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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

DC attacked at school, again

127 replies

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 21:33

In school today, right in front of teacher my DD was physically assaulted. I am talking full on closed fist pounding to the face. My DC was knocked to the ground injured ... Facts not in dispute, it was right in front of teacher but she was to afraid to intervene in case she got hit.

One day exclusion, he is probably quite happy with that. But this is the second physical assault in a year from same boy and after half term he will be back in class. I asked for boy to be moved to a different class last time and he wasn't, now it's GCSE year so they are not keen to move him.

My DC was really affected first time (there was a few attacks from other kids as well) but this time she is ok about it, just seems to accept this is what bigger kids do to smaller kids and there is nothing school can do.

Any advice?

OP posts:

Report

Mel0Drama · 19/10/2016 21:35

Homeschool. Go to the papers.

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 21:41

Sorry Mel, that doesn't really help

OP posts:

70ontheinside · 19/10/2016 21:44

Demand a meeting with the head of year and head teacher and ask how they are planning to protect your dc. Ask for a written statement, along with the school's complaint policy.

TheUnseenAcademic · 19/10/2016 21:45

Are the police involved? That's an assault in front of witnesses- I'd consider prosecution, especially if the school aren't taking measures to protect your daughter.

PonderingProsecco · 19/10/2016 21:49

Check their behaviour policy to see how assault and violence should officially be dealt with.
Quote it at them.

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 21:51

Have asked for a meeting, will probably have to wait until next term. Thought about police but am imagining if I did that against schools wishes I would have to find a new school. And its GCSE time, so very nervous, not least because I couldn't afford to move house to a better school.

OP posts:

Lagirafe · 19/10/2016 21:52

I hope your DC is ok.

I agree with getting the police involved.

elephantoverthehill · 19/10/2016 21:53

This a safe guarding issue and should be brought to the Head's and if need be the Governors' attention. Every child, and adult has the right to feel safe in a school.

mynameismyname · 19/10/2016 21:53

I really would get the police involved.

ethelb · 19/10/2016 21:56

I would get police involved. School can not get rid of you for holding this boy to account. I hope.

Without police, I don't see how this can get better I'm afraid.

Pallisers · 19/10/2016 21:59

I would be sitting outside the head's office tomorrow expecting him/her to make meeting with me a priority. In fact I would have expected the head to have called me that evening.

I also think you should call the police. That is a very serious assault. If it happened anywhere else, bystanders would have called the police. Being in a school shouldn't make it any different.

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 22:00

Behaviour policy says the ultimate sanction is a fixed term exclusion followed by a meeting with SLT upon return, which is probably what they have done.

It just doesn't seem enough and I and very worried about the future.

OP posts:

OddBoots · 19/10/2016 22:00

You should not be pressured to change school if you go to the police.

I would advise making a police report and then arranging a meeting with the school.

OddBoots · 19/10/2016 22:02

ethelb "School can not get rid of you for holding this boy to account. I hope."

Very true. If your child was excluded because you called the police that would absolutely 100% an illegal exclusion.

RockinHippy · 19/10/2016 22:02

Get the Police involved, its isn't the same thing as outside of school.

The school are failing miserably in their duty of care to your DD & therefore should be falling over backwards to accommodate your DD in anyway that makes her feel safe

Im sorry, but you are being way too soft here, don't be intimidated by them, you are holding all the cards & they need to understand that you know that.

We've been in a similar situation recently, only my own DDs school did everything right - if the hadnt, I would have pressed charges

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 22:04

I agree with posters sentiments about ringing the police but am very nervous about ruining my DD life chances in GCSE year before I have given school a second chance to do something. Is that my only option?

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MrsCookieMonster78 · 19/10/2016 22:04

Call the police, it's assault.
Maybe then the school will take it as seriously as they should.

Chippednailvarnishing · 19/10/2016 22:06

At the risk of sounding harsh, your DD has been repeatedly assulted and you are reluctant to go to the police.
You might want to think about the fact that the reason that she seems so accepting of this treatment is because you appear to be.

titchy · 19/10/2016 22:07

It's your only option if plan a doesn't work. Plan a is you seeing the head tomorrow morning.

OddBoots · 19/10/2016 22:07

"very nervous about ruining my DD life chances in GCSE year" What exactly do you fear will happen?

titchy · 19/10/2016 22:07

Yeah why do you think going to the police will ruin her GCSEs?

MrsCookieMonster78 · 19/10/2016 22:08

If they didn't do anything after the first assault and their answer to the second is a 1 day exclusion then they don't deserve a second/third chance. At the very least your child should be protected at school from physical assault. I would absolutely not move your DD from the school if you don't want to and calling the police should not impact that, why would it? Your DD is the victim.

PonderingProsecco · 19/10/2016 22:09

What has to happen, according to Behaviour Policy, for permanent exclusion?
Have they got a school within a school type thing for children [this boy] who are not coping with mainstream/ being too disruptive?
What about their policy on isolation. Lessons at school but not with other pupils?
Like others, one day exclusion seems major underplaying of assault.
Use terms like that by the way in emails....

Jessia0 · 19/10/2016 22:13

I am not accepting this behaviour at all, I have ridden the schools back on every single occasion, but school has always convinced me that appropriate changes/punishments have been made. After today's incident I am just trying to get my head around it and come to rational judgement rather than just lose my temper.

DC always saw the bullies being punished and thought that was good but now I realise she has learnt that they get punished but it doesn't change anything in the long term because they like the punishment, so it has no affect on behaviour at all.

OP posts:

RockinHippy · 19/10/2016 22:13

I spoke with the police before meeting with the school as regards my DDs situation. I didn't make a report at that point, just wanted to know what would happen. Apparently all schools have a Police Liaison Officer who is there to deal with exactly this sort of thing.

Thankfully DDs school were great & circumstances weren't quite as straight forward as it looked, so knowing that I didn't press charges, but had the school not handled the situation so well, so that DD is kept safe, I would not have hesitated.

The school cannot let this affect your DD & her GCSEs, they need to separate this boy into the different class as you want, or you DO make it very clear you will be pressing charges & speaking to your solicitor as regards suing them

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