To contact the school on Monday about comments on social media

[crappycomments]

My eldest DD helped out at a sixth form open evening last week, where prospective sixth formers from the same and other schools were invited to attend a presentation from the headteacher and head of sixth form in the school hall, followed by circulation around the different subject areas to get a taste of what activities are on offer in sixth form lessons.
My DD along with about 25 others was a subject ambassador, in that she helped set up and then demonstrate some activities. She also additionally acted as a tour guide to help direct people around the school.
Either later the same evening or the following day, several photos of the event were posted on Facebook by the school, including some of the subject staff and also a selection of the students who helped out. My DD was one of the students pictured.
Over the last couple of days many people have commented on the event and the students, many being complimentary about the event and how helpful the students were. However there appears to be a number of negative comments appearing about my DD and her appearance in particular, which she is obviously upset about and I'm not sure how to go about stopping it.
Do I contact the school to ask them to remove the article/photos; I don't know how to stop the comments.

This. It's not a Safeguarding matter but obviously on Monday ger picture and comments need removing.

There is nothing "petty" about bullying in any format

This is terrible advice. Having a victim's mother comment will only encourage bullying and make them conclude that the girl can't fight her own battles. It will definitely make things worse and encourage a pile-on.

Get the school to take down the photos.

For those saying the head or safeguarding lead are likely to check their emails at the weekend, they certainly aren't required to just to fulfil those roles, so might not.

Safeguarding issues are supposed to go directly to the police or children's services if staff become aware of issues involving pupils during evenings weekends or holidays (because many obviously do check emails) as the safeguarding procedures at school are not an emergency service or monitored 24/7.

This isn't even really the sort of thing that's a child in danger of harm. Although it might be hurtful on a personal level and the comments don't look great for the school, it's a comment on what they let their sixth formers get away with regarding uniform more than it's a comment on actual appearance. And it's fine to have a public opinion on that.

Can I just point out that the school didn't have a problem with how she looked during the event, so I don't see how it's acceptable for anyone else to make comments

Ok if you really want to know, the comments ranged from criticising how she looked in terms of not representing the school in a positive light given that it's a well regarded high achieving school, through to her looking like a 'slut' and a 'slapper'

I would definitely ask the school to get the comments/photos removed and my teen also wears her skirt short. They all do.

That's not ok. Why do people think sexualising ternagees in school uniform is ok? It's 2023! Hope she is ok, and I'd report the comments and let the school know.

I bet the comments are from people who are older than school age too!

Because although she generally has her top button undone for school and has her skirts a bit short, she knows that strictly speaking she should have her tie fastened and skirt pulled longer. And she know that I don't mind as long as she works hard and behaves herself. And she feels as though this trouble is because she's pushed the boundaries.

They are directed to her really, but via the school's page.

Your daughter doesn’t deserve any of this OP. Awful.

But genuinely I don’t know why kids wear their skirts so short nowadays!

Untagging her is a good idea, reporting comments also.

You do need to speak to the school and ask them to remove the photo and close comments. I'm amazed the admin for the school SM pages hasn't done this already, in honesty.

As far as the skirt goes - it seems rife everywhere at the moment! I left teaching just a decade ago and I was so shocked when visiting secondary's for my year 6 DS. I worked in a big inner city school and no way would we have accepted it but I see it everywhere now, and yes, even at open evenings where the school is 'showing it's best side'.

I do hope your DD understands that it's not about her. It's really unfair to single her out and to make such vile comments about a child.

I don’t do Facebook but isn’t there a way to close a post to comments? You’d think that the school would automatically do that on posts including pictures of pupils.

Send a direct message to the school’s Fb page. Whoever has access to the account will be able to sort the comments out.

What are the comments exactly,? You've said it was to do without how she's wearing her uniform, is it because she's not wearing the correct clothes or what?

So what are they saying to her? Some schools are really fussy about uniform especially on evenings like this when they're on show, but to be fair she's given up her time so ..

Doesn't sound like this school is particularly fussy. Personally I would be unimpressed by a school that let its students look scruffy/tarty when they are meant to be representing the school at an open evening for prospective parents, but I wouldn't be commenting on photos of specific students! I'd just think the school wasn't on top of things.

I was at school in the '80's, and most girls wore skirts at least as short as they wear now. Often the cardigan would be longer than the skirt...its not a new thing.

Contact the school and get them to get the pictures sorted out and to deal with the inappropriate comments. Hopefully your daughter and her friends know that calling someone a slut is the issue, not their skirt length.

This. The school should be monitoring this. They should have been dealing with uniform on the night too. I find I’m constantly correcting uniform of the helpers on open evening.

Nowadays? At my school there were girls who rolled theirs up so high you couldn't see them under their blazer from behind. 😅

You sound lovely. 🙄

I would report these to the school and ask for the bullies to be punished. That's really unacceptable. Is it other students commenting?

My mum was rolling her skirt at school and she's 65!!! It's not a new thing at all.

Bloody hell.

Take screenshots with names.
Email safeguarding now.
Email head teacher now.