Safeguarding from school

[Kayla8836]

Hi I'm looking for advice if anyone has had a similar issue I feel like I'm getting no where. My daughter who is in year 8 was attacked last month by and other student in class which resulted in her getting a black eye because the female teacher was to scared to break up the fight it took for a male teacher to have to come in to get this student of my child, I have been reporting problems of bullying with this school since last year telling them names but some how this student was allowed to sit next to my child there is currently 10 girls who are trying to intimidate my child this school can not keep my child safe at all and my child over heard the faulty talking about the other student saying they can't get rid of her because of certain things. I've called liverpool city council no help been to school meeting no help welfare pretty much no help telling me to ring round the schools and see if they have places. I've took her the doctors because my child's mental health has been really affected she broke down in front of the doctor who basically told me they'll do a note explaining she's not feeling safe in this school. My question is what else can I do, I'm thinking of contacting the police as it was an assault and ofsted as the teachers are inadequate to break up fights and keep my child safe any advice would be great. I've have also asked the school for work but had no reply so she's currently keeping up with home work and doing bitesize work to show evidence, she really wants to be in a school and is crying everyday asking I'd I found her one she's a great kid and doesn't deserve this don't see why these kids have a problem.with her she's keeps away from them I just feel as a mother helpless. Please please anyone one with advice x

Yes to contacting the police.

Email the school as them to send you a copy of their bullying and formal complaints polcies, they’re on the website but you want them to know that you have read them. Ask for a joint meeting with head teacher and dsl to discuss how in light of the reported on going bullying and assult they plan to protect your child. In the meering focus not on what has happened but on what is going to happen.

Definitely report to the police. It's assault and the school should be taking it seriously. Sorry you are going through this. If school don't step up then yes Ofsted too. I hope you find another school. Usually the council have inclusion officers. Despite the name they are there to help with anything from SEN support to things like this. Often very good. Get hold of someone and explain the situation and they will go and speak to school and can probably tell you which schools locally are good on bullying and where you may want to look at for an in year transfer.

I have had meetings basically told Me they can't keep her safe only thing they can fo is warn other student I've read there policy they are at fault

Ofsted here.

https://complain.ofsted.gov.uk

Have you followed fully all stages of the school complaints procedure, this will give you much more truck with OFSTED. The school has to follow this too. It is much more formal than talking to the school.

You need to evidence all aspects of your complaint.

OFSTED link also suggests the police, 999 for immediate danger, 111 if not.

Is this an academy or maintained? If an academy, the LA will be much less involved.

You need to ask the school for a detailed plan as to how they will keep your child safe. If they can't provide one you need to go to the LA and tell them that they haven't provided your child a safe school place and they need to do so. Keep it very much from your child's point of view. The fact is that bully child has as much right to education as your child and school can't expell her or the LA refuse to educate her, just because another parent thinks they should. Keep away from the emotional situation like what's fair, or what bully child deserves because you don't have the knowledge to have an opinion on that.

Deregister your child from this horrendous torture and contact the local forest schools in your area.

Put her into the forest school for 2-3 days a week and whilst this is happening, search for counseling for your child.

Perhaps even invoice the school for the counselling (maybe even the useless female adult that stood by and watched your child be attacked so badly that she got a black eye).

The rest of the school week is just de-schooling from the horror which includes lots of cuddles and reassurance from you that she's not going back.

Look into home-ed sports activities, there's usually quite a few that do ninja training or yoga.

Hope your poor child is healing from what she was exposed to.

You’ll have to accept that your daughter isn’t safe at school and the school will do nothing to protect her, you said yourself they have even put the bullies at her table. This is going on in so many schools and parents just keep dropping their kids off everyday and expecting schools to suddenly start functioning again. Pull her out altogether or waste 6 months trying to work with the school before pulling her out.

They should have done a risk assessment both for your girl and the girl who assaulted her. The latter should be on a behaviour contract.Her social time should be reduced / spent elsewhere to minimise the chance of incidents. This is just basic school procedure and, if they cannot get this right, I would seriously consider withdrawing her and follow complaints procedure as others have suggested.

Police and escalate escalate escalate

Sadly I have a lot of experience of this, even moving schools didn't resolve it.

Firstly, you need to enter into the formal complaints procedure with school. Make sure you follow the complaint up with a meeting, and take a list of questions in with you along with a pen and paper to take notes.

Schools will always say it's difficult to permanently remove a child, and it is. But assault should be an instant removal, there's no ifs or buts. So you need to check their policy and query why they are not following it up.

Once school have responded to your complaint, you can go to OFSTED. Email the complaint, and copy in the head of governors so they are aware.

