Safeguarding Homeschooling

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Listening into one my children’s online lessons and have heard quite concerning incidents regarding one child.
Today there was a power cut and said child expressed that he was scared as to what had happened and sounded petrified. The teacher told him to tell his mum but he has said he cannot as she doesn’t like homeschooling and he is to stay in his bedroom. The teacher said she would phone him and send someone round if need be. He must have contacted his mum as a chat message said ‘sorry my mum missed the call’.
Is it not standard for a mother to check on their child if there is a power cut (first we have had in this area in many years) or the child should not feel too scared to ask their mum what’s happening.
The mum is a very strict/standoffish person, she will shout and grab her toddler far too harshly for a minor issue.
Her son (8) is a very emotional child and seeks attention from the teachers, I feel so much for him as I think he would be so much safer in school!
I daren’t highlight the issue to school as the child has the same surname as the head teacher.
Please reassure me that there are procedures in place for vulnerable children other than at the headteachers’ discretion. It is an independent school too whether that affects things.

Oh well, never mind then.

What did you want from the thread if you aren’t willing to do ANYthing?

Personally I wouldn’t care who knew I was the one who raised concerns if a child’s welfare was at stake.

So instead of doing any constructive you discuss personal health details and the involvement of SS with a group of mums. How exactly does this help the child you are so concerned about?

The reason I never initially wanted to put forward my concerns are for the reason stated regarding conflict of interest because of the surnames.
I should not have talked about it but it was upsetting too and it can feel better to share these things and get advice on whether it was my place to escalate. As technically it was all recorded and the teachers were concerned enough to offer a well-being check.
I feel so much for some of the kids at home that are really struggling and think and hope that the ones that need it have some support or even just a phone call to check on them once a week.

If your worried about the head email the child’s teacher and be very clear that your raising a safe guarding concern.

Depends on their policy but I assume that the teacher will then have to escalate it to her team and the safe guarding lead. There will be a robust paper trail and the head will have to act/escalate/investigate regardless of whether she’s related or not to the child. It will have to be dealt with properly because they can’t deviate from the process.

You need to raise it. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and presumably the other children witnessed his distress.

OP, how about calling the Local Authority and making contact with their safeguarding team?

Two of the big breakthroughs in safeguarding over the last 20 years have been:

1. putting in place ways to leapfrog the system when - for whatever reason - you are reluctant to approach the designated safeguarding lead.
2. contributing your 'dot' - what YOU heard, what YOU saw. It's in joining the dots that the picture emerges. Children can't speak their trauma . Safeguarding protocols are a way of helping them 'speak' their distress.

For one reason or another you have posted here and followed the post - my hunch is that there is a part of you that wants to do the right thing and contribute your dot of information in a way that is safe for the child and safe for you.

There is a way to do it and you can do it. Find the number and pick up the phone.

My issue with not wanting to contact school was the surname being the same as the head teacher. If they are related then she isn’t goin to be overly pleased with me highlighting this.

The head teachers concerns matter much less than the welfare of a child. You don’t need to report to the school, you could go to the local authority but not raising concerns in case the head teacher is upset just isn’t good enough. It was concerning enough that three of you felt it appropriate to discuss on WhatsApp you all need to put your money where your mouth is and act to protect the child.

You absolutely must raise it if you are concerned. Always better to be safe than sorry. Please phone the school on the morning.

Don’t assume someone else is dealing with it. That child might need help. Just do your bit.

'it was upsetting'

Sounds like it was upsetting for the child ...

@ineedaholidaynow

Problem with safeguarding can be that everyone assumes someone else will report.

Report to DSL

Exactly this. When you read about the high profile cases such as Baby P etc this is a recurring theme. Everybody thought everybody else was takin action.

OMG. Are the parents judge and jury on online lessons now ? The privacy issues here are really worrying.
If you have a legitimate concern about a child report it, but please be really careful to not demonise Mothers / parents / children that you observe in online teaching that may be struggling.
This has really big repercussions.

Imagine caring more about what a headteacher might think of you than the welfare of a child. WTF??

I always wonder about that child who starved to death. The school saw he was starving to death and NO ONE DID ANYTHING except wring their hands afterwards saying “perhaps we should have fed him”... Don’t be that person.

Did you end up reporting @Instagram

Sorry I should have updated, report has been sent. Thanks for the advice!

Glad you reported. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Well done! I'm sure school were probably aware but sometimes it is that final bit of the jigsaw that completes the picture of a pupil's life and highlights that something needs to be done

You reported. Sure you did.