Dealing with teachers who are (imho) bullying children

I do know that some teachers are bullies and some heads are chocolate teapots but without real detail it’s difficult to make up our mind

Too many aspects of this story don’t stack up for me.

Not one but “several” teachers are calling DC stupid and making generally rude comments. Multiple teachers gossiping about “smarty pants” DC and wanting to take them down a peg. A number of teachers now suddenly taking against a good DC following said gossip. A headteacher deliberately aiming to “humiliate and shame” children.

I have had DC in the school system for many decades and have never heard of any of the above happening. Teachers have a difficult enough job as it is without conspiring to bully or humiliate DC. Whose interest would it serve to do so?

I suspect there is a strong case of Chinese whispers here and that the school won’t be devastated to see you and your DC go.

The school sounds toxic. If you have an exit plan for your child then I’d just be telling him to keep his head down until he’s out of the door, sadly.

Of course it's relevant because you don't actually know exactly what was said, you're just believing whatever your child is saying.

Your child did get into trouble. For being badly behaved and rude towards a teacher.

You haven't confirmed how you know all this op ??

Do you really believe more people feel the need to homeschool than teachers feel the need for parents to actually discipline their kids?

You need to speak to the teacher and find out what actually happened. Because from what you've heard, the teacher was a bully. But from what you've written, the other child was unruly, your child interrupted/spoke out of turn/answered back, and the teacher disciplined them because that doesn't meet expectations.

Normally, I am all for working with the school to understand the issues, and come to an agreement on the way forward, however... by the time you have collated the recent examples, set up meetings with head of year/school leader to ask for their perspective on the incidents, understood the facts of these incidents etc, and then agreed what should have happened/what will happen next time, it'll be Christmas. You've obviously lost faith in the school, so not sure that any discussions with them would be productive anyway.

If you are likely to get your DC into a new school in January, then honestly, I'd tell them to keep their head down and ride it out for the last few weeks of term.

The op has clearly said their behaviour is consistent. It sounds like new teachers not using appropriate language at the very least. I wouldn't tolerate a peer or professional using stupid as a description.

As teachers I would expect better.

You weren't there op

Its about discipline and preparing children for their future
Theres a whole other thread on it if you are interested and in fact OP you are providing an excellent example of whay teachers say they can't teach any more.

Who has told you all this?

And you are calling a headteacher 'a chocolate teapot'??

A few questions …

was the teacher saying the children were stupid or that the children’s behaviour was stupid? There is a big different.

what light hearted comment did DC say?

what humiliating changes and rules has the head bought in?

The teachers have got better things to do than listen to this silly bollocks

Ask for a meeting with the teachers in question.

'DC has however stood up for one of the children who was being called stupid by making a light hearted comment. DC was really upset that children were being called stupid'

Did they say 'you are stupid' or 'you are being stupid'? Huge difference!

I work in education, I love my job, I spend my days only with other professionals who love their jobs and it's been that way for decades. We are absolute pros in working hard, supporting children, progressing them, protecting them.

All I get from the OP is that their child can do no wrong even when not in front of their parent's eyes to prove it, and if anyone else in loco parentis is not actively praising them and accommodating their personal preferences, then that person is a bully. Also, there is zero fact base for any of this, but an overriding concern to depict the attitudes of all school staff in a combative and unwarranted way.

I struggle to see what this parent wants apart from maligning the school at the expense of parenting their own child into the sort of mindfulness or self affirmation they can practice when they don't like a tone of voice or whatever else which is actually as innocent as classroom wallpaper.

Stop complaining about schools and parent your child into greater resilience.

We removed ds.. There really was no alternative..