to fuming that there has been no staff at the local secondary school since 3.30pm to take a serious complaint about bullying and harrasment

[tomhardyismydh]

I walked past the house of a family who I do know but not terribly well and I am aware there middle daughter is being bullied.

outside was a group of girls looking in through their window shouting and jeering and swearing. I know the mum works some afternoons so I did intervien and tell the group of girls to leave them alone and move away from the house...in hindsight a bit silly of me as I did have my 5 yr old dd with me, but I wasn't in any way afraid forour safety or anything. Turns out the mum was home and she also then came out. They took the message and went away, but then followed me up the street shouting and swearing and berating me. It was laughable really but attempted to call non emergency police no just to show the little shits they can get away with behaving like this, but my bloody mobile died on me.

Anyway I have been trying to call the school since 3.30 and no one has been available to take my call, and have just now been told all senior management staff left at 4.15 and receptionist cant locate any other teaching staff. no one will be in over half term. now I m shocked that the head did not pick up his answer messages before leaving the school for a whole week, I had left one message at 3.30 and one at 4pm. I find it hard to even believe the head of a secondary school would even finish at 4.15.

Im tempted to call the non emergancy no again to give the message to the school this not acceptable, but Im sure this is very little the police would even be able to do.

also I want to say bunch of little bitches how horrible for a group of girls to behave like this!!!!!

Bear in mind that even if someone had spoken to you about it tonight, they wouldn't be doing anything about it until after the half term break in anycase when the pupils are back. On that basis it seems perfectly reasonable for someone not to have called you back at the end of their day to discuss an issue they can't deal with for another week...

I dont care what time they went my point was that I left 2 messages with 4.45 min before they left and about a serious incident involving their school pupils and no one followed this up before leaving for the day.

I also do find it hard to believe that whilst it is not yet half term and teachers do work long hours that a head would be finished at 4.15. I did not say it was wrong to finish at that time just I am surprised.

Agree that it is a school matter as they were in uniform. Disagree that there should be members of staff on hand.

Write down what you remember of the girls descriptions and report it after half term. We used to get our arses kicked square if a member of the public reported bad behaviour while in uniform.

45 mins

Hi Tom I would have intervened as well. I would definitely call the police I have read many times about this type of harassment and it is not on. You are also right that it is a school matter, as this child who is being bullied needs protecting and school should also be able to deal with these matters. There was a case I read about recently of a family who were being held under siege in a similar situation and I think the lady took her own life as she couldn't cope any longer. Having the incident logged with the police will give you a stronger case with the school. These people have to learn that they cannot get away with this type of behaviour. WELL DONE YOU. IT TAKES US ALL TO BUILD SAFE COMMUNITIES

Also, they may not have been available to call back between 3.30pm and 4.15pm because there are usually a million and one things to finish off and deal with prior to the school being shut - and they are usually locked with no access - over the holiday period.

Just because no one rang the OP back does not mean they were doing nothing. There may well have been something important that happened in school hours that had to be dealt with.

Typically, in child protection, we knew that anything that was going to happen would happen on a Friday afternoon. 4pm and the phone rings with something to deal with urgently...of course, a half term break is simply a bonus on top.

People who have never experienced life in a school seem to have pretty shocking opinions of how it all runs :(

That must have been HORRIBLE with your son present.

Little shitheads.

Tell the police anyway if you know any of the girls names.

I agree it is a school issue, I was on a bus and experienced some antisocial behaviour from pupils and the head took
It very seriously when I complained.

Why not write a letter to the head explaining what happened? Then it is there for him when he returns after the holidays?

Well if they were dealing with a million and one urgent thing they certainly managed to leave promptly en masse at 4.15. Why would they all leave at once anyway? Going to the pub ?
The op rang when staff were in school - she knows that because she's been told that. The staff who were there ignored her message - how much faith is she supposed to have in their handling of bullying after that?

Why shouldn't they go to the pub? Lots of office workers do before a break. I expect they did go en masse.

I think 'fuming' and 'losing faith' in a school is a tad of an over reaction to the fact that - for some reason not known - the school staff did not return a call made about the behaviour of pupils outside of school time, that for some reason had to be dealt with there and then.

I thought the police had been contacted? The school has been notified. The matter can and presumably will be dealt with.

