Assaulted at school

[Theoneandonly321]

Posting here for traffic
My dd has been severely assaulted at school by another child. The child has been excluded. What action can I take as this is the third time the child has hurt my child and there wasn’t any consequences beforehand.
Am I able to call the police as the child is 10 and google says they are now above the legal age for criminal responsibility. Any advice appreciated I am so angry and upset.

@DancesWithTortoises what do you think a senior police offer is going to do about “bruises and scratches”? Do you think they’re going to go round and arrest a 10 year old for hits and scratches in the playground? Behave.

The school have a duty of care to keep your daughter safe OP, and I’d escalate it to every level of complaint and senior involvement as can be done.

@TSSDNCOP

Apologies. I meant *@Staffholidayclubrep*

What I meant was that there is a financial implication for the school if there is a change of roll

I didn’t suggest to op to go into HT office raging about finance.

HTs are acutely aware of finance and that schools are under financed and that the money they receive for SEN is inadequate.

In any case no one knows on here if there is any SEN issue in this case.

The op can still complain to the governors if policy has not been followed correctly. I think that is the best route.

For police to become involved in a school matter the assault needs to be significant.

Hope your daughter gets the support she deserves.

[quote Whyo]@DancesWithTortoises what do you think a senior police offer is going to do about “bruises and scratches”? Do you think they’re going to go round and arrest a 10 year old for hits and scratches in the playground? Behave.

The school have a duty of care to keep your daughter safe OP, and I’d escalate it to every level of complaint and senior involvement as can be done.[/quote]
Mind your manners, pet. You behave.

Police can and do investigate assault in schools in this area, sorry you live in such an awful place that they don't.

The assaulted child is spoken to and if the officer thinks there is actual bruising and an assault occurred then the other child is spoken to by the police.

That's what happens in a civilised area.

"That's what happens in a civilised area."

The police go round every time a parent reports that their primary-age kid was walloped by another kid? For 'bruises and scratches'? What an absolute waste of police time when they are so overworked and stretched so thinly. As long as the school had put reasonable steps in place to minimise the likelihood of it happening again, I wouldn't want that abject time-wasting on my conscience.

Also tortoises, which area do you live where the police have time to investigate primary-age children hitting a peer?

@fourminutestosavetheworld

Also tortoises, which area do you live where the police have time to investigate primary-age children hitting a peer?

children assaulting children shouldn't be written off as child's play.. child bullying is real... child suicide is real..

OP should ask to speak to the Child Protection Officer within the Police unit and ask for advice ... 🌸

We already need an entire police force to deal with all the Mumsnet "reports", perhaps if they weren't so busy "logging" those they'd have a fighting chance.

Meantime nobody gets involved and the victim ends up having to leave school ... be homeschooled... start all over at a new school.

Strikes me as pretty unfair

children assaulting children shouldn't be written off as child's play.. child bullying is real... child suicide is real..
Im quite surprised there's not more agreeing. I'm actually quite surprised by all the posts saying ops dd is making a big thing, its just cuts and bruises, ah but what did she do, telling op she has to think of the other girl first!

Not really accurate, plenty of us have tried to give OP practical guidance on action she can take. That's not diminishing her daughter's experience; it's trying to help get a result that is positive.

"OP should ask to speak to the Child Protection Officer within the Police unit and ask for advice ... 🌸"

Have you any experience of child protection?

It isn't a 10yo who, in their entire school history with this child, has received two minor pushes (op's description) and now something more serious that the school have responded to with a fixed term exclusion and whatever else is going on behind the scenes. Let the school at least attempt to sort it out before we start taking child protection officers away from the frankly horrific cases they're dealing with.

Aside from the fact that OP has already phoned the police and they, quite rightly IMO, felt that it wasn't within their remit.

There is a lot that the school can do to support both children but at this point in time, it feels as if op isn't really interested in working with them to make that happen - she wants guarantees that no one can provide and is more interested in seeing this child and her family punished.

