To admire the chutzpah of the Bodmin rebel prom?

[Maverick101]

I keep reading threads on here about British school discipline which make my eyes pop. It feels so phenomenally repressive from the outside.
(It's a couple of decades since I lived in the UK )
So I was heartened to read about the Bodmin College rebel prom.
I realise that there will be both supporters and opponents of the school's position here, but I'm interested to see how this sits with those closer to the action (I'm in Oz)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjqqjx9598do

I can't abide the 'reward for good attendance and behaviour' aspect of prom culture in Britain. It does nothing for cohesion and is not inclusive.

As a parent whose child struggles to attend school due to poor mental health and neurodivergence, I'm eternally grateful that my child's school is not playing stupid games like that.

Rebel prom looks way more fun. Hopefully more popular in years to come and the old one defunct

My children attend a school under the Athena trust and I assure it's bloody ridiculous. My son has just finished his GCSE's was told originally he wasn't allowed to attend prom as he had to many reflections. Some of the arguments I got with his teachers over these are a joke eg, a reflection for ask 2 questions on topic to the lesson at the time because it disturbed the flow of the lesson 🤦🏻‍♀️ he managed to be reward a place at prom due to good behaviour so I paid for his ticket etc.. all is well. Last week he had a study leave as he only had a few exams left and was allowed to go home to revise, they phoned to confirm. I agreed he could walk home. He comes back, goes to his room and revises. I get a phone call later that day saying he's lost his place at prom due to an unauthorised absence... aka study leave. So he's currently 40 miles away camping with all his mates to celebrate the end of GCSE's.
We've done nothing but complain to ofsted, local MP's, the new etc... it gets us nowhere.
Last week my daughter was suspended because she wouldn't hand in a phone in triage (where they go before reflection) she currently doesn't have a phone as she smashed the screen and working to earn a new one. The school knows this. She was "rude and lying" about having a device so the suspended her. When the school phone I confirmed that she doesn't have a phone, his reply was oh well we've issued the suspension now. If that wasn't a kick in the teeth I went in for an attendance meeting yesterday for her as her attendance is 82%. She's had 3 days off since September, the school admitted the rest was due to suspensions so they can't escalate it as they are held accountable for her poor attendance, they actually sat there and asked me what we can do to make her not miss any more time of school... not suspend her for stupid things like not handing in a phone she currently doesn't have, not suspending her when she doesn't follow every line in a book with a ruler but goes by paragraph like her tutor told her, not suspending her when she asks for a hair band to put her hair up with in science 🤦🏻‍♀️
I've turned down my son place there in September and will put him elsewhere that isn't under that stupid trust.

@shieldmaiden7
Your poor kids!

I think it is silly. Everyone should be allowed to attend their secondary school "prom"

There are way bigger issues at Bodmin college than a prom. They are basically closing their sixth form from September, and there's a shortage of places in the town so the students will potentially have to travel quite a long way to do a levels. The sixth form was popular and well respected and provided a good alternative to the local big Fe Colleges.

In terms of the rebel prom, I am super interested as to whether they find anywhere to host it and how it will work with the venue in terms of supervision etc. In my experience, it's very hard to find places willing to host prom for 16yos for all sorts of reasons - I can imagine this will face similar difficulties. Unless someone involved owns a venue or similar? At this time of year in Cornwall, a lot of the nice function venues will also be fully booked.

From the reading I've done, a holiday park has offered them a space. Loads of parents involved so in guessing they're going to be a presence, as well as the charity that's supporting them no doubt.
It's also tonight, so I think so all of that has been sorted.
It doesn't need to be a nice function venue per se, they just need a hall to decorate etc
There are also people donating dresses etc. It looks to be very DIY and I can only commend the level of initiative and drive that's gone into it.

KBSK are a brilliant youth group / dance troupe. Adie has done amazing with them. @Postapocalypticcowgirl where have you heard they are closing the six form?

Sounds fab, good for them!

@shieldmaiden7
I cannot believe this, well I can because you've said it. What an absolute shambles. To not retract a suspension under those grounds of not actually having a phone surely that is falsifying records

This sounds awful. But just to point out, you’re talking about the English education system - there is no British education system. The Scottish system is completely different and much more flexible, without this obsession with attendance, SATs, OFSTED, etc. Much more child-led and inclusive.

