To think this letter is scaremongering primary school parents!

[scottishegg]

Seen this doing the rounds on Facebook from what I think is a viable source! I'm quite shocked by the message in this letter! Opinions please.

Load of bollocks. No school would take the risk of putting that out there...

It's genuine... A lot of parents are in uproar! School is local to me ( Telford)

It's clumsily worded but clearly with good intent. A sense of belonging, self worth and value can help reduce vulnerability and provide a support network to avoid being drawn into difficult situations ... Not well worded at all though, very odd IMO.

My main issue with it is unfortunately the majority of child abuse happens at home so how will joining an after school club change that!

thank goodness my daughter has just started a new one then... shame about my younger two, dc3 has social and communication difficulties and as it stands, i can't imagine him feeling 'a sense of belonging' whatsoever with a group of his peers (or anyone, really) so that's a real bummer

I cannot see the issue. Not at all. Someone help me out here.

The school needs to demonstrate to ofsted that it is protecting its children from radicalisation (Prevent strategy), so maybe that's a clumsy way of gathering evidence in their favour?
It's an abysmal letter. Extra curricular activities also demonstrably enhance pupil achievement - not sure why they couldn't focus on that?

I agree it's clumsy, but not scaremongering.

Views through the lens of mumsnet- a parenting advice website- of course it is totally ridiculous, and will not apply to 99% of the DC of parents posting here, as by virtue of posting, clearly you give a shit and are engaged and invested in your children. However not all parents are -mine certainly weren't! Being involved in extra-curricular activities gave me friends, exposure to adults who encouraged my passions, self worth and confidence. It also means kids who may be subject to abuse or at risk of radicalisation are seen by more adults trained to recognise the signs....

Of course the letter is very poorly worded and thought out. But they're not wrong...

Children engaged in extra activities are less likely to be involved in the issues mentioned, again because their parents are engaged and give a shit, having children with less engaged parents mix with this that don't can only raise aspirations and help protect them.

As someone whose parents really didn't give a toss about them, trust me, this stuff is valuable.

scottishegg ... because if a child is being abused at home then a support network outside of the home can provide a 'safe place' with adults who they may trust enough to confide in.

I think it's in an area of high immigration and poverty where, unfortunately, those issues are very real.

That said, I don't think they needed to spell it out!

Not so much high immigration but it's definitely a deprived area.

All you had to do was remove those three lines between Eco club and please support us...

Ah yes, I remember that time I didn't turn into a child criminal because I did an extra 4 1/2 hours of art at school *

I suppose after school clubs keep kids busy and stops them from hanging around the streets after school (this is what our similar school letter said) and if these issues (being abused and exploited etc) are a local problem, then fair enough that the school has raised this.

It is not about at home abuse.

Child sexual exploitation is a totally different animal and needs approaching differently. I agree it is clumsily worded however, but it is aiming for the right thing.

Telford have had considerable experience addressing cse and are quite skilled in this area.

So scottishegg,
just because most child abuse occurs in the home (even if that is true), do you think that we should ignore abuse that occurs outside the home?