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Boy who urged the killing of a teacher returns to the same school

294 replies

Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:48

I saw this in the Times Ed today. I can't find an on line link.

A boy at Gleed Boys School in Spalding set up a website in Bebo that urged fellow pupils to 'kill' a teacher. He also encouraged them to post abusive comments about this young female member of staff.

The Head permanently excluded the boy, but this has been over turned by the governors. The head has to take the boy back into the school. The teacher is off sick, with stress.

Nice.

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CuttingCod · 15/06/2007 14:49

hmm there MUST be some reaosn we odnt knwo abotu for the governors ro oovertunr it

i went on an exlcusion panel once

TheArmadillo · 15/06/2007 14:49

that's awful.

Poor teacher.

Why would anyone allow him to return to the same school?

beansprout · 15/06/2007 14:49

That's constructive dismissal, surely?

Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:51

I don't think a teacher should have to work in the same school as a boy who urged that she be killed.

If the boy had SEN, i think that this would be a fairly good indication that his needs were not being met in the school and that he, as well as the teacher, needed him to be in a more appropriate school

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Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:52

on the same article a study carried out by the Teacher Support Network forund that 1 in 5 staff had been the victim of cyber bullying and that pupils were most often the perpertrators.

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ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 15/06/2007 14:53

Incredible.

Would the LEA be obliged to offer her another job at a different school? (Though why she should be the one to move is another question. Agree with Cod, there must be something not being reported here)

Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:55

I have looked to see if I can find anything else, but I've come up with nothing.

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Blandmum · 15/06/2007 14:56

another quote from the article, 'THis boy has had incidents with other staff before and in this class there was a clash of personailties'

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ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 15/06/2007 20:01

"A clash of personalities"

This is what I hate nowadays - this pretence that everyone's position is the same, you have to treat hysterical loonies or homicidal maniacs the same way as normal reasonable people.

A friend of mine had an incident with a mad colleague recently (mad colleague came into her office and started ranting at her) and her managers tried to get her to come to a mediation meeting. There was no mediation to be done - the other person was in the wrong, but the culture is all about pretending that everyone's behaviour is equally valid.

Gets on my nerves.

moo · 15/06/2007 20:02

That poor teacher.

cornsilk · 15/06/2007 20:06

I was told that schools don't want to exclude because it doesn't go down well with Ofsted. Don't know how true that is.

gatewaytoindia · 19/06/2007 20:05

This led the local TV news, East Midlands Today at 6.30.
I should imagine it will make the National press as a result.
The governors decision will have been based on the information given to them. Maybe they were not in possession of all the facts.
One of the main teaching unions has voted not to teach the boy and the other is awaiting the result of their ballot. Hopefully this will have the required result. After all, what sort of parent would want to send their child to a school where they were not wanted.

Ladymuck · 19/06/2007 20:10

And we wonder why it is hard to recruit and retain good teachers? (Forgetting that for what they do they could probably double their money in industry by training adults). It all seems so insane.

Hulababy · 19/06/2007 20:13

Whilst I agree with Cod that there must be something else not being reported for this to happen, I cannot actually think of any justified reason to have him return to the same school. It is simply unfair on this poor teacher, and could lead to her leaving. I wouldn't want to return to the school knowing he was there, and I wouldn't want to feel I was being forced to leave in their way either. Thhink I'd be speaking with my union over it!

KerryMum · 19/06/2007 20:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blandmum · 19/06/2007 20:18

she has, the union memners have been balloted and said that they will refuse to teach the boy.

I agree with you Hulababy. there is no way that she should have to teach this child again

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Hulababy · 19/06/2007 20:18

Missed that bit. Yes, can imagine the unions supporting her over this. Hope the rest of the teaching unions follow suit TBH.