Apologies, I thought Wales had academies these days but happy to accept that I'm wrong on that count if it's the case.
(Effectively including the Scots was unintentional on my part -- I had thought the prison-style discipline had spread further than just England though so I was possibly generalising a little too much 😉)

This kind of behaviour point system with links to attendance is disrespectful and dehumanising to pupils and puts so many kids off school completely. They make school a miserable stressful experience particularly with the school behaviours policy apps being on kids phones and all the kids comparing their points. The kids who have missed time may not be able to make up the points, how demotivating.

The rewards and sanctions for attendance punishes those the most vulnerable kids. the ones with very difficult home lives, trauma and SEND. The young carers like that girl who was interviewed.
To have a leavers’ prom and then to disinvite kids like that is so small minded, and says really crushing things to the kids about some adults in the adult world.

This prom is just one example of the wider policy problem. I really hope that some parents at this school or elsewhere, will have the time and resources to legally fight against these pathetic behaviour policies with rewards and sanctions that are linked to attendance, They are heavily discriminating against kids with SEND, those withh challenging life circumstances and health or mental health issues.

My daughter has terrible attendance, not because she can't be bothered to go in, but because she suffers very badly with her mental health. She's autistic and many ND children suffer from EBSA. It isn't right that children are penalised because of health issues, physical or mental. When she's in school, she works hard and her behaviour is exemplary. My DD probably wouldn't want to go to the prom anyway but I would hope she would at least be given the option.

This is awful to read how inflexible sone schools are and, it seems, downright wrong to issue suspensions for spurious reasons. It’s so counterproductive.

Just to add, not all schools in the English system are like this. I work in an academy as a (‘bog standard’ 😊ie no additional responsibilities ) classroom teacher and we would never not allow someone to prom due to attendance issues and very rarely stop someone from attending due to poor behaviour. We are in no way perfect but we all aim to work with our students, not against them. I can think of one example when someone did not get to go to ‘prom’ in the last ten years.

‘We had her make/up booked’
of course they did -you can tell they type of parents they are…
She had behaviour points -it wasn’t just attendance.
Entitled kids and parents -no support for the school -no wonder teachers are leaving in droves.

@shieldmaiden7 then you for sharing your story. It's nothing short of horrendous!

It's a shame the bbc don't the difference between uninvite and disinvite!
And people say SPaG isn't really important!

Good for them. Everyone should be allowed to celebrate the end of school. Regardless of attendance and minor rule breaking.

My daughter’s attendance was 60% in Year 13 due to illness. She’d have been gutted if she hadn’t been allowed to go to prom. I hope these kids have a great time.

And it seems nearly 50% of the kids are going to the rebel prom, if these have all Been uninvited from the main prom there is something wrong with the school’s discipline policy. Such a measure should be for pretty extreme bad behaviour.

What an awful post.

The behaviour points were for forgetting things. Another girl who was a young carer with a chronic stomach condition was also banned.

I too have a child with ND. School attendance annxiety, feeling different,forgetting things can be a huge part of it. My daughter has been in and out of hospital with Anorexia which she has now beaten. She actually spent her prom curled up on a hospital floor but I’d have been livid if she had had it taken away from her just for being ill afree all her hard work. I’m staggered said college can get away with it as some kids must surely be eligible for reasonable adjustments.

Half the student body excluded from it shows a massive failing in the system.

I think its fair enough to exclude kids whovare genuinely problematic....any type of violence or bullying or disrespect to teachers is fair enough.
But the reasons given by the school were pathetic

My Y11 has excellent attendance IMHO...she has been off only for genuine illness this year and her attendance dropped below 90% at least once due to that.
Behaviour points for forgetting pe kit or being late are not examples of poor behaviour its something most people do but if someone does it more often than others you need to look at the reasons....whether its because they are a carer, or they have adhd

Of course people have hair and make up booked. It's not a reflection on the "type of parents". Schools are really bad at communication in my experience...the language used is never clear and notifications come out very late.

Our local parent group have set up an alternative prom for children who aren’t able to attend the school prom. Reasons for non inclusion are similar to the Bodmin school but there is a high percentage of children who are homeschooled because the local school was failing them. It’s on this week and I hope they have a great time

That school sounds insane! Never heard of being suspended for asking for a hair bobble. I’ve worked in a school so am familiar with behaviour policies. My DCs went to a fairly strict school but anyone could go to prom as it was organised by the student body. The one I worked in was linked to behaviour which (unless was dangerous/intimidating behaviour) I thought was pretty lame!