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Secondary education

Is it worth complaining to Ofsted?

20 replies

Memina · 05/06/2020 21:26

My son started at the local catholic ofsted outstanding school sept 2018. Within the space of a few weeks my son was labelled as a trouble maker.

As a side note I want to make it clear that I know my son isnt an angel and that he can as all children, be disruptive, stroppy and a general pain.

HOWEVER over the last year my son has gone from a confident happy kid to begging me to homeschool him.

He has been called stupid, "special" (and provided a special desk and chair), dumb, the N word by teachers. He was pushed and shoved by a teacher which we complained about and the teacher apologised. He was then suspended for fighting, but when the CCTV was released he wasnt even in the fight. No apology, nothing, yet the suspension remains on his record.

Throughout his first year we wondered whether we should move him but I felt that may cause more disrruption as his grades where great and I was in constant communication with his head of year so felt it would settled.

I have challenged everytime my son has complained about an incident at school and have it in writing via email.

Move forward to year 8 and it all started very positive he had a new set of teachers and was doing well.

Then an incident happened. My son told me he was in trouble with a guy on social media. I cant really go into detail as the trial is coming up soon but it was a kind of gang grooming situation. My son was being threatened by this guy who knew our address and was threatening to kill our family.

My son explained that some of his friends had also been contacted. Obviously we went to the police and reported it to the school. I hoped that the school would hold some sort of assembly informing year 8 parents of what was reported and making sure everyone was vigilant with their childs online communication.

Instead my son was attacked by a group of older kids for being a grass and strangled. A few days later a parent attacked him on school grounds. Luckily I was with him so managed to protect him from being assaulted.

Rumours started circulating within the school community that my son was a gangster. Still the school did nothing but invite my son to leave as they couldn't guarantee his safety.

We asked the school to reconsider but instead they dropped him. No support whilst he was home no work sent nothing. And yet no assembly or communication warning other parents.

I have various emails and I have asked the head to let me know exactly what the school has done to safeguard the children and what they have done to carry out their duty of care and yet nothing. I've also asked the governors to respond and again nothing.

I have moved my son schools and he is much happier but I am really questioning whether Ofsted should be informed. I keep thinking of how many other boys have and continue to be affected by this and no-one has done anything about it.

Is it worth reporting to Ofsted?

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Comefromaway · 05/06/2020 21:32

That’s horrendous. I’m so glad you got him out of there.

My son was involved in a serious safeguarding incident at school. (Another boy took a naked photo of him in the showers and threatened to put it on social media). He has SEN & was labelled a problem & the whole thing was swept under the carpet and put down to boys will be boys.

We made a huge mistake not pulling him out of there. He was eventually asked to leave the year later when he had an autistic meltdown.

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Memina · 05/06/2020 21:56

That awful for your son.

I too am greatful that hes doing much better. He is almost back to himself again.

My dilemma is do I peruse as it doesnt sit well with me that these parents havent been informed and they're child could be involved in something beyond their control or so I just forget about it.

I truly believe the school has not fulfilled its duty and if they get away with it. What's to stop something from happening again?

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cabbageking · 05/06/2020 22:29

You need to complain about a specific issue or issues that you feel has not be dealt with correctly rather than asking for a such a wide sweeping statement.

They failed to do x and t on a date or dates. The governors will deal with the Head not following the policy. They need to have something they can check specific to that child.

The Police have the complaint and the actions taken.
This is the same for school.
Perhaps I have misunderstood your complaint. You complained about other
Issues as they happened but it sounds like this is a wider issue?

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Witchend · 06/06/2020 11:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Witchend · 06/06/2020 11:39

Sorry ignore above I misread it! Will ask for it to be removed.

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Memina · 06/06/2020 13:03

The issue I'm complaining about is the handling of this safeguarding issue. We knew initially of at least 5 other students that had been involved but then police have found that at least 20 within the school and some other 40 nationwide.

But I just feel that they reacted this way because of the pre judged idea that my son is bad and allowed these rumors to continue to spread so as to deflect from the schools inadequate handling.

The school did not full fill their duty of care to either my son or every other student that has been a victim.

