their local authority.
"Both the school and family have advised via the annual EHCP review process that this placement is no longer appropriate to meet the needs of the child.”
They added: “We have been and continue to be working closely with the family and are pleased to be able to provide home tuition as an interim solution while consultations with other schools and education settings are taking place.
"Our commissioned tuition provider is working with the family on providing a bespoke package of support, this will remain in place throughout the term while a new school placement is secured via a formal consultation process, in line with the SEND Code of Practice.”
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Picture 1: Kai Booth, 13, shown in his home in Downham, Lewisham. Permission for use by all LDRS partners. Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga / MyLondon
Picture 2: Yvette Roberts-Booth, 54, shown in her home in Downham, Lewisham. Permission for use by all LDRS partners. Credit: Facundo Arrizabalaga / MyLondon
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