NJ35 · 19/06/2007 23:05

I am his mum and this story is so wrong,this story has not been told properly and anybody who would like to know the truth please ask

melbob · 19/06/2007 23:14

Go on NJ35

NJ35 · 19/06/2007 23:31

My son made a flippant remark on a site that he made about his teacher,they had problems over nearly 2 years and they didnt like each other.I made numerous complaints about the situation and we tried to deal with this within school.What he wrote were NOT death threats,he did NOT write to that teacher PERSONALLY as described,bebo works in the way that if you make a website up people are able to leave their own mesage of their own choice,which many boys did.My son should not have set up a site sayin he hated his teacher but to say he made death threats and comparing him to Jamie Bulgers nurderers is slander and obscene. my son made a grave error of judgement on his part which he understands,made silly immature comments BUT he did not threaten to kill her.The govenors were fully informed of the facts,there was nothing held back and they say that what he did was childish immature and a prank gone very wrong.The govenors allowed him to have the opportunities to go back to put right the wrong and this representation of him is unjust and hugely distorted,has anybody thought about siblings within the school that are also affected? Should the teachers now not teach them?? He made a very stupid mistake,Im not justifying what he did but this is blown out of ALL proportions,this was in no way as big as it has been made out.Before you judge someone please stop and think about what the press have done to many other people in distorting facts.He is still a young man with feelings along with his family and is trying to put his stupid maistake right but is not being allowed to,is that justice? Should we not learn from our mistakes and have to face what mistakes head on and deal with them?

RosaLuxembourg · 20/06/2007 00:35

What do you think should happen NJ35? I am very interested to hear your side of the story. Why do the news reports claim that he threatened to kill his teacher? And what does your son think should happen next?

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 00:55

My son was judged by the govenors of the school and was allowed one more chance.He is being reintegrated back into school and has been for a number of weeks now.He is being allowed the chance to prove himself to be the good young man he is and stand up and be counted for his mistake,which is the right thing to do.He has learnt that this behaviour was wrong and wants to put it right.He is being portrayed in a very distorted light and this is being sensationalised by the press.He has to go to school tomorrow and deal with this along with his siblings.This was dealt with remember by the govenors at the meeting who agreed he could go back.He wants to make amends and face this and deal with it and I want him to learn a vital life lesson for himself,which will make him a better person in the long run,Hes NEVER been in trouble with the police,nor does he drink,smoke or run riot in the streets,he has been actively involved in many things within school- mentored children with issues,school council,youth club,involved with local parliament,acheivement awards-does this sound like the yob he is being portrayed as?

AngryMob · 20/06/2007 01:00

It must be very upsetting for you all if the press have sensationalised the situation.
Did your son set up a website encouraging people to post abusive comments about a teacher at his school?

NJ35 · 20/06/2007 01:10

Yes he set up the site on bebo,the nature of it being you can then post comments of any nature,of which yes most were derogatory comments,which came from the boys within school,which yes if he hadnt made the site they couldnt have been written,I accept that and I do not want to sound like I am saying that making the site was right as it was NOT,as that was the mistake he made,i am fully aware he should not have done it and am by no means happy about what he did either,but he wants to put it right and face it head on which he should.The govenors have allowed him this chance to show he can progress from this.We all have people we dont get on with during our lives and unfortunatly he stupidly vented his frustration in an inapropriate manner.It was an immature thing to do and believe me hes done a lot of thinking and a lot of growing up over the last few months beacuse of this.

wrinklytum · 20/06/2007 01:17

I realise it must be very upsetting for you with the media sensationalisation

BUT

I come at this from the other side of the fence,as it were.A relative of mine in the teaching profession had an exclusion order overturned on an extremely disruptive pupil that had caused a huge amount of trauma to many staff members.The exclusion was overturned from LEA on a technicality but the deeds of said child were truly awful.(This was a deprived inner city comprehensive,and child and family behaviour were truly horrendous,well known to various public sector agencies).

The case made national media and was grossly sensationalised.

Said relative,an educationalist of MANY years dedicated service in REALLY tough schools,who had always improved standards and was a very very dedicated and caring professional,was SO disillusioned by lack of support for school and staff that they finished their career teaching overseas.It caused untold stress on family and family was plagued by nuisance malicious phone calls for weeks afterwards.

That was no fun either

You sound like a caring parent and that is good.It is late and I have had a crap day at work and should not be posting this.Sorry.Hope things are resolved soon.Aaargh have had very bad day.