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.

The wording is crazy

and no, an after school club by itself is not going to make a child less vulnerable, but neither is any one thing! so what should we (as a society, including schools) do? nothing? because each individual factor by itself isn't going to make a big change? That's a depressing outlook.

I must admit I did a double take and a WTF? at that last sentence. It's not that I disagree with the sentiment, I just find it very bluntly and unprofessionally expressed. It seems as though it should be a fake.

Kids joining clubs involves other adults in their lives and gives them the chance to see alternatives away from home and school and it really does boost confidence. I know having been abused and after school clubs were essential for me esp in secondary school as a 'safe space'.

Lots of kids only go to school and then come home which is more likely to be the case in deprived areas because families don't have the funds to do much else. We have to remember that when things like this come up.

I think its great the school is offering them and from that list there is a good variety but it shouldn't be an expectation.

i wouldn't be outraged/shocked over it and I would hope the school would give some priority to those who can't afford out of school clubs.

I wonder though, if that bit at the end was meant to go on the letter!

Considering Telford is an area where they recently busted a grooming paedophile ring, its just exceptionally worded and in extreme bad taste IMHO.

Its all over my FB, i know people who's kids go to that school.. .NO-ONE is happy with it, everyone is disgusted.

Those letters were sent home with children as young as 5.. i wouldn't want my child reading that!

Just because those ARE the reasons behind encouraging it, it doesn't need to be slapped all over a letter sent home with small children.

I do wonder about the comprehension skills of some posters, the letter doesn't say that if you go to a club you won't be radicalised or that if you do you're safe from child abuse. What's hard to understand abiut the fact that research shows a correlation

I agree, not the best wording but the message is a good one

Maddyhatter - if your 5 year can read that letter the school must be doing an amazing job.

There's nothing wrong with encouraging children to join clubs. There's quite a lot wrong in implying that parents who don't or can't support it are pushing their children into radicalisation, sexual exploitation and crime.

Very clumsy letter, a bit scary too. I think the school should have thought a lot more about the wording.

Safe to say that Sian Deane is a blithering, scaremongering idiot.

I agree, not the best wording but the message is a good one

The research being sound does NOT make "the message a good one".

I'd be slamming that in front of the HT saying what the hell is this?? You don't join a club so an evil paedo doesn't groom you. How about - children who join a club are encouraged to make new friends and feel a sense of belonging.

What eejit thought of that?

Haha

Pretty sure the wording is driven by the PREVENT strategy.

I do seriously wonder about the basic intelligence of some head teachers.

I know

Hopefully the parental uproar caused by the letter will unite the parents against the HT and, in that unity, develop a sense of community and belonging which will be shared with their children.
Sorted.

I was going to say it's the PREVENT strategy that's driven this I'm sure. Most schools/settings don't know where to go with it and how to demonstrate such an intangible thing to Ofsted.

I appreciate ofsted are evidence, evidence, evidence, but I do think such matters are best dealt with in PSHE lessons, not letter strongly implying that failure to join an arts and crafts club will lead to terrorism and/or sexual exploitation.

Tenuous connections can be explained directly to OFSTED, though.

They don't need to be spelt out in letters home about clubs.

WTAF! Is this a joke?

I can only presume the idiot person who wrote that lunartic of a letter. Must have been as high as a freekin kite.
Did they honestly expect no come back from parents.
Also are these clubs free.

Not all parents can afford it.