Finally, you need to email school and explain that you are keeping your child off school due to safeguarding reasons. Ask them what measures are in place to protect your child, and how you can be assured that they will be safe. The important bit then is to send your email to your school welfare officer at the local council, explaining why your child is off, and noting that you have asked school to take action. This will avoid you being fined. The LA will also follow this up as they will want to know why your child cannot safely be in school.

AND, don't back down. I kept returning my daughter, she would have her phone and the SECOND the safeguarding failed she would ring me and I would go collect her. This went on for months and isn't for the lighthearted. Thankfully I had a very understanding boss who would just let me leave my desk to go get her, but it's hard work. I became THAT parent at reception. I became the parent who sent 100+ emails. And I'm THAT parent who got those bullies removed.

As a result of all this, my daughter has missed a lot of school. So I have to take ownership of the fact that she might not get the best results out of school. But for her mental health, and knowing I was behind her every step of the way, it was totally worth the effort. Now the bullies are gone, she is in every lesson. She attends every revision class. She has a small, but ok group of friends. And she's happy.

Forgot to add though, I removed her from one school and problems continued at the next. As moving wasn't an option again, my fight mode kicked in.

My daughter wouldn't be going back to that school

Can you look into other schools? Does she want to be in a school or this school?

If you do want her to move schools, and you don't know how to find schools with space, the current school may be able to help. I'm assuming someone is chasing you up about her attendance? Or do you have a contact for the attendance officer? It's in their interests to help you move schools, because right now she's damaging their attendance figures.

The school can't exclude the girl for the assault on your daughter now, because permanent exclusion can only be applied at the time. So that girl, and the others, will be at the school. That could change in time if the do more, but I wouldn't want a child of mine to stick around to find out, unless they were desperate to stay at that school.

You can make a formal complaint. There's no point in contacting ofsted unless you've folled the full complaint route. Ofsted probably wouldn't be interested in a single occurrence of assault anyway. You absolutely can call the police.

@Ughn0tryte your comment insulting an adult going about her job is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself. You know nothing about that person. She could be pregnant or have a disability. Even if she is not, she should not have to put herself in harms way to protect a student. Many teachers do, but that is a risk they choose to take, based often on split second decisions. And your comments about invoicing the school or an individual are ludicrous.

There's been alot of response thanks everyone I have followed the complaint procedures I have done an in year transfers with her current school to get her moved as the school has openly admitted they can't promise this wouldn't happen again and safeguard my child. I have contacted the police early on today and have a crime reference. I have also spoke with welfare last week who told me basically to call round the schools to find a place that can take her that's the reason I went to welfare because I was told they can help put her in a school I thought with it being a safe guarding issue then surely there is a different protocol. I must stress the bullying was going on last year and there communication was shocking to keeping these girls away from my child I asked for them not be seated near each but yet this wasn't the case in this class the school are very strict and throw detentions out if there is talking in this class yet this kid was able to argue with my child for a few minutes with out the teacher even attempting to de escalate the situation which then resulting in this child attacking my child and was subjecting to blows in the face whilst the teacher didn't intervene whether scared or not she could of got an other student to get some one from an other class it took for a male teacher to get this kid of my child. So this attack has been a build up of bullying and intimidation which the school was made fully aware of from last year and this.

Have you applied for all other schools in the area?

Consider schools further afield, look at bus timetables.

Yeah I've said to well fare who said they'll update the in year transfer I said any schools I even said if I have to move ill move like I just wabt her to be safe but every school is coming back full

@Ughn0tryte

really? Blaming the teacher? Last time I checked, training to be a teacher didn’t include combat. When I was faced with a violent student, there were trained individuals - usually males - who would be summoned to de escalate the situation. Not part of my fucking job description. No wonder teachers are leaving in droves - it’s not a teacher’s responsibility to sort out violent disruptive children. It’s the parents!

too bad; home edding all the way, in order this country to wake as to why.

and you think a beaten up child is a robot and will just catch a bus and go merrily round instead taking all her time at home and deschooling and relaxing and living life in a safe environement once again. You guy who have kids without problems at school live in a fantasy land

Kids do not got to school to be beaten up, bullied, sexually assaulted and his whole country to just say: so what? change schools. This is despicable dehumanisation

yes but when some of us tried to bring it to you , you just smiled nicely without dealing with the bullying. Then we asked about the other parents contacts, you said you cannot give those. And now what. Have a good lovely evening enjoying your < pure > conscience if you have some actually

It sounds awful OP.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable that the female teacher didn’t want to get hit either though. I wouldn’t.

This is projection.

OP’s child might be perfectly happy at another school. There is nothing wrong with considering further afield. All children are different and some love the routine and atmosphere of a good school. There’s nothing ‘fantasy land’ about the suggestion at all, it’s merely not your experience.

Have you requested the appeal process for every school?

This child is asking to go to school.