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

Is this the same person who threatened to report you for defamation (I think?) @Vebrithien because you spoke to other parents about your / their concerns on Whatsapp? Demonstrating a total lack of understanding of defamation law.

If so, they have form for being a bully verbally to parents. Or was that the Assistant Head (who I will henceforth refer to as Ass Head) Really unprofessional behaviour from anyone near to a headship position. It's unacceptable for parents to be bullied in this way.

The Deputy Head has not followed the procedure outlined in that government document. Parents have an implied license to come on site to drop off and pick up their children. It should have been in writing and the parent should have had a right of reply.

Instead, in a call and not in writing, and then claims to be 'investigating' the parent rather than the parent having the right to present their side.

@Vebrithien have you thought about sending the Head links to Rachel Meade and Jo Phoenix’s ET judgements.

Both of these should send shivers down the spine for senior managers and employers who don’t recognise GC views are protected and this type of behaviour is potentially discriminatory.

Vebrithien · Today 12:22

Banned friend is going to email, with her feelings from the phone call and the message, to the Head, asking for someone other than the DepHead to complete this investigation. She is going to make it a complaint about how she has been treated.

What an awful position she's been put in and as Dimorphism says, the child will no doubt become the subject of rumours. As Amaryllis says, taking a solicitor to any meeting is a very good idea.

In the meantime I'd either not send my child to school or send them in with someone else. But of course maybe singling out the child and making their life miserable in school is the Deputy Head's intent to get them to move schools. Horrendous, just horrendous.

The Deputy Head clearly cares more about gender ideology than about a child in the school who, by their actions, they are now setting up to be seen as different from their peers / open to potential bullying. If other kids bullied this child as a result do we have any confidence the Deputy Head would do anything about it? I don't. It shows a horrendous failure to fulfil the school's responsibilities to this child. Why isn't the Headteacher stepping in?

@Vebrithien I'd suggest Sex Matters - I suspect they know some good lawyers. I'd donate A LOT of money to any crowdfund for legal representation for the parent who the Dep Head has arbitrarily banned. I would be taking a lawyer to any meeting with the school about this supposed witchhunt investigation and what exactly the basis for it is, other than that the Deputy Head is bullying the parent.

Every update is worse - so the child of a parent who happens to believe gender ideology shouldn't be taught as fact in schools and has discussed that privately with other parents now is going to be singled out? That is NOT in the child's best interest. Of course all the other children will be asking why that child is going in via the school office.

As a parent, I would refuse to do this, it's ceding ground. That parent has done nothing wrong and should not have to do this. I very much hope the Headteacher overrules this immediately.

If I was the parent who'd been on the receiving end of that inappropriate phone call telling me to take my child elsewhere (and then been banned from the school!) I would consider paying a solicitor to send a mild "what's all this about then" letter to the head teacher (not the deputy) rather than writing myself. But it depends what she/you can afford.

Here's the non statutory guidance that schools can use to ban a parent from school.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/controlling-access-to-school-premises/controlling-access-to-school-premises

It does sound as if the Dep Head is spiralling out of control with all this and you're going to have to go through the whole formal complaints process

Good grief that was an eye opening read. I feel sick now too.

Thanks for sharing @MrsOvertonsWindow

I do know the school process. Look how the Dep Head has dragged this out whilst still trying to indoctrinate children. Every day children are in that school with a Deputy Head that believes one faith trumps all others and whose thinking is so disordered that they are conflating anyone who disagrees as a safeguarding risk to other parents. With no concern for children apparently. It's appalling and shows why statutory government guidance is needed.

I would also say I don't think the Dep Head has the authority to ban the parent on these grounds so I think I'd actually be writing to the Head with an 'I assume I can bring my child to school as normal' and 'please can you consider - as you are legally bound to do - how to safeguard my child given these actions by the Dep Head'. Hopefully the parent has a partner who can take the child to school in the interim.

If a parent is banned from school grounds and no-one else available to bring child to school, how do they ensure child arrives safely at school?

I would not want my child alone with the Dep Head after those threats. Investigating a parent for wrongthink! Salem witch trials anyone?!

Yes. The irony being that the deputy head could probably learn more about genuine diversity and inclusion from this parent than they have from the ideology they have swallowed.

@Vebrithien that is awful.

pp are right the DH is not independent. Politely pointing this out to the Head and asking for a genuinely independent person to investigate is reasonable.

As you know Religion and Belief are protected characteristics. The DH Singling out a GC parent of a pupil from a multi faith family is potentially Religious discrimination. It could be seen as bullying. Again politely pointing this out to the Head and Governors strengthens your case.

Bloody hell!

Wow!

I agree- governorss and solicitor time. MP if you have a useful one.

And I know you didn't want to go to the press but it may be worth reconsidering that. Not as a thing to do right now, but maybe have an 'at what point could that become an option?' discussion.

If a school treated me that way about asking questions about a lesson (and frankly anything less than unruly and disruptive / violent behaviour in the playground) I'd not feel happy sending my child into that school. It's such a horrendous lack of judgement and clearly pushing a political agenda - and very much NOT in the best interests of the child of that parent.

Teachers don't get to police what parents talk about. In utter shock at your update. MP and solicitor would me my initial thoughts.

Yes, it's a clear conflict of interest. How can they pass judgement on themself?

The Dep Head should NOT be conducing the investigation as they're clearly not impartial!

@Vebrithien Wow just catching up. The Deputy Head's behaviour to ban a parent from the school site is a serious issue.

Have you considered sharing all of your emails with your MP? I do not think the Deputy Head is acting legally. The parent has done nothing that warrants such behaviour and nothing that puts other parents at risk. Politely asking questions is not a crime, FFS.

How can that parent send their child into school and be assured they will be safe when the Deputy Head is apparently able to make such decisions against all reason. I actually think the Dep Head acting like this is a safeguarding issue for that parent's child. What message is it sending to that child if their parent can't drop them off as normal?

Is it possible to speak to a solicitor and take immediate legal action?

What should happen here is the Deputy Head should lose their job. They are not capable of rational decisions in the children's best interests.

This was a WTAF moment for me as well. Does a school have any right or responsibility to safeguard parents?! Hopefully the DH is getting so batshit that it will soon become openly apparent to all.

Definitely a personal issue underlying her behaviour. Very possibly the DH has a trans or NB child and feels personally attacked. If so, the Head is likely to be sympathetic to their colleague.