To think the School overreacted in Expelling Pupil and calling Police for a stunt,when a "bollocking would have been enough".

[smokepole]

Jacob Dowdle, a year 13 Pupil at Altrincham Grammar school on the last day of term May 16, put a paper plate with whipped cream in to his year heads face.

This was a very "Stupid" thing to do, but no harm was meant or injury caused yet the school called the Police and summary expelled him. The teacher was seeking a prosecution for the stunt, when she was not injured The teacher although upset , should have had the grace to except that it was a poor stunt , ( or like most teachers on the last day taken it on the chin as overexcited students behaviour).

Ming how is the teacher now, do you know?

It's half term this week, so the boys are not in school. So I don't know. I should imagine she is terribly upset- she has been named on a number of public forums. I don't know her personally.

Thank you Mighty, for filling us in. It seems I was wrong all along and he had run out of chances. The school obviously tried appeasement with him and unfortunately it did not work for another 3 or 4 weeks. this information casts new light on his character and means I am able to say sorry to people who were upset, by my previous posts. I always say sorry when I make a mistake through my ignorance or lack of empathy to those concerned .

Part of me thinks that an alternative petition, supporting the teacher and the school, would be a good way of showing this little bully and his mates that their behaviour is not normal or acceptable.
But the teacher may not appreciate further media attention, I'm in two minds.

Good for you smokepole
But your thread has at least allowed us to show support for the teacher and her head. I hope very much that she can see it and draw some comfort from it.

Maybe Jacob can learn from you & apologise too

Smoke - I don't really know what you mean about 3 of 4 weeks above? My comments are more to do with my experience of the school, I know very little of this incident than what I have read in the press!!

But if you feel that you were misinformed- then you have my utmost respect for what you have said above.

vindscreen an alternative might be to email the head with your support
The email address is on the school website. I won't repeat it here.

I mean that if this sorry incident had not taken place, the school would have successfully managed a difficult student with personality issues though his school career, that would have been a very satisfactory outcome for the school as well as the student. The incident goes to show no matter how much time or effort you can put in with a student/pupil, some will still have character flaws that will at some stage become unmanageable and result in exclusion.

I was talking about a different boy- my apologies if this wasn't clear. In the time my son has been there - there has been one exclusion other than this case?that we were notified of and the school were at pains to express their extreme regret in having to do so.

Thanks for that. However,based on what you have said it is unlikely to have been the first and only thing he had done wrong though out his time at the school.

What a fabulous HT and what a whiny snot bag boy. The HT will no doubt continue to lead a good school and whiny snot bag will continue to be a whiny snot bag. Such a shame that anyone is giving him sympathy or air time.

Watched the video and thought it was appalling. He approached her with his back to her and then swirled and hit her in the face. In the DFail he says that she just didn't have a sense of humour about him(none of us wimmin do I expect).

It seems clear that it was personal. He meant to humiliate this teacher; not just a prank gone wrong. Good for the HT.

What a horrible gobshite he is.

He is EIGHTEEN. I couldn't believe it when I read that. I was expecting a 13 or 14-year-old (and would still have been disgusted and agreed with the punishment).

This is an adult male physically assaulting a woman doing her job, and he deserves everything he got, and more.

I am not even going to watch the video and give him attention. He deserved all he got.

This is one of those stories where you go from thinking 'well that was a young man who made an error of judgement' to 'what an appalling little piece of shite' in less than a day.

that

Totally in support of the school, head and teacher here.

Argh that was supposed to be that

For those that think it was a China plate please watch the video again. You can see at the start the plate bends in his hand so not china. Also you can see it on the floor after to the right of the screen. After that something drops behind her. Maybe she dropped something. If it had been china she would have been injured and he wouldn't have got off with restorative justice.

Just to clarify - I don't think it makes it ok because it wasn't china. I have said before I agree with school actions but people keep saying it was china when it clearly isn't.

Well said smokepole. And thank you to MightyMing for the back story.

And thank you to those colleagues who have posted their experiences to help explain what it is like as a teacher in this position.

So what is the broken stuff at her feet then, that we heard hit the ground?

Part of me thinks that an alternative petition, supporting the teacher and the school, would be a good way of showing this little bully and his mates that their behaviour is not normal or acceptable.

I think if we all email the school FTAO the governor's meeting where he gets to appeal it would do more good.

Melamine would hurt just as much, the point is that it wasn't paper.