School Issues. Safeguarding report

[aguero93:20]

Wow....making my way through the replies...thanks guys in advance.

Fair dues to you for trying to find the best solution mate, told the missus about this thread and she was saying she'd ring the police on me straight away if either of ours came home like that. Keep the head straight though, probably better in the long run.

 

[Ghandi's Flip Flops]

Had a similiar situation a few years back with my lad, and how it was dealt with by the school and even the police left me with a real sour taste and a lot of distrust towards them.

Basically my lad wasn't getting bullied but his friend was. Whilst they were both walking to class after a break this bully tried to jump on his mate from behind, we assume with the intention of dragging him to the floor. My lad stepped in beforehand though and pushed the bully away, which caused him to absolute flip and he set about my lad, getting him on floor and repeatadly stamping on his head until he was eventually dragged away by numerous members of staff. The whole incident was captured on CCTV.

I obviously wanted to press charges, but the school and police did everything to disuade me. First they advised not to view the CCTV footage, but when i insisted, it wasn't available numerous times due to being with the police/ school governors/ CCTV equipment not working etc.
Then the police informed me that if charges were pressed, then because my lad had done the initial shove/push he would also end up being charged which could turn up on future CRB checks possibly affecting his chances of certain employment.

Attended a few meetings about the incident with police & school staff, and what was said/agreed in those and what actually ended up in the minutes/reports was totally different.
Also even though the lad got a temporary exclusion straight after the incident, i was informed that someone from the council/education board was gonna contest any permanent exclusion. Luckily though, he apparantly viewed the CCTV footage within that meeting and walked out without saying a thing, and the lad got a permanent exclusion, after which we eventually decided not to press charges.

Then by chance about 12-18 months after it all happened i got chatting to one of the school governors. She knew all about the incident, and let me know there had been a stabbing at the school only a couple of weeks before this. She also hinted that if we had pressed charges the likes of Ofsted/ Police / welfare agencies would have been more heavily involved with the likelihood of the school being put into 'special measures' or similiar.

After hearing this and looking back on how the situation was dealt with i genuinely felt the priority had been to maintain the reputation of the school at all costs, with the welfare of my lad considered a very distant second.

So based on my bad experiences my advice would be the following:-
Ask for copies of any reports that are available.
If you attend any meetings make your own recording of the meeting (with phone/ tape etc) and get a copy of any minutes.
Try to make all correspondance in writing and copy every man and his dog in on them (i.e. school staff, governors, safeguarding team and any outside agencies involved like ofsted etc)

 

[talkativesprout]

If someone broke his arm then surely he knows who? Contact headteahcer.. both parent's present.. say things. etc.

Get T shirts printed and sing come by ya.......soz mate couldn't resist...i need a smile if even at my own feeble bullying of a radical plant killer :).....He knows the perps...One of the gang of bullies when it had gone too far tried to help him up at the same time a teacher turned up....she left the bully to look after him while SHE went for a first aid person. This is a grown woman in a position of authority leaving a injured person with the twats that injured him, while she "got help"

No idea about them personally mate. I just wanted to say how bad i feel for your lad mate. School can be cruel at times but like you say when it's got to this level it needs to stop. I wish him a speedy recovery, he sounds like a mentally strong lad though which is good.

It annoys me they only seem to act when there is an imminent legal hassle on their horizon.

Thanks for your good wishes pal.

Little shots. I hope they get their comeuppance.

How old is your lad?

Your not alone in that mate. One of the dads lads is a blue and i oft see him on the tram!
He was 14 last week...think that is old 3rd year ...i know i'm dreadful Dad...no memory for that sort of stuff.

Safeguarding is an ofsted trigger so they will be looking to sort out asap.

I'd email everything from now on to keep a paper chain.

Thanks pal. Wife said phone went a bit nuts once the email from the hospital had landed...Which just shows they don't have effective procedures when dealing with serious events.

Sorry to hear that mate.
Have the police been informed?

Glad you brought that up pal. seems to be a theme with those in the know. Since my initial post i have learned that the Bass player in a Dad band i'm involved in is a adult social worker and given some advice. For others in the future that might be going through similar

Straight to children’s team mate get them to contact the police or you could call 101 and ask to public protection office for children mate fucking disgraceful that sort of treatment

I'd certainly be involving the police.

see above, thanks for your support means a lot.

And me.
Also get the chair of governors involved yourself, don’t leave it to the staff.
Being a pro-active parent puts the wind up them.

I think i have dealt enough with pretend politicians with white wash on their minds. (i'm not being dismissive without experience, but in my experience a non starter.

When my daughter was being bullied at secondry school, my wife contacted the school and threaten to self teach her and get ofsted involved. The school was more proactive after that.

did that last time (end of November) they put their best girl on the job...yup i caved in. Loads of action and we will be pro active...lasts about 3-4 week when the punishment has worn off wankers start again or get mates family others to pick on him for grassing.

