Bullying behaviour minimised by school

[norahmore]

Hello, I'll preface this by saying my daughter (y6) is a fairly sensitive soul, but has been bullied this year with poor behaviour from some other students. This has included

• occasional physical violence (punched, bitten, dragged to the ground)
• repeated verbal taunts by certain children
• repeated threats - screaming at her then saying they will tell the teacher she tried to punch them, "why did you try to kick her" "we will tell the teacher" over several months

I've raised this with the school several times and documented the behaviour and reported each time it happens.

The school has chatted with the kids involved but it still rears its head on a regular basis. The school assures me these kids aren't singling my child out but behave like this to everyone. They may be right here, but in this way I feel they minimise the impact on DD. Because it doesn't address it fully (dies off then returns) and also it doesn't address how it makes DD feel (we have had lots of school avoidance, feeling sick, anxiety etc).

It's like they won't really acknowledge that this behaviour is having a real impact on DD because these kids are apparently from difficult backgrounds and act this way to everyone. It is waved off by school. In one written note the school mentioned "a couple of isolated incidents" but this is categorically untrue.

As such I believe I am seen as a bothersome parent and my concerns are minimised. My daughter's anxiety is framed as an issue she brings with her from home. I am not listened to.

It continues to affect her at school.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

In y6 they are at least 10yo. Next time she is physically assaulted you call the police.

You need to raise it with the chair of the board of governors, they have to respond and can’t brush it off.
a form of words that comes up in here a lot is What are you going to do to keep my child safe in school - couch it in terms of Safeguarding. the whole school sounds awful -“they do it to everyone” indeed! Wonder if they’re hoping to just coast through a few more weeks until year 6 goes to their new school.

The school are in loco parentis while your daughter is in their care. She is being bullied and abused. I'd be downloading the school's anti-bullying policy from their website and finding the areas that would apply where the school have dropped the ball here and then asking what they plan on doing to prevent this happening again.

If it happens again, then start working through the complaints and escalations policy and who you need to go to first to raise this but as you've already been in touch with the teacher (assumption) and the head teacher (again I'm making an assumption), your next step would be to the chair of the board of governors and keep going until you get satisfaction.

Also decide what would be an acceptable resolution here so you know when you've reached it.