Incident at school - come and give me your thoughts.

Yes. You ask what safeguarding procedures have been put in place in order to ensure that this never happens again.

I'll add to what others have said about pupils wandering about.

I've already said that pupils were wandering around the building during my last supply stint. Not only were they bullying pupils, but one gang of girls was picking on a young male probationer teacher.

Many people are blissfully unaware of the problems which exist in some schools. I can't speak for the situation elsewhere in the UK, but in Scotland you need a strong HT who is prepared to stand up to the Local Authority. If you don't...

A pp has correctly stated that children now truant inside the building - it's much more fun that way: they can text their pals, arrange to meet up in the stairwells and loos, cause chaos...

Before I retired from my permanent post, we had a "school refuser" who came to school but wandered the corridors - an S1 pupil who had done this all through primary.

Our SLT informed us that we were to follow the Ed Psych's advice: let him be, don't confront but give "friendly gestures" to encourage him to come to class...

One day I looked through my classroom window (onto the corridor) to see this child perched on top of a balustrade with a sheer drop below him.

I was a middle manager at the time, so phoned the office to summon a depute.

When the depute started to spout the Ed Psych's nonsense to me, I said "Fair enough, but when that boy splatters all over the Street [the dining room/thoroughfare area below my room] it won't be the Educational Psychologist's name that's plastered all over the front page of the Daily Record."

Miraculously, it then became possible for the SLT to persuade that boy to enter a classroom.

Exactly.

It's been very unusual in all the schools I've worked in! There shouldn't be "wandering around".

That's a good result

Can you let us know the school's response? Would be very interested to know how this is followed up...

Thanks for your input. I’ve worked in schools for years! Wandering is a common problem, but it shouldn’t get to the point where they’re able to take another child out of another class! No school I’ve worked in would countenance this.

What if the teacher of the 2 students had pressed the "missing student" button and staff were trying to find them? Schools are big places and it isn't unusual for children to walk around during lessons. Some even have permission via movement breaks! Some of you have clearly never worked in a real school.

This is sounds good in the main, but why were these girls wandering around in the first place? Did the HOY have an answer about that? Surely they should’ve been in class, and if truanting then the ‘missing student’ button pressed (or whatever they have). Otherwise surely it could happen again, no matter what they say?

There's not many places in many schools that are always out of sight. Toilets are probably locked during lesson time and there are often staff patrolling.

I completely understand why you would be upset. It needs to be reported and followed up. Suppose they had tried to take her out of school? Good idea to tell her to only go with an adult from now on. I cannot believe the substitute teacher let her go.

Thankyou for the update OP. Overall that’s a reassuring response from the school but…

The ringleader decides to “give it a go”.
Give what a go? I’d like to know what she had in mind.
The “main girl”, in particular, needs careful watching.

I think the episode should be kept fairly low-key as far as your daughter’s experience of it is concerned.

@Newnamez I think my worry would be...where were they taking an 11 year old off, to goodness knows where?? What were they going to do when they got there? Were they going to stop at the toilets to bash her up? Stick her head down the loo? What???
I would be very very concerned.

The phone call sounds reassuring. I think there’s not a lot more to be gained by taking it further. You could check it has been logged on CPOMS ( it’s the school’s internal safeguarding recording system - but some schools have a different system) but I am sure it will have been. You have been given a full explanation so it’s hard to see what else could reasonably happen. I’d definitely reiterate to your daughter that the girls did this as a “prank” so she doesn’t pick up on your, understandable, anxiety.

Sounds as if you found a good resolution OP. I hope it has set your mind at rest.
What a totally bizarre incident!

This

This was how girls were set up and then robbed or beaten up at my comprehensive over 20 years ago. Okay it was a very tough area, but I'd of hoped things had changed by now. Your obviously right to be very concerned.

I think that sounds like a positive update and I would be happy with what has been said.

I don't know why people are questioning now the fact it was two girls - a lot of silly things usually involve multiple students. They get the attention of the other and egg each other on.

Some 14 yo girls are very immature, particularly those truanting lessons and pulling pranks like these.

The TA did well, she took control of the incident, and reported everything
even if she did call her cousin a little shit - it's probably true

This is really weird. The explanation makes sense on paper but... Year 9 girls are 14. What kind of 14 year old thinks this is funny without it being malicious/personal towards the victim?

They've come up with a silly idea together. It's not that rare. Most really stupid ideas involve 2 kids!

I would wonder why the two of them though?

Going forward the main girl is going to be escorted from class to class within school.

I wonder how feasible that is?

You've had a good response to what it seems was a silly prank. Working in secondary school, my first assumption is always "kids doing something stupid" over "kids being actively malicious" because most things are "just" kids being stupid.

At our school - like a PP said, we have a student "ambassador" who is the kind of runner for the day (delivering messages/forgotten lunches/PE kits etc). But they only ever go with written instructions and they have a lanyard for the day - so signposted as "legitimate".