Am I being an overbearing parent or is this normal for 8 weeks in secondary school ?

No, not at all normal.
This school is a bad fit.
Your poor daughter. I’d definitely move get as this place won’t get better.

I remember Year 7 (first year as it was then) being horrific for bullying - girls against girls. Intense manipulation and cruelty. It does scar.

Thuggish behaviour from boys happens a couple of years after.

Year 7 kids are pretty feral (at least in my kids school but they go to a large comprehensive) but this is nevertheless completely unacceptable - you need to report it to the school asap. Keep a diary of anything that happens going forwards and make yourself a nuisance until they sort it.

Agree with this.

I used to be a governor at a state comprehensive and kids actually got suspended for online bullying.

OP, I would seriously consider moving to another school. That school is not managing behaviour and that is school manager 101 - without decent behaviour nothing else in a school will go right. I’m not saying the teachers should have an iron rod (I don’t agree the Michaela school behaviour management style) but I do think a school should be firm and fair so all children can learn and also feel happy and safe.

I wouldn’t pay to send my child to that school. Unfortunately with private schools, the school is a business and will be treading carefully not to upset you or the other girls parents. Some of the private school bullying stories I’ve heard are worse than state school.

Wow I wouldn't be paying for that ..it's appalling. Conduct is conduct even if it happens online. So sorry OP 💐

Quite frankly, I would pull your daughter out and at some point when it couldn’t come back at her, tell people why. That school is simply not safe for children, because the people running it are completely incapable of safeguarding them.

I’m sorry your daughter is going through this. Schools have different attitudes to bullying. This one seems very passive and therefore negative. She needs an authority figure to impose the rules on people who are breaking them. If this doesn’t happen, move school to a better one. Lots of children become school avoidant and have very low self esteem/ self harm etc if exposed to bullying and have no support. Good luck.

ask them to move her to a different class.

You say the school can’t sanction because it is online. Surely this is where the online harassment and bullying bill comes in making it a criminal offence! I’d tell the school you will report any further activity to the police and see what they say then. Are you paying fees for this school? If so you should move her anyway. Do you really want these girls to be who she has to be around for the next 5-7 years?

Some schools use a sceme of big sister. Pairing year 7 student with a year 9 the big sister pops into tutor time and is around at break too. This is part of yr9 community work or PSE. It puts the bully in their place and gives a youngster confidence. Ask for a big sister . Ive seen it work very well. Also a lunchtime club...several run like art, reading give a different focus/friends and can help a lot. Kids can be really nasty.

How awful for your daughter. It's still comparatively early in her secondary school life so I'd be inclined to pull her out and make it widely and publicly known why. Their safeguarding sounds inadequate. "Safeguarding" is definitely a magic word on occasion.

My DD went to a really bad high school - lots of issues but they were really hot on bullying. One of the girls stopped everyone from talking to my DD. Phone call made, deputy head said leave it with me and promised me within 24 hours it would be sorted. It was. There is no excuse for this not to have been dealt with and to normalise it is shocking.

Your child is getting bullied really badly too you need to get this sorted asap

Sorry this is happening to your daughter. Absolutely not normal and not acceptable. My DS started in September too and I haven’t experienced anything like this. It sounds like bullying and the school need to be taking it seriously.

I have private messaged you OP with some further advice.

If the school isn't doing anything about it, I'd be getting in touch with her parents. Do they do the school run? Also put in a formal complaint at the school about the way they are handling the situation or not I should say.

Shetlandish mum ...but vlearly they dont do
they? Certainly not always and equally all secondsry schools are not all rough.

I was terribly bullied in private school y7 and it's affected me all my life. Op if the online threats can be traced I'd contact the police, she's above the age of legal responsibility. Might kick the school up the bottom too.

Report it as a safeguarding issue to the funding LA.

Also get some legal advice.

Keep detailed records, all dated.

And get your DD off social media and out if the WhatsApp groups. Monitor the phone, screenshot any bullying.

I have 2 in secondary and nothing like this. There was one very mild incident when my son was younger and the school instantly squashed it and there’s been no trouble since. I think at this early stage I would also be seriously considering moving her

Only state school experience here, there is often a Queen Bee girl who tries this, but good schools should come down like a ton of bricks on it. Report every incident, email trail, cc in anyone and everyone remotely relevant. Don't let it go.

This. Ask to be sent their policy on bullying today via email.