To ask what should happen now? DD attacked by other students

[RainInNovember]

DD is 15, shes had a few issues with people, got into a few arguments, nothing major and mainly over whatsapp etc, she does seem to get involved in the drama. But a lot of her friends are similar and there are often fallings out but then friends again the next week.

I just had a message from dd at school. she said two girls who she used to be friends with have waited outside her lesson for her and followed her. once she was on her own they put a coat over her head and started punching her in the head and pulling her hair and dragging her about.

she has told school and she said the girls are currently in isolation, I have called school who said they're investigating now and will call me back shortly.

I have never dealt with anything like this before. I just want to know what to expect and how seriously they should take it.

The DH is handling this much better than the pastrol staff by the sounds of things.

hope you and DD get the support from school and things settle from now on

The school needs a stricter social media policy if all this stuff is circulating. I would not use such photos. It perpetuates poor choices and feels like a vendetta. Just accept what the school is doing.

Absolutely use the photos as it shows a pattern of behaviour.

Little miss lawyer is soon going to realise that evidence is important to prove guilt, of which there are consequences

You need to keep the pressure moving upwards on this so it doesn't all fall on your daughter. Everything in writing, recap verbal conversations in writing and email them to the DH, including the ones with him. Make an official complaint about the Pastoral care, that is a lazy and ill informed response, they are not even reaching the basics of their job.

A school with a culture of closing ranks will do so if you let them, they will only deal with this efficiently and propery if you make it happen, by proving to them that it will be more damaging to them not to. Schools are not a higher power, they are fallible and need calling out when they miss the mark. Well done.

Dd has been in school 30 minutes and the girl that was excluded and her friend both shoulder barged dd as they walked past her

Ugh - learnt their lesson then! When's your meeting with the deputy head?

I'm about to call school

I’d be going in for a face to face with the DH

Oh and this was two separate shoulder barging incidents in two different areas by two different people. In 30 minutes. I'm fuming. Arranging an in person meeting

That's a better result than a kid I know got for the 4th assault in a row

Is it a LA school or an academy?

Good luck if it's the latter

It's an academy

Make sure you have their bullying policy. Quoting it back to them may be helpful.

Also, insist on having things in writing.

Lastly, but not yet, I'd do a subject access report on your daughter. I'd want all emails pertaining to your daughter.

Would this not just include personal data though rather than emails etc

Nope. You can request everything. My brother did it recently and it was enlightening.

ETA: All information and correspondence pertaining to your child.

These are second assaults so report to the police again as well as the school. Point out to the school that there "excellent record" has been broken - twice and that both girls need an increased sanction this time.

Possibly for that.

I can tell you that (in my experience) they're not excluded for punching teachers, for throwing chairs at them or throwing desks at them.

They're not excluded for hitting teachers with bottles.

They're not excluded for threatening teachers with rape.

ETA

38 yrs working in Scottish secondary schools; 22 of those in middle management.

Basically, you'd need to see blood before a kid was excluded for hurting a teacher.

Had a situation some years ago where a 15 yr old boy punched out a male member of staff (shorter than him) during a fire drill.

Teacher put out a hand to stave off the second punch.

The teacher was suspended because the parents claimed that he'd been the aggressor. In the meantime, the thug was allowed back into school with a female classroom assistant by his side at all times.

(The teacher was eventually cleared, but not before parents made his life a misery by doxxing him to the local press. He eventually quit teaching.)

Ask whether the perpetrators have been risk assessed. (They won't answer, but ask anyway.)

Ask again what safeguarding measures they are putting in place to stop further assaults. They might try to downplay the shoulder barges. Reiterate that your daughter has now been assaulted three times.

I’ve no advice other than keep doing what you are doing, but just wanted to send support. It must be incredibly hard seeing your DD going through this.

Thanks. She's home again now. She messaged me saying she's in tears. Her head of year said to her she should have gone to teachers instead of texting parents

But they assured her she would be safe and within half an hour she had been shoved twice, of course she's not going to trust the teachers to help her

Yes. That's what a Year of Head would say - because it's embarrassing for the school.

Well then you go back and escalate this. HoY is embarrassed and you keep on. It's their problem

Tbh this can be characterised as an issue not dealt with properly by teachers, who are now going "oh shit". HoY decided to spread around some of the problems not addressed which is on them.

Really, I think if you dug deeper you would find these girls had been a long term issue and HoY is in the proverbial.