Drag Queen at a Primary School Thread 2

[Lennyllama]

Following on from my previous thread.

Link to first thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4489168-Drag-Queen-at-a-Primary-School

They’re just making themselves look stupid. I hope there will be a wave of “formal” complaints now.

Has there been an update yet OP.

The school sent out a letter to address the media coverage. They are standing by their decision to bring the DQ in. They said they understand and appreciate that some parents have expressed ‘surprise’. They said that they will be reviewing their communications policy in light of parents feedback. That’s it. The LA and governors support the school. It’s gone as far as it can go. It’s quite frightening that parents really don’t have a say, they can clearly do what they want with our kids and we just have to deal with it.

When I was a governor years ago anybody could make a formal complaint to the governing body and it had to be investigated with a meeting offered to the complainant to discuss with Chair and Head (I think). Just saying 'and the governors agree with me' wouldn't cut it. At a minimum I would be asking the parent governors to get this put on the agenda for discussion at the next full governing body meeting.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g

A spokesman for Merton Council, on behalf of the school and Dolly Trolley, said: 'Hollymount School held a themed week to underline its commitment to diversity. Neither the school nor the governors are aware of any formal complaints.'

Really? I think they may find there are a few follow up calls, letters and emails next week now clearly marked 'THIS IS A FORMAL COMPLAINT, IN CASE YOU WERE IN ANY DOUBT, AND I WANT AN ANSWER'.

I think you need to move away from the Drag complaint as if a Mrs Doubtfire had appeared I think nobody would have objected.

I think make/female/whatever sexualised performance with poor boundaries would be a much stronger complaint and by the look of the event this would be spot on,

@Lennyllama did they ignore your complaint? That's terrible if they did.

I thought that all schools need to address complaints from parents and offer a discussion with the headteacher. I'd go in and ask to see the headteacher with a hard copy of my complaint if I were you. That and/or resend to all school email addresses available on the school website!

Make a formal complaint to the Chair of Governors, copied to Council. They will have a formal complaint procedure which they have to follow. Ask for a copy of this.

They cant ignore a formal complaint. Make sure the school know your complaint is formal and that you are aware of the complaints procedure.

I think it is time to escalate to the Council's complaints and write to your local Councillor. We had an issue in primary school with visitors and while lots of us complained to the head nothing really was done just vague platitudes. The parents who went straight to the Council were offered meetings, invited to sit on future groups about diversity, and were taken very very seriously. So I know what to do now, ask the school for a response, if it is ineffectual immediately escalate.

There is also a Safeguarding Governor and policies should have been ratified by the Governors.

https://www.hollymount.org/Policies/HollymountSchoollComplaintsProceduree2019_DRAFT.pdf

Here's a link to the school's Complaints Policy, which they must follow to the letter.