Thoughts on this from fellow teachers

If a pupil "has a problem" with black, or Jewish, or Muslim, or homosexual members of staff, is that brushed under the carpet in the same way?

If not, I would suggest that you propose the situation is dealt with the same as a racist attitude to teachers would be.

What a crappy situation, Howmany.

I wonder - you say this jerk boy is a good sportsman and thus attracts leniency for his unacceptable behaviour to female members of staff.

What if the sanction/s for this type of behaviour hit him where it hurt? He has to sit out matches (if he's in school teams) or some such?

Maybe he could spend that time discussing with a male teacher he respects why he has the attitude he does and what he should do about it.

If the HOY is reluctant to go with a sports-related sanction it would also flag up the school's reinforcement of sexist/violent behaviour by allowing excuses like "he's a good sportsman" to lessen the degree of seriousness that his behaviour should warrant.

Good luck with whatever you do.

This is probably way off the mark (and I'm not a teacher) but if this is not being dealt with by the school would you consider reporting it to the police (if it felt like assault)? I can see that it would cause a huge problem and I'm not saying that this is what I would do but I'm wondering how this kind of thing can be tackled if the school won't actually deal with it?

This is a genuine question - I'm not trying to start a bunfight or anything.

Like MummyBerryJuice I'm not a teacher, but have the same concerns as her about the girls in the school. As it's all part of the same issue, I think it possibly might be easier for you to pursue it that way - not saying "I think that we (female teachers) are being treated unacceptably" but "What does the school do to stop girls being subject to sexual bullying?" (see links I posted above). Sorry to hear you got brushed off the other day.

It's hard though, Dittany, because it's a really really big thing to say to the school that employs you, 'You are fundamentally institutionally sexist.'

Because they will immediately point to the papertrail of the sanctions that were given for each incident, thus "proving" that they take incidents of sexism Very Seriously Indeed.

It's much harder to get a school to acknowledge (or indeed recognise) that there is a subtle but strong underlying culture - perpetuated by them - that nurtures such behaviour from male pupils.

What concerns me is not only the treatment of the teachers here but what about the girls in the school? If the attitude within your school is such, that it is seen to be 'acceptable' for male pupils to assault female members of staff, what are they doing to the girls?

I'm not a teacher but this is not a healthy environment for anyone as it is unsafe for women and is teaching the boys to devalue women

I feared as much, howmany.

The thing is, "he has a problem with female teachers" is not really seen as a problem.

School are very hierarchical institutions - with a disproportionate number of men at the top end - and they pay lip service to the idea that their female teaching staff shouldn't be treated in a sexist way, but actually the boys' attitudes actually reflect (in a crude, not-yet-learned-to-disguise-the-contempt-they-feel way) their own.

Oh no. What did HOY do?

Oh dear what happened?

At the school I teach at, many of the Y10-11 boys behave like this, attitudes soaked up from their families and firmly rooted by the lack of support given by SLT in case of incidents.

The whole 'oh but he has a problem' line is growing really old IMO, it's always dragged up for all sorts of reasons.

Does your school have a Dignity at Work policy? If so you could make use of that. Awful that this boy has been getting away with this.

This would not be tolerated in my son's school, so why should it be happening in yours?
If te SLT isn't supportive, I'd be asking my union for advice, because getting a 'big, stwong male' to deal with the problem just reinforces the boy's opinion of females. He needs re-educating, and the fact he's got to Y10 with this attitude is shameful.

This NUT statement might be useful in arguing for the school to take action on this in general. Also an NSPCC page here about sexual bullying in schools.

Hi. Sorry to hear about this - very annoying. Just a few thoughts.
In the immediate term - a detailed letter must be sent home and a punishment given. don't bother getting a (male) senior teacher to 'get him to apologise'. As other posters say, it just looks like you are lacking in power. He needs a punishment which is directly because of his behaviour to you.
In the medium term - get some advice from union rep and ask for it to be put on agenda at next inset - this is a complex issue which needs tacklng from both ends of the spectrum

Definitely challenge SMT about what they are doing to amend his behaviour. If the child is repeatedly doing this it is the Head's duty of care to their employees to stop it. If he is doing this to the same people over again, it may come under the harassment laws.

In some schools where this attitude is common (both the pupils' and the 'problem with female teachers' attitude), there is a culture of 'casual' sexism - especially in the language the pupils use to each other and the examples they are given in lessons and assemblies. (I can't remember how many 'Famous Inventor' assemblies I have sat through where all the examples were male, when I did my own with all female examples several boys said it was sexist!) It's a whole school issue and should be treated as such.

I think the lead on this has to come from those male SLT types. Our male senior teachers (we have a lot of female senior teachers too btw, and a female head, which perhaps sets the tone a bit). I will tell a boy that I find his attitude agressive/intimidating and that I will not tolerate it, but they need to see other males behaving in a courteous way and also expressing shock and disappointment at their behaviour as well.

And? I was giving my experience. I apologise for being a shit teacher and unable to deal with such ingrained bullshit.

She is not going to be an ex teacher. She is working out a strategy to deal with it.

Ex teacher. Once had a boy shout out after I'd sent his friend out of the classroom 'ooooh sent out by a woman!'.

Also had a random kid shout across the yard at me 'get your tits out'.

Hence: 'ex'-teacher.