OP, you are desperately worried about your girl. If you really feel that the school are failing then by all means follow through on your promise to withdraw. If you think, when calmer, that they are trying to resolve this, then work with them because, as you say, it really isn't fair if your dd has to start somewhere new. Give them an opportunity to put measures in place. Don't worry about the other girl or her family, you can't control them or make them care.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

Yes, I do 🌸

Well then you'll know that this is nowhere near the threshold for involvement so ive no idea why you're telling op to report.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

Well then you'll know that this is nowhere near the threshold for involvement so ive no idea why you're telling op to report.

I think you've said more than enough to confuse and distress OP.

Yes, police, council.
Surely this child needs external help. Not sure what the heck the school is doing if this is third time.
Your child may need help to deal with the trauma too. I hope they are ok!

To be honest, if you do not see actions, serious actions over this week and the summer. I would change school pronto.

@MushMonster

Yes, police, council. Surely this child needs external help. Not sure what the heck the school is doing if this is third time. Your child may need help to deal with the trauma too. I hope they are ok!

To be honest, if you do not see actions, serious actions over this week and the summer. I would change school pronto.

As has been explained upthread, it's not as simple as that. If it's an ongoing situation there are processes that the school will be following, all of which take time. None of which can be discussed with another parent. The OP states that her child has been pushed twice, this is the first serious incident. 'serious actions' ... and what do you think these might be? My god, the hysteria on MN is breathtaking. Let's all wind up the OP and make her more angry than she already is. 'change school pronto' ... aye - the OP has already stated there are no places locally. It's not as simple as that.

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

Suspension is temporary. Exclusion is permanent but I guess there may be an appeals process

This is wrong. Exclusion can be permanent or temporary. Only the school will be able answer OP’s question.

OP, get the police involved.

She tried to get the police involved - they're not interested. As you'd expect when we're talking about a primary age child, a first serious incident and a school who are following the behaviour policy.

Allow the school to sort it out. If they don't, report to governors. If governors aren't interested, escalate to the LEA, academy trust or try Ofsted. Hopefully, none of that will be necessary and the strategies they put in place will work.

Police won't get involved at this level. MP won't care as long as school are following standard procedures. Just follow the complaint procedure, and try to keep perspective.

QueenBee, I don't think it's fair to cast doubt on op's ability to read and interpret. Im sure she's more than capable of following consistently clear and factual comments without getting confused or distressed really, even if she disagrees. I think it is people such as yourself, incorrectly implying that this would meet the threshold for a safeguarding referral, who are muddying the waters actually.

I think it is people such as yourself, incorrectly implying that this would meet the threshold for a safeguarding referral, who are muddying the waters actually.

you're doing a lot of implying yourself, in your screeds of replies.

@Theoneandonly321

The police have refused to help and have told me it is the schools responsibility. I am very upset because the school have made it clear they will not be taking it further. All I can do is make a complaint and pull my dd out of the school. The child has got off Scot free and continues to enjoy her school and education whilst my dd will need to be homeschooled for some time due to lack of school places elsewhere. I despair at the system.

Firstly, you have no right to know what action the school has taken with the other child, you can only know that what they consider to be an appropriate action has occurred.

Secondly, you have found out that the child in question has been excluded, so you do know that the school have taken it seriously.

The term safeguarding does not mean that your child will be accompanied at all times by an adult, and that expectation is untenable.

@OldBean2 The point the OP is making is the adults at the school are not protecting her daughter adequately from the aggressor. She wanted to know how the school was handling it-she wasn't asking to invade the aggressors privacy. Your post is very legalistic and accusatory. How would you react if your child was a victim like her daughter?

One ten year old girl, hits another 10 year old girl. It's the first time this happened to her. The school have already excluded her for a fixed period. Really, what else do you want to happen? Schools have a duty of care to all pupils! They can't just send them away to to Timbuk-bloody-two! You need to get a reality check!

As for protecting your daughter- the school have staff on duty to intervene in incidents, but they can't always prevent them because they are not mind-readers! Children can be unpredictable.