Bullying-Am due to see DDs yr3 teacher in half an hour, what can I expect?

[drivinmecrazy]

DD1 is in yr3 and has recently told me about some issues she is having with a girl in her class. She isbeing told she is stupid-which she most certainly is not, getting into trouble through lies from other child making up stories at lunch time and generally some not very kind comments aimed at my DD. I have since found out that there are several mothers from the class who have had similar reason to complain about this child so am sure it is not my DD being over sensitive or embelishing her experience.
I have asked for a meeting with DDs teacher after school today, but don't really know what i expect her to say or do. Am also worried teacher will ask me what i suggest she do about this. Only really want to bring it up so the teacher is aware of the scale of the problem and the sheer number of kids being picked on.
Really hard because childs Mum is a lovely lady who has told me in the past that her DD comes home saying she is being picked on in class by another group of girls. Other Mum thinks her daughter is an innocent victim so don't want to get into it directly with her, although I know that would have been the best approach really.
What will/should teacher do?

How did the meeting go?

I hope the teacher showed you the school's anti-bullying policy (every school should have one) and explained how she was implementing it. You need to focus on your child - the school will probably be reluctant to say very much about the other child.

You're right, I think, not to get into it with the other mother. Let the school deal with it; you can keep up some gentle pressure to ensure that they do.

Teacher was really understanding, as you said without saying much about other child. She also spoke to my DD and said to come to her as soon as something happens so it can be dealt with there and then Frigteningly, she said the child might need a 'short sharp shock which mught do the trick'
I feel better that she also spoke to my DD while i was there, so hopefully DD won't bottle it all up again. BTW, from what I have heard from others, school doesn't really have a pro-active stance dealing with bullies. Head master is a wooley minded sandal wearing liberal who believes that every child should be given the benefit of the doubt whatever the circumstances. So I shall wait and see what happens in the coming weeks

I'm glad the meeting went well.

I can understand that the head might want to investigate why a child was behaving like a bully - in this case, there seems to be a possibility that the bullying child is behaving towards your daughter as others have behaved towards her - but, even so, even the most 'sandal-wearing liberal' surely wouldn't ignore or condone bullying!

There's lots of info on bullying on the DCSF website. As it states on Teachernet it is compulsory for every school to have a behaviour/bullying policy:

"It is compulsory for schools to have measures in place to encourage good behaviour and respect for others on the part of pupils, and to prevent all forms of bullying."

Of course, how the school deals with incidents of bullying is up to them, but if you feel that their response is inadequate you could pursue this with them.