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Original poster

3 different punishments over a 5 month period for one incident -is this even legal ?

109 replies

LifeIz · 18/07/2018 23:40

I have two kids at this school, one in year 7 and one in year 10. My DD was talking to friends during a lesson, her friend mention that her parent said the teacher was primordial, while my DD in response said her parent mention that the teacher was tribal... this conversation resulted in my DD having three different punishments, one being a 5 day internal exclusion, now she's on her fourth for the same incident, because the teacher said the first three punishments were not severe enough, culminating in another exclusion (this time external). [ angry]

OP posts:
EduCated · 20/07/2018 00:04

There are many words which aren’t racist in and of themselves, but which can be used in ways which make them so.

You keep saying your DD has only had one incident this year - have you actually asked and confirmed that this punishment is for the same incident? Or just working on the basis that you haven’t been told about any others?

MyShinyWhiteTeeth · 19/07/2018 23:57

Was the letter of apology acceptable?

I read one written by a child after a serious specific bullying incident and I didn't think it acceptable at all. Further consequences would have ensured the punishment was adequate.

Original poster
LifeIz · 19/07/2018 23:48

As I was not the parent who said the word, I am not at liberty to say what was/was not said but am aware it was said a year ago during a conversation.

Panel thank you for the link - we have been given the file so have an idea what was actual said by my DD and the dates between each punishment - my DD wrote a letter of apology after she was asked to do so.

OP posts:
Guardianreaderformysins · 19/07/2018 23:43

Sounds like the teacher themselves has appealed or complained about their employers treatment of the situation. The school have then added extra punishments in to appease the teacher. This really isn’t reasonable for your daughter. If the teacher feels the punshiment was too lenient and the school agree they should apologise to the teacher for their handling of it and change their policies. They can’t just keep dishing out punishments.

PanelChair · 19/07/2018 23:35

Context is everything. I dare say the exam boards do use the word ‘tribal’ in a neutral and reasonable way, but applying the term to (say) a work of art is very different to applying it to a person. You seem to be evading the question of why the teacher was described as tribal.

BertrandRussell · 19/07/2018 23:31

So what did you say?

Original poster
LifeIz · 19/07/2018 23:29

When the word was being used in the privacy of the home environment, I believe it was not said in a racial way, much in the same was as the AQA or OCR do not mean it in a racial way.

My anger is that my DD was continuously punished over a 5 month period, because the teacher said the first two punishments were not sever enough.

OP posts:
PanelChair · 19/07/2018 23:28

I gave you a clickable link to the exclusion guidance, which the school should be following.

You need to get a clear statement from the school of what happened when and then check whether they’ve followed their own behaviour and discipline policy and the exclusion guidance. Using racial terms to a teacher is a serious breach, but something about how this has been dealt with doesn’t stack up.

BertrandRussell · 19/07/2018 23:26

Yep. Detention perfectly justified.
[gavel]

bakedlikeabun · 19/07/2018 23:21

We’re not going to get any answers from the OP to the pertinent questions so may as well leave it
Biscuit

Lougle · 19/07/2018 22:57

Ok, aside from whether it is a definitively racist term, can we all agree that it was absolutely, categorically, in no way meant to be complementary, and in any case, it was definitely not a pleasant word to use about an adult who teaches her?

What was your/your partner's intention when the term was used to describe this teacher at home? Was it used to convey the sense that you were of the belief that the teacher belonged to a tribe? Hmm

SoupDragon · 19/07/2018 22:51

Tribal is not a racist term according to the dictionary

That doesn’t mean it cant be used in a racist way.

MyShinyWhiteTeeth · 19/07/2018 22:47

What was meant by the comment then?

It really sounds as if you are making excuses for the original offence, you are angry the other girl wasn't punished and you haven't got the real story about what has been happening.

It sounds as if your daughter may be minimising what has gone on. A school's staff would be putting themselves at risk I'd imagine for unfair exclusions.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 19/07/2018 22:40

In what context did you use it when speaking about your daughter’s teacher (to your daughter??)

Original poster
LifeIz · 19/07/2018 22:38

Tribal is not a racist term according to the dictionary; it is also used in several exam papers set by AQA and OCR (English, History and Art).

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 19/07/2018 22:38

So you said the teacher was "tribal" you dd's friend said the teacher was "primordial"

Why?

ohnothanks · 19/07/2018 22:34

No PanelChair means the stautory DFE guidance on school.exclusion.

So she wrote the apology letter after the second punishment. Was she asked to do so after the first punishment?

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 19/07/2018 22:34

So the second punishment was for failing to write the letter of apology?

Original poster
LifeIz · 19/07/2018 22:30

PanelChair, what do you mean by exclusion guidance, I am assuming you mean the letter that we were sent.

OP posts:
Ohyesiam · 19/07/2018 22:25

The school has a very strange pastoral system that a child can get external exclusion on the say so of one teacher?
Something major not adding up.
The HT needs to investigate .

Original poster
LifeIz · 19/07/2018 22:20

My DD was told to write a letter of apology - which she wrote when the second punishment was given. The teacher was asked to do restorative justice but refused.

My DD has one incident for the entire year - and this is it.

OP posts:
PanelChair · 19/07/2018 22:18

Lots here doesn't sound right.

Have you looked at the school's behaviour and discipline policy? At the very least, it seems poor practice to impose one sanction for a breach of the policy and then impose a different sanction for the same incident. What does the policy say?

Do ask the school for their explanation of the sequence of events. Look too at the exclusions guidance.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 19/07/2018 22:17

There is no way it’s all about one single unrepeated incident that happened five months ago.
That’s frankly unbelievable.
Why did you call the teacher tribal in your child’s hearing?

C0untDucku1a · 19/07/2018 22:15

How do you know the other child was not punished? Have you had a conversation with the year tutor at all about it? did your child repeat racist comments she hers from you?

ohnothanks · 19/07/2018 22:10

The fact your child is a child of colour, I am not sure how that is relevant. People of colour can be extremely racist, as can white people.

Something doesn't add up here. There must have been other incidents. Alternatively, was an apology a condition of the punishment and did she refuse to offer one?