AIBU children screaming teachers ignoring

[concernedneighbour47]

I changed my name incase anyone recognises me. I live next door to a school and I’m at home a lot during the daytime. I always hear the children playing outside and with the good weather I hear a lot more of what happens in the playground.

Basically there are a few kids with suspected issues possible autism/some issue affecting behaviour. There are a couple of children who scream and cry a lot. I understand children obviously get hurt etc but these children are screaming and crying with no obvious cause. AIBU to think that the teachers should be helping the children more effectively rather than telling them to shut up/stop screaming and occasionally mocking them with the other children :(

AIBU to think that the teachers should be helping the children more effectively rather than telling them to shut up/stop screaming and occasionally mocking them with the other children

Call the education department (or whatever it’s called in your local area) and failing that go higher, ofsted or the care commission.

As the mum of 3 autistic kids I’d be devastated if this was happening to my children.

I think they recently passed OFSTED but I think they obviously stopped this behaviour and I feel they will do the same again if visitors come to check on them. It's such a shame there aren’t cameras :(

This is awful. Could you at least contact the school?
Definitely take action. These children are vulnerable.

Could you record the teachers?

An inspection is very different to being reported for abuse, because that’s what that is, abuse of vulnerable children.

How do you know that these children are autistic?

How do you know that nothing has caused the crying?

How do you know what has been agreed with parents regarding the care of their children?

Before you go to Ofsted you have to have raised the issues with the school directly first. Speak to them first.

My first instinct was to contact the school however on the other side of our fence is their grass area and the children are forever throwing balls, stones, food packets etc over. We constantly call the school to inform them about this but it doesn't do any good. I feel like if I contact them they will be less likely to stop the item throwing by the children and I have no idea what happens during an inspection for abuse

I think reporting it to the head teacher would be a good first step, I very much doubt that the head would be happy with their behaviour!

I know nothing causes the crying because I can see them playing and hear them playing. I hear kids get hurt and cry. But these kids are randomly screaming and crying and there is no immediate cause

You won't know who is screaming and why but mocking is always an unacceptable way of dealing with it. I think you should go and talk to the headteacher about your concerns. They won't necessarily be teachers.

Is this lunchtime when the adults are more likely to be less-trained lunchtime supervisors rather than teachers?

I would ring the school and ask for an appointment to see the head.
Then calmly outline your concerns, being clear it isn't the noise as such, but you are concerned that children aren't being appropriately interacted with. be as specific as you can. See where that gets you.

I can see the kids faces so of course I know who is screaming and why. It's not just those kids, there is a man who takes sports activities with the children and I heard him mocking the girl crying and telling her to shut up (I don’t often hear her cry)

And teentimes I’m convinced it's when the teachers are out on the yard during dinner time. I know they have dinnerladies but I recognise the teachers

Children do not randomly scream and cry. There is always a cause.

Okay but the cause is not obvious. They didn’t get hurt or offended they were on their own with nobody close to them

I wouldn't bother complaining unless you have hard evidence of it happening TBH (ie. You're going to have to record it in some way).
Otherwise they will either accuse you of lying/misunderstanding or totally minimise it.
I'm talking from bitter experience here.

Sadly owl I know that to be true and knowing my luck I will get told off or get into trouble for filming them

So some children are on their own screaming or crying and an adult is going up to them to tell them to stop screaming. Where does the mocking fit into this?

Yep you might be right about that. However if you have hard evidence you can report it to whoever is responsible for children's safeguarding at the local council.

When the teacher tells them to stop screaming and the child doesn't some of the other children start to mock the screaming child. Instead of telling the other children off the teacher/member of staff joins in and also mocks the child

When the teacher tells them to stop screaming and the child doesn't some of the other children start to mock the screaming child. Instead of telling the other children off the teacher/member of staff joins in and also mocks the child

That’s horrific OP, utterly horrific.

Please don't record them.

What you can and should do is make a written record of the events happening and then go to the Head.

You can't go straight to Ofsted and it's unlikely that safeguarding at county level would do much about kids crying.
Go to the Head first. If the mocking and such continues then you've got somewhere to go above the Head.

How do you know they have autism?

Have I read correctly that you don't want to report possible abuse to Ofsted because it may result in more balls being thrown over your fence?

You can record the sound without recording the kids. No safeguarding issues then really?

That's diabolical and needs reporting.