I spent last night till 2am with a 14 year old who wasn't mine for work

I left work at 3pm today having dealt with numerous serious and immediate cases and issues - I would not return a call from the community today either as I could not deal with it and will consider it during the week (when I'm technically off work) or next term

What would the staff do at 4.15 on the half-term Friday when all the pupils had gone - with no kids in school for another week, there's no action for them to take today?

Yes it might be nice for a member of the SMT to have rung the OP back and sympathised and assured her something would be done, but they wouldn't be doing anything until after half-term, so I really don't see what harm has been done...

It's highly possible that members of slt were in a meeting; or the head might have been involved with a governors' meeting, or maybe there were interviews. People need to realise that slt do not sit in their offices waiting for things to deal with, they have plenty!

I do, however, agree that it is an issue the school needs to be aware of, and you did the write thing in bringing it to their attention, op. I suggest you email a description of the culprits to the head, and ask for a meeting (if you want one). Many secondary schools will be open next week running ks4 revision classes, so you may find you can speak to someone next week.

thought the police had been contacted? The school has been notified. The matter can and presumably will be dealt with.

I didnt contact police as my mobile died, and the school have not been noified a message with my details saying I wished to report to them a serious incident of bullying and harassment involving pupils of their school. so no they have not been notified.

If indeed the school where dealing with important things, I would expect this to be delt with as it where important as indeed it is. The importance of the school taking the details today whilst they are fresh and a clear factual staement can be given to them will make a big difference in their ability to manage this and investigate it after the half term.

Im shocked at the attitudes of some people to be honest on here, a parenting sight, Im not surprised young girls go around behaving like this if this the representation of the parenting and teaching they are receiving.

YANBU to think that it is a school issue. I would definitely complain to the head after half term. They are representing the school and it's values while wearing it's uniform and shouting and swearing at you while you are with a small child should be punishable behaviour. No harm in contacting your local police as a non emergency anyway. They might already be involved anyway and you could help as a witness.

YABU to think that people who work in a school are not entitled to leave when they like after school is finished. If they want to leave at 3.30 that's up to them IMO. They will be completing work out of school hours anyway and whether choose to do that at school or home is entirely up to them. I also think it's a but U to expect the head to have called you back on the same day. He might have been busy already and needed to leave on time for any number of reasons.

site

it is a school matter. We were always told at school that our behaviour outside of school reflected the school itself. Particuilarly when wearing the uniform.

people have no idea of what secondary school challenges are - no idea at all

So why not write to them with the details whilst they're still fresh and clear in your mind, give them your contact details and then they can deal with it after half-term.

I'm slightly confused in any case - you say the school hasn't been notified with your details so how was someone supposed to contact you?

Also it absolutely is half-term for teachers once the final bell has rung today - why should they have to hang around today of all days doing unpaid overtime?

If those kids had been outside my house, I'd be so grateful that somebody showed some social responsibility instead of walking on by. Did you see the news of the mother who killed herself and disabled daughter after years of bullying by local kids? Sadly, it can and does escalate. At my daughter's school, they will be told off if they're seen at any time in school uniform without the blazer on properly, skirt right length, etc. Most schools are keen the kids show the school in a good light in the neighbourhood, so Im think you're right to tell the school. You can also try the council education dept.

yes write the details and mail / email them in

and phone the police now - after all you have internet access so I assume you now have a phone / electrical socket

or is it easier to complain that people whose challenges you do not understand are not responding immediately to you because you saw harrasment - at least there were no knives, acid or guns

I despair

a message was left with my details...any way I cant debate this anymore its going around in circles and it is obviously ok for girls to behave like this and schools not to even be seen to be taking bulling seriously.

2 messages in fact

Sorry - you said and the school have not been noified a message with my details saying I wished to report to them a serious incident of bullying and harassment involving pupils of their school. so no they have not been notified. so I took that to mean they didn't have your details.

I'm not saying it is ok for girls to behave like that, nor have I said that schools shouldn't take bullying seriously so please don't twist words like that, but (again) what did you expect the school to do this afternoon with no children there to take appropriate action agains?

no it's not

and if you actually bother to get off your high horse and read posts from other people then you will realise that the school will be interested and will address it when the students are back in school - but your priorities will not be theirs - and no bugger is sitting there twiddling their thumbs waiting for something to do

so write the details down and mail them in