To think corporal punishment is illegal?

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Ds just got offered an academic scholarship to a private school. Reading stuff through before accepting it says in the small print


When I picked my jaw up off the floor I checked on wiki and saw it is illegal so why the hell is it in the terms and conditions ??

[ReallyTired]

Parents do not have the right to hit a child with an implement or leave a mark. I believe that corporal punishment has been illegal in private schools for round 20 years. I imagine that if parents gave permission for their child to be assulted then both the school and the parents would be legally liable.

Congratulations to your ds for getting a scholarship.

[Fakebook]

Has the website been updated since 1998?!

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Saw on wiki it's to do with the school being in loco parent is.. But that physical punishment was made illegal in state schools in 1987 and private or all schools in 1999

[curlew]

Are you absolutely sure you want your child to go to this school?

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Fake.. I hope not otherwise its back to the drawing board !

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Curlew .. I only just read this and am horrified, absolutely not wanting to send him there anymore if this is somehow truly in their rules.

Presumed it must be wrong since its actually against the law?

[usualsuspect]

I think you should ask them whats going on with that.

[Fakebook]

May I see the website? Pm me?

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

I am also a bit re repeated statements that the child will take part in all sporting activities unless excused by a doctors letter... Have written a cover letter for this as ds has asthma on exercise.

[Eyesunderarock]

Will he be full time or part time?
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8468918.stm

[Eyesunderarock]

Are you a doctor OP?

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Don't know if its on the website will look now... It is on a letter of small print type stuff with the acceptance letter

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Why Eyes? Are you ?

[Fakebook]

Oh I thought it was written on the website. Paper copies may mean it hasn't been edited out and just photocopied. A bit lazy.

[Eyesunderarock]

If they want a doctor's note, that's what they mean, not a mummy note.
Perhaps you need to do a lot more investigating of the pros and cons before sending him.

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

Full time, but I also don't like the ethos of possible restraint being allowed as part of care for the child and maintaining safety and order

[Eyesunderarock]

Time to ask a lot of specific questions.

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

You can't give a doctors note for advance possible episodes of breathlessness part way during a game though.

A sorry I get you now.. Thought you were someone I know!! Silly me

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

I think and hope its just a crappy out of date lst. The website looks a lot better..,why did they send it though ?

[cornyblend37]

whaaaat?!

[cornyblend37]

no way could it have been photocopied by accident for that length of time...come on!

[YoniBottsBumgina]

I would ask them. It might be a really old piece of literature, perhaps even from a previous head, which has been sent out by mistake or unnoticed. In any case I don't see how on earth it could be workable to allow it for some pupils and not others - either you're relying on the threat of physical discipline to keep order (in which case, what about the kids who they can't hit?) or they aren't relying on it at all (in which case, WTF is the point?)

[Itaintmebabeitaintmeyourlookin]

I am hoping it is out of date. The website is all about inclusion anti bullying and reward cards, respect etc and all seems fine.

[sarahtigh]

I think the sports thing means that full active participation in all sports is compulsory including playing for school teams at weekends etc if chosen and they only accept medical reasons for non participation

ie his GP will need to write informing them of his asthma to what extent it generally restricts him and whether with appropriate use of medication it rarely affects him or whether it has not been possible to completely control it with medication and therefore there is a max that your DS can do without breathlessness and that he is prone to episodes of breathlessness and that once he is breathless he must be allowed to stop rather than being encouraged to push himself further

I suspect sports are viewed as part of training a bit like in the army where you are really pushed to excel, go further, stamina etc

regarding corporal punishment just ask

regarding restraint it is still legal for a teacher to restrain a pupil in certain circumstances like to stop him hitting someone or throwing something at someone to preserve health and safety

[YoniBottsBumgina]

Hmm, but they don't usually put negative things like their sanction system on websites - is there a copy of their discipline policy to download? I'd be cautious if it seems very "positive discipline" and reward based as IME this means they tend to operate on a carrot/stick sort of model and don't rely much on other methods like looking for the underlying problem, talking, problem solving, encouraging students to help themselves/sort things out themselves etc. Obviously rewards and sanctions have their place but they shouldn't be the only motivations and if it is a boarding school (you didn't say) - this should be even more important.