If your child was getting bullied at secondary school, how would you contact the school? Email or phone

[Yearofthefirehorse]

Which route would you go down? I'm thinking perhaps phone would be quicker, yet email, is Good evidence

Email and ask for a meeting.

Both. I would phone the head of house or pastoral lead and follow it up with an email

Email, evidences it

I would email so there is an audit trail of how things were handled. A phone call can be dismissed/forgotten about/not acted on.

Email, write down times, dates and places. Ask for CCTV to be reviewed. Ask for a meeting and keep everything, including photos of any damaged to person or property

Whichever you are more comfortable expressing yourself clearly in. If you phone you can do a follow up email if you need evidence.

Some people write too much irrelevant stuff, or get angry on the phone etc as we are all just human- but that can distract from getting things dealt with.

Phone asking for a meeting. Followed by an email referencing the phone call and face-to-face meeting.

That's what we did.

That would be my approach.

Email for the audit trail to set up a meeting to meet in person.

Both

We asked for a meeting and then handed in a letter detailing what was discussed "for their files". That was 20 years ago so email not really a thing in schools.

I would phone, ask for a face to face and then follow up with an email minuting the meeting. If you think you won't remember what's said, record the meeting. Start the audio recording on your phone before you go in and shove it in your pocket with the mic pointing up. Or just put it face down on the table if you're braver than I am. But do make sure in advance that it will catch what has been said from your pocket if you go that route. I know mine does as I have done that before. All perfectly legal if it's only for your own use where I live before anyone jumps on me for a GDPR contravention.

I emailed and asked for a phone call. Didn't feel the need to go in for a meeting initially, just wanted to tell them what was happening and see what they could do. Luckily they sorted it out immediately.

Email so that you can be clear about the issues, ask for a meeting.
Follow up with a phone call.

First post. Also, if possible, get specifics . Where how who what. Not just "Billy is being mean" How does it make your child feel. Which classes or places are worst. Have the school's anti bullying policy to hand in case. Stay calm.

Ok thanks for the advice
going to email for audit trail

Hope they sort it. It is awful dealing with it .

I went in to the school and saw someone, well demanded as the school hated talking to parents and wouldn’t respond to emails and phone calls.

Before I left the school I sent a follow up email, detailing what was said in the meeting.

Took several meetings and a thinly veiled threat to the school to get it sorted.

E mail . Start off a paper trail plus they can deny anything said on the phone .

I’m so sorry your child is being bullied, I have young children and fear the day it happens - kids can be bloody cruel.

I would email but follow up very quickly asking for a meeting. It’s easy for schools to send you reassuring emails, even easier with AI now, but I’d want to meet face to face to see their response.

Depending on how bad the bullying is, what other friends your child has, and how the school is more generally, I’d also consider looking at other schools whilst they handle the situation. That way you have a plan B.

Email.

I have had to contact the school over serious issues 3 times over the years. Every single time I have gotten a call back from an appropriate person who had already begun to investigate the situation within a few hours.

Yes, my school is responsive, but I also think a clear, carefully worded, email can give them an opportunity to get started on the issue and direct you to the right people.

Thanks for the advice feels along road when your child is only
in year 7

I would do email first and if they don’t reply to me within 24 hours, an in-person visit. I’d take notes.

Email for the evidence and copied to Chair of Governors. It might seem a bit extreme but in my DCs school it got better and quicker results.

If you have a face to face meeting, take someone else along and tell the teacher they are there to take notes for you.

Schools can be pathetic at dealing with bullying. I found that saying (truthfully) "I need to finish this meeting at 4.30 pm, I have an appointment to discuss the issue with the police at 5 pm" puts a rocket up their arse.

I accept that some schools will be better than ours though.

Email. In my experience, they hate having things in writing. I will speak to them by phone, but I also follow up with an email and reiterate the key points of the conversation. That way no one can dispute what was said.