Mrs is a teacher and says you need to set up a meeting with the school's safeguarding lead. This person should be a member of the pastoral team and identified at reception.

yep Mrs Garside......she tried to arrange a meeting with the year head.....3 days after i had already had a meeting with the year head. Said she would call us back to confirm if it was another meeting we needed or the meeting we had already had ...without her knowing still waiting for the phone call......forgive me for not having a lot of confidence

Defo get the police involved mate. Name calling is bad enough but getting broken bones is wrong on many levels. If safe guarding get involved I would imagine they will be all over it very quickly

Hope your lad gets well soon mate. Bullies make my blood boil

Thanks pal, I know one dad so ...eh oh :)

Broken arm....little bastards.

His day will come.

It will, so may mine

You may want to ask the Chair of Governors for all correspondence regarding previous incidents. You are entitled to this through a Freedom Of Information Request too, if the school is a public body. This includes all and any email correspondence between staff.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/

I'm a senior leader in a school, and a dad, so know both sides of the coin, so to speak. If the school have been remiss in dealing with this, they rightly want hauling over the coals. The primary duty of any school isn't education. It's the safety and well-being of everyone who sets foot in the building (pupils, staff, any other person in there).

Great advice, i will but doubt i will get it

nothing worse than a fucking bully

Their is...but i appreciate nothing worse to the bullied than a bully

So sorry your lad has been bullied.

The school sounds like it is poorly led as it has not taken your previous comments regarding bullying seriously. They may jump through more hoops now that other professionals are involved. Raise a formal complaint in writing to the head explaining that due to their mismanagement of the behaviour policy your son has been seriously assaulted. If you get no joy then write a formal complaint to the school governing body. If you feel you are being fobbed off, ie bully not suspended and son supported and feeling safe then raise complaint with Dept for Education. It sounds scary but it is straight forward and here is the link.

Contact the Department for Education
https://form.education.gov.uk/fillform.php?self=1&form_id=cCCNJ1xSfBE&type=form&ShowMsg=1&form_name=Contact+the+Department+for+Education&noRegister=false&ret=/module/services&noLoginPrompt=1

After that you can contact Ofsted 0300 1231231 who may trigger an inspection due to ongoing inappropriate leadership and management atound a safeguarding concern

Best regards to you and your lad. Stay strong.

Had a distraught mum on the phone tonight (news coming in all the time) her son has been put in isolation and it is not fair....her son his my sons best mate and he bounced of him after the thrust

Hope you get this sorted mate.

 

[talkativesprout]

If i missed you, accept my apologies. i checked in and saw no action, until i logged in proper did your really good help become evident

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

It is a lot different here in the states - each school has a cop on site who deals with this kind of crap but also builds relationships with kids too.
If a kid had a broken arm, without doubt charges would be pressed (against the kid and probably the school too!) and the kid arrested.
I work in a kids home and the other week two kids got into a fight. Got a bit heavy and the police were called. The police asked the kid that was on the receiving end if he wanted to press charges, it had nothing to do with us, it was the kids choice. He said yes and the other lad was taken away in cuffs. Spent the night in a cell, released the day after when the other kid dropped the charge of his own accord.

 

[aguero93:20]

It is a lot different here in the states - each school has a cop on site who deals with this kind of crap but also builds relationships with kids too.
If a kid had a broken arm, without doubt charges would be pressed (against the kid and probably the school too!) and the kid arrested.
I work in a kids home and the other week two kids got into a fight. Got a bit heavy and the police were called. The police asked the kid that was on the receiving end if he wanted to press charges, it had nothing to do with us, it was the kids choice. He said yes and the other lad was taken away in cuffs. Spent the night in a cell, released the day after when the other kid dropped the charge of his own accord.

What age were the two kids?

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Your comments about the chair of governors illustrate that you don’t know how schools are actually run.
The power in any school is the Chair, it isn’t the head.
If you don’t involve them then the tier below the governors, the senior management team, will run around telling you they are all doing the right thing and just covering their arses, trying to keep it from the governing body.

 

[BimboBob]

Indeed. They approve all hiring/ firing/ budgets etc etc...after the police they would be the next to involve. E-mail the lot of them if you can.

Missus is a head...bullying has to be several times on purpose, same child, reported already. Documented.

Go to...In order.

Teacher. If no joy then...

Head with a letter for the governors. In the letter ask for the anti bullying policy and the complaints procedure.

Good luck. Don't give in.

 

[manchester blue]

Great advice, i will but doubt i will get it

A Freedom of Information request they can refuse. You should ask for all information on your son held by the school, in particular relating to the previous bullying issues you reported giving dates, in the form of a Data Subject Access Request. They have 42 days to provide it. You should offer to pay £10 and even put a cheque in the letter for that amount to avoid delays. Hand the letter to reception and write on the letter "Hand Delivered".

They may want to cover it up like happened to the poster above but there's some good advice on here not least calling the police as the fact is it is at least aggravated assault.

 

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

Really sorry to hear about the situation and hope it gets resolved to a satisfactory conclusion. No child should go to school and feel threatened or have to defend themselves from name calling to actual physical violence. It’s pretty discusting they have turned a blind eye to it but only take action when it’s going to be something that threatens their Ofsted rating. All to protect their funding and their jobs not the pupils who come into the school to learn everyday.