Sex not gender, No Outsiders changing the Equality Act, DepHead/DSL captured

Well done Vebrithien you are amazing and what you have done is amazing
💐💐💐

I think, if I did respond, it might be along the lines of - this is an example where parents have been able to help the school; ensuring that it is working in the best interests of children, operating within DofE guidelines and not misrepresenting the law. Surely that should be exactly the sort of parental support the school would wish to encourage? Open communication, within the school community, is necessary for this. Trying to shut that down would suggest the school (DH anyway!) would rather be left alone to continue doing something they now agree was inappropriate. Surely that can’t be right?!

Good luck, you’re operating in v hostile territory (DH, head of governors & MP all captured) and yet you’restill making strides forward, and you’ve now got the support of other parents irl 💜🤍💚

This sort of attitude is very clearly anti- safeguarding (even if the specific concern in this case wasn't a safeguarding concern). It's unreasonable also to say 'yours is the only complaint so we're not doing anything' alongside 'you can't talk to other parents about what happens at the school'.

I think it's REALLY concerning for the children that this is how schools are operating. More concerned about reputations than what's best for the children. It's not best for the children to have parents scared to talk about what goes on at the school.

All safeguarding courses say safeguarding is for everyone but it can't be if people can't talk to each other and are scared to raise concerns and concerns are fobbed off.

My MPs comments were in response to an email I sent about the Grantham double rapist.

Are you in the NE?

Just wondering if we share an MP?

How can schools expect parents not to discuss concerns amongst each other? They have no right to silence anyone about what is being taught to their children.

Many years ago there was a matter of serious concern* at my DC's primary school, that I contacted the head teacher about. head teacher said that none else had a problem with it and wasn't going to take any action based on one parent's "comments".

Talking to other mums at the school gates it turned out that I was not the only one to have mentioned it- and we had all been palmed off with the same sh*t!

So a three of us went to the head teacher about it. We were calm and courteous, told the head that we were representing others (with their permission) and asked that something be done. This time the head refused to be "bullied by an angry mob".

It wasn't for nearly a year that circumstances forced the matter into the light, then there was a desperate attempt to cover up/ excuse/ claim that no-one had brought it to the school's attention etc.

A lot of angry parents made sure that the head's "couldn't-care-less" attitude was contributory. The head hadn't wanted the school to get a bad name, apparently, if it became public.

*This concern, though very worrying, was not to do with safeguarding or inappropriate behaviour - if necessary we would have gone to the police about something like that.

Remind your MP of the Graham affair in Scotland, where a double rapist has been housed in a women's prison. He's an intact male. Don't delete anything you have written, either, because what you said is part of your argument/defence. It is they who are defaming you.

Don't remove anything. What you said is your defence.

Was the Headteacher copied in to the email in which the Assistant Head threatened you with defamation (getting the law wrong in literally every way)? Or is this just something the Ass Head has chosen to do on their own?

The Assistant Head sounds like a bully. I would suspect with an attitude like that other staff members will not be keen.

Surely WhatsApp in this context is just a tool for discussion with other involved parties (the other parents). For me social media is public engagement to a greater or lesser extent.

un mumsnetty hugs OP. You have got this!! 💐

Fuck me the cowardly bullying bastards. I’m appalled at the culture of a school that firstly allowed itself to be captured, argued the toss with you until it was clear that they were completely in the wrong and then clearly had discussions amongst senior staff into how they can get back at you for causing them to look so fucking stupid even though that was entirely their own doing. To threaten a parent with the police because they dared to challenge them and even - gasp - discussed it with other parents. Just think about the mindset of people who’d that.

im outraged on your behalf OP

OK, hands up I didn't see this before and I have not read the entire thread but bloody hell that poster.

I can see why they think children will giggle at 'sex' but that is no reason to drop the word. If they don't want to say that couldn't they say 'boy / girl' in that 'bubble'?

But as a disabled person I am furious they have used the image of someone sitting in a wheel chair, disability is much more than that.

Why not a more positive image? A paraolympian, a blind person, a child with one hand.

Why not have the poster embossed with Braille?

Why isn't it dyslexia friendly?

Why isn't it high contrast?

On top of that it is grossly inaccurate, if an adult turns up and starts playing in the playground with the children you don't want them to think that is normal. But the poster says 'age' and has a picture of an older person.

I've been to look at their website, they have NO accessibility options. Not one.

I'm really fucking fuming, sorry about the language but I'd expect a better poster from a 14 year old.

OP

Use any of my comments if you want.

Also: comparison of WhatsApp’s description on the Apple App Store with the descriptions for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The WhatsApp description is clearly very different to the other 3:

Re: social media policy - a quick Google suggests that whether WhatsApp is socail
media is a bit contentious.

However, I think you’d deffo be able to argue that it’s a messaging app, not a form of social media, and if the school wants messaging apps to be covered by the social media policy they should a) make it clear that messaging apps are included on the policy and b) be certain that any policy restrictions regarding parent to parent comms via messaging apps aren’t in breach of UK law.

The top hit I got on Google for ‘is whatsapp social media’ was image three (integreti)

Hard agree with birchtree. Any SAR should be launched without notice.

Honestly, I wouldn't say anything about a SAR at this moment. I wouldn't say anything about a SAR at this stage or even hint at one. I know this, don't sugest a SAR, really don't. Don't suggest. Don't do it - until the right time. And the right time will come.

freespeechunion.org/product/full-member/

£50 a year or half price concession rate

Here’s the actual defamation stuff from the government website:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26

The police threat is proper BillyBullshit nonsense designed to scare you into submission.

Personally I would hang tight on doing anything at all, no deletions, no email replies. Preserve all comms with screenshots and make contact the Free Speech Union and see if you can get one of their legal team to tell the school to back off on your behalf.

You need to join but it’s a cheap, monthly fee and they’ve been very helpful to a number of GC feminists already.