To have expected school to informed parents of a major gang issue in and around school?

[sighthoundofdoom]

Ok I am probably being unreasonable but I am a bit shocked to be honest. Have name changed. We live in a village next to a small town in which my child attends secondary. This used to be a lovely community with very few issues and safe but recently there has been a massive rise in anti social behaviour including smashing windows of shops, threatening staff, stealing etc.

In recent months a 'gang' has developed. These children range from 12 - 17 and are causing a nightmare in the area. The children are well known and attend both the local village and small town secondary schools.

To add to this they have been stirring up trouble with a gang from another town. This other gang has been hanging around near school, beating children up, chasing them, robbing them, holding a knife to children etc. At the weekend 40 plus of them went on a rampage smashing up cars in the small town, chased and beat up a child and where caught by police with a baseball bat, knuckle dusters and a metal pole (confirmed by the police) . On Halloween they were 'patrolling' the streets looking for people to stab who were in costume, at a recent community event they turned up with weapons there too.

I knew nothing of this until yesterday. I have found out the school is well aware of the situation but has not notified any of the parents by letter or otherwise.

I feel sick. My child who has additional needs walks alone to school and I knew absolutely nothing of the attacks on children nor that there is a significant gang problem in school. My child has actually been bullied by someone I now know is in this gang.

Thats discussting.... you all need to complain. School have a duty of care too and from school.

This may be a measure of how frightened schools are of bad publicity and the possibility of falling rolls.

You may be right Catford. Both schools are outstanding Ofsted successful and oversubscribed schools. Both with best results in the area. I have heard a few month ago of a child being threatened with a knife in school. School dealt with it by allowing the victim to go on the school trip abroad free. I had assumed it was just one child being awful but now I am starting to question it.

I had assumed my SN child would not know anything about it as they do not really go out alone apart from to and from school and is in a sn room at breaks but they did and told me all about the gangs and what had been happening including gang name and that school had been talking to those they thought were involved and who was involved and then it has exploded all over social media and police site this weekend.

DC said they do not feel safe going to and from school and I do not know what to do about it.

or feel safe IN school for that matter

It may be because the school are co-operating with a police investigation to identify the gang.

DS's school came under fire for not notifying parent about drug dealing being carried out near the school. It was because the police were carrying out an undercover investigation and didn't want the situation publicised.

How do you know about these incidents? Any chance they might have been exaggerated?

These events occur out of school, and it is not the school's duty or responsibility to inform parents.
Do you not read local newspapers or watch local news?
How accurate is your information? The events sound so serious:

'beating children up, chasing them, robbing them, holding a knife to children etc.
On Halloween they were 'patrolling' the streets looking for people to stab who were in costume;'

that I am surprised that they are not in the national news.

With all due respect, are you sure these incidents haven't been exaggerated? It all sounds horrifying and I'm surprised that you didn't notice it was going on, given what you've told us here.

Sounds a little exaggerated. If a gang were patrolling the streets looking for someone to stab, I think soneone would have called the police.

I'd have thought if it was that bad you'd have heard about it by now TBH. It sounds completely exaggerated to me.

Thanks for all your replies. I hope it is exaggerated but the police are involved and it is all over the official police Facebook for the area.

The police attended the incident at the community event and they also stopped children with weapons on Sunday afternoon after reports of a disturbance (they have put this on their Facebook page) lots of witnesses reported the disturbance and them chasing local children plus them running down the street with a bat and a street sign

The threat on Halloween has also been posted on the police facebook page by several people and reported to the police.

The incidences have been reported to the police and are all on the local police Facebook page.
It is someone I know who's cars were smashed up. I have seen the photos. They did eight cars in her street and some in the next street.

We do not live in the same town just dc go to school there. Everyone I have spoke to since including the dc know all about it.DC form teacher has talked to them about the gang and have been talking to children they think are involved.

I also know first hand about the attack on a member of staff and damage and theft by them to a local take away and there are signs on the door banning youth as a result.