Page 2 | How to deal with class bully?

fuffa · 2023-10-11T17:54:12+00:00

DS10 was kicked in the stomach at school today by the class bully and has bruising to the area. This boy is well known for his behaviour. He goes round each of the boys in turn making their lives a misery and tries to divide and conquer by isolating and ostracising them from their group of friends. Just before summer the police were involved by another boy's mum as he was being relentlessly bullied by this kid in and out of school. The parents seem reasonable and have been up to the school several times but still it continues. There is a long list of misdemeanors that go back a couple of years, both directed at my DS and the others at different times. The school have been involved and have said all the right things but when there's not a teacher or parent around this boy reverts back to his bullying ways. It happens to be parents' evening tonight so I will be mentioning today's incident to his teacher. Does anyone have any other advice?

iluvsummer · 12/10/2023 21:51

You need to ask them for their safeguarding and behaviour policies. They are not safeguarding your child and they should be following the stages in their behaviour policy, if there are not consequences in place for this child’s actions they are clearly not following it. You also need to write to the chair of governors and the safeguarding governor.

Original poster

fuffa · 13/10/2023 01:06

Can I have some examples of what are suitable consequences or actions that should have been taken? I feel totally on the back foot of what is acceptable/expected.

OP posts:

evergreener · 13/10/2023 01:12

fuffa · 13/10/2023 01:06

Can I have some examples of what are suitable consequences or actions that should have been taken? I feel totally on the back foot of what is acceptable/expected.

are you in Scotland? Cos a suitable response in England would have been police action

tarheelbaby · 17/10/2023 09:30

At my school these things would happen:

The head would have a strongly worded talk with the parents of the boy who kicked your son. The head should explain what the punishment will be and what the steps after that will be. School policies should lead to specific sanctions and ultimately expulsion if the LEA allows that. (not sure how state schools work in Scots.)

The head would have a strongly worded talk with the boy who kicked your son and is terrorising others. He would be told in no uncertain terms that his behaviour must stop. The bully boy would have a day sitting in an SLT's office, doing independent work. He would not go out for breaktimes or playtimes; he would miss games/PE. He would have his snacks/lunch in the SLT's office. Or he would not even be allowed in school at all for the day and would have work to complete at home set via GoogleClassroom.

The head or another member of SLT would have a strongly worded talk with all the children in the year, explaining with specifics and role play what is not acceptable and how they can help each other. They would be urged to shut down any bad behaviour, find a teacher and speak out.

In the staff meeting, this would be raised and staff would be told to be vigilant (how are they missing this, btw?) and to shut down this bully boy immediately. At my school, the bully would never be out of sight. We would be watching him all the time, managing situations.

This doesn't have to continue if staff at your son's school do their jobs. They really should have addressed this earlier.

TheOccupier · 17/10/2023 09:40

Photograph the bruising if you haven't done so already.

umar123 · 30/07/2024 19:00

tarheelbaby · 17/10/2023 09:30

At my school these things would happen:

The head would have a strongly worded talk with the parents of the boy who kicked your son. The head should explain what the punishment will be and what the steps after that will be. School policies should lead to specific sanctions and ultimately expulsion if the LEA allows that. (not sure how state schools work in Scots.)

The head would have a strongly worded talk with the boy who kicked your son and is terrorising others. He would be told in no uncertain terms that his behaviour must stop. The bully boy would have a day sitting in an SLT's office, doing independent work. He would not go out for breaktimes or playtimes; he would miss games/PE. He would have his snacks/lunch in the SLT's office. Or he would not even be allowed in school at all for the day and would have work to complete at home set via GoogleClassroom.

The head or another member of SLT would have a strongly worded talk with all the children in the year, explaining with specifics and role play what is not acceptable and how they can help each other. They would be urged to shut down any bad behaviour, find a teacher and speak out.

In the staff meeting, this would be raised and staff would be told to be vigilant (how are they missing this, btw?) and to shut down this bully boy immediately. At my school, the bully would never be out of sight. We would be watching him all the time, managing situations.

This doesn't have to continue if staff at your son's school do their jobs. They really should have addressed this earlier.

Sounds like really good behaviour management in that school