If my son hadnt alerted me of what was happening I wouldve hoped that if the school had been made aware they would pass on that information to parents.

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Comefromaway · 06/06/2020 13:10

To give you an example of the school my son moved to. My son became aware that someone was befriending kids on Instagram. He had initially accepted the request because the person had the same name as a child in his year. Messages became concerning and appeared to involve gay pornography & allegations of abuse from a gay supposed child from the UK (but actually someone in the Us)

My son blocked him and then got bombarded with messages passed via friends saying the person was sorry for lying about his location, only wants to be friends etc etc.

We reported to school & CEOPS. The school alerted parents of children concerned and also reported to the police without saying who had alerted them.

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Memina · 06/06/2020 13:34

And that is what I was expecting the school to do. But no instead they allowed my son to be assaulted and allowed these horrible rumours to circulate and then got rid of him.

But if that wasnt bad enough they failed to alert parents and fulfill their duty of care of their students.

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BubblesBuddy · 06/06/2020 19:01

I would read their safeguarding policy and check every word and every action or non action. Then complain to Ofsted if there are clear discrepancies. What schools can say to parents is something you need to check. It needs to be handled sensitively so check if they followed procedure or not. That’s what ofsted will care about.

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hfrdgftcsdg · 06/06/2020 19:06

Sounds like you were expecting the school to do a hell of a lot more than educate him. You’re Son does not sound like an “average” or “normal” teenager to me.

Schools are for education. That is all.

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Comefromaway · 06/06/2020 19:22

No, it sounds like she expected the school to fulfil their statutory duties.

We are not in the 50’s/60’s any more. We don’t call kids with learning difficulties Stupid, special & dumb & we don’t call black/mixed race kids n***.

And we take safeguarding concerns seriously.

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cabbageking · 06/06/2020 19:39

You involved the Police. Did they take any action?

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Wolfiefan · 06/06/2020 20:26

Not all Y8 students are stroppy and disruptive. Hmm
Ofsted don’t handle parental complaints. That’s not their role.
How old was he to have Instagram? It’s not the job of the school to police his tech use at home.
The individual things should have been dealt with at the time following the complaints procedure of the school. No child should be insulted or racially abused in school. That’s appalling.

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Comefromaway · 06/06/2020 20:33

Actually Wolfe Ofsted can do an Emergency inspection If someone reports that a school has had a serious safeguarding breach or is not implementing safeguarding/equality procedures.

It happened at the school Ds used to attend and they were given a warning.

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BubblesBuddy · 06/06/2020 23:23

If the school is alleged to have had a breach of their safeguarding policy, the complainant must be sure of their facts and that the allegations are accurate. That’s why reading the policy and analysing what happened is vital.

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Memina · 07/06/2020 18:27

The police are involved and have made their enquiries but the investigation has taken a lot longer because they had to figure out who else was involved.

My son is a perfectly normal kid who realised the communication he was receiving was wrong.

I expected the school to do their duty of protecting their school body of students and not disguard my son, punishing him for doing the right thing which was bringing the situation to my attention.

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Memina · 07/06/2020 18:29

I should also add that my son did not have Instagram or any other social media. We was involved by another friend at school passing on my sons telephone number.

Again I wasnt asking or expecting the school to monitor my sons online usage. I was hoping they would alert other parents of a imminent danger so parents that do let their children have social media are aware to check.

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happytoday73 · 07/06/2020 18:33

Safeguarding and racial issues... I'd also complain to the diocese....as a Catholic school they also do periodic inspections of schools

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BubblesBuddy · 07/06/2020 19:22

Have you checked whether alerting other parents is in the safeguarding policy? What you think should be in it and what is actually in it might be different. Alerting other parents could be discretionary. However you must read the policy because it will be detailed.

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Memina · 07/06/2020 19:34

Will definitely read the policy. However they did send out a letter letting parents know of a new trend going round of swallowing magnets. I wouldve thought warning parents of a predator trying to get their kids into gangs and drugs would also warrant at the very least a letter.

However one thing I've learnt from this experience is what I wouldve have thought was common sense isnt obviously the case

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