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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to be concerned about school safeguarding after allegations against principal?

9 replies

bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 20:01

We recently had a parent publicly out, via school Mum's WhatsApp group, that my Year 5 daughter's primary school principal was accused recently of sexual abuse against a year 6, 11 year old, school girl inside his office at the school over an 8 week period (every Friday). It is alleged by the two girls in the office with the Principal that he regularly stroked the arm and played with her hair, after pulling the blinds, locking the door and using his coat to cover the view through the door.

The police were called. The school and police both found the allegations were not malicious but could be neither proven, nor disproven, and the girls have now left the school and the Principal continues in his role.

The police have said in a written email to the alleged victim's Mum, that it doesn't pass the threshold of evidence to prosecute, "but the behaviour remains of concern", and "the information remains retained in his file, and may be referenced in future safeguarding processes". The school after the parent divulged what was alleged to have happen, and the police's view, finally confessed an "incident" had happened. And it says they have now "introduced a new range of safer working practices" but refuse to say what they are. And that they have also introduced a policy that says "all small group work should be visible" but refuse to show any parents the policy or disclose why small group work only needs to be visible now.

I have emailed the school 4 times asking to meet with the school about my daughter's safeguarding at the school and safeguarding in general (but not the allegations as they say these are confidential which I accept) and they ignore my emails (unlike any other general email I've sent over the years). The school also removed the Principal from the year 6 residential 3 night trip due to parent complaints and concerns (but won't confirm he will be banned from future trips, so that concerns me, that my girl will likely be in the trip with him overnight from school grounds for 3 nights unsupervised, considering his behaviour that police are "concerned about" carried on for 8 weeks without any staff raising concern, as it was the girls that finally reported him).

Should I be concerned? AIBU fir being unhappy with this response, and feeling they should tell us what measures have been introduced? And what this new small groups working policy is? For context, most parents seem happy enough that new safeguarding measures, which remain a secret, are said to have been introduced.

Or should I just carry on with my life, like most parents, and forget about it, now the police are not pursuing charges, and the girls accusing the principle have now left the school.

OP posts:
DustOffAndMoveOn · 21/06/2026 20:58

There’s usually no smoke without fire.

I wouldn’t be happy sending my child there whilst he still works there.

Look for another school.

cariadlet · 21/06/2026 21:05

Why have you started 2 identical threads?

bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 21:11

Because I wanted a vote to know if IABU and should even be concerned about the child there and persue this.

And the Chat one I wanted advice on how to persue it (as I know very little about safeguarding). Hope that's ok?.

OP posts:
cariadlet · 21/06/2026 21:31

I'm not the thread police. It doesn't matter whether I find it ok or not.
I just find multiple threads with an identical op confusing and always wonder why people do it.

bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 21:33

Ok. I rarely post. Not for years (as you can see). But I feel strongly, and turn about thi. So needed to know if it's even worth bothering with. And if it is, what can/do I do.

OP posts:
whippersnapper55 · 21/06/2026 22:20

It sounds like as far as the school and police are concerned, the issue has been dealt with. It's up to you to decide if you're happy to have your daughter continue at the school in these circumstances or if you want to move schools. Bear in mind that you're only hearing one side of the story and these things can get twisted and take on a life of their own through gossip and rumour. Usually if an allegation is made against anyone in a position of trust, they're immediately suspended while investigations take place - did that not happen in this case?

bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 23:13

No it didn't. It concerns me that any future allegations against anybody that staff member will continue to work with the children while police investigate (and possibly until charged or convicted, I'm not sure as the school won't say). This feels unsafe to me and the school refuses to discuss it's policy on this.

OP posts:
bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 23:14

It's worth remembering the school has introduced new policies and safeguarding as a direct result of his behaviour (that lead to the allegations). It just won't tell us what these new policies and safeguarding measures are.

OP posts:
DustOffAndMoveOn · 22/06/2026 08:15

bernadette1984 · 21/06/2026 23:14

It's worth remembering the school has introduced new policies and safeguarding as a direct result of his behaviour (that lead to the allegations). It just won't tell us what these new policies and safeguarding measures are.

Usually school policies are on the school website, especially the safeguarding one.

It’s only words on paper though. Those that want to commit crime will not care about following them.

The safest way to protect your child is to move them from the school now you know there is high-risk in that environment.

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