Mass brawl on the high street involving DDs from local comps - should I avoid?

[OhDearConfused]

Do all schools have DCs who run wild?

Or should I try and do my best to steer a wide berth from the local schools where a group of 40 girls (two different schools) had a punch-up on the local high street the other day?

Want to support the local schools but this really is worrying ....

Or should I take the view that any proper comp (with a full range of intake) will always have teenagers who might engage in frightening behaviour?

Does this happen in selective schools/indies/faith schools? (If not, will start tutoring, re-mortgaging or praying as my DCs as we are approaching Y6....)

I think that all schools do have some wildly behaved teens but a brawl on that scale is pretty bad.

This used to happen at my old comp (rough part of a large City). Gangs from my comp would actively seek group fights with children from the other "enemy" comp. It is now one of the worst schools in the North of England.

I haven't heard of anything like that where I am now (old fashioned Market Town), either with children at the Comps, or the Independents.

I would be concerned tbh and probably investigate the other schools in your area.

It's the main reason I moved areas when my children were school age, I wasn't prepared to send them to any of the local comps because of the violence, racism, low grades and general mayhem.

I think it all depends.

And pretty much any school can occasionally have outbreaks of things like this. If the schools have a good mechanism for dealing with it, if as well as this selection of kids there are also well behaved kids keeping out of it and doing well, I would be less concerned.
Great schools have 'off years' when there is a fluke mix of difficult intake, there may have been one local flashpoint event, it may never happen again. I would look specifically at the schools and monitor the situation.

Did you actually witness this? Could it be that events were greatly exaggerated?

I wrote to the head of my younger DDs present school some years before she started there because of the awful behaviour on the bus (DD1 got pushed down the stairs). The head offered to come on the journey will me and also offered us to come and visit the school. Would it be worth emailing the school/s, stating that you were considering them for your DD but have been put off by this incident.

You are totally right to be wary after this, but hopefully this incident will be cracked down on hard by the schools involved. Don't let it be a overriding factor. I saw girls from Greycoat Hospital brawling with boys from Westminster Cathedral in Victoria Street on a couple of occasions when I worked in that area - they are still good schools - there is an idiotic minority at many schools.

Dulwich versus Alleyns always used to be quite fun
and Sydenham High versus JAGS
or St Dunstans versus Dulwich
full on scuffles are NOT the preserve of cheap schools
actually the Eton v Harrow square up I saw at the Hurlingham club once was quite something

It wouldn't necessarily out me off - but I would be wary of trusting press reports, where facts can get distorted.
It would depend on the action taken by the schools. I would check the school's behaviour policy (both in and out of school) and check whether this was a one-off incidence or not.

OP said on another thread that her husband witnessed the incident.

I would still say to reserve judgement. TBH some of the behaviour I have witnessed from kids at DD2s school looks pretty appalling, but it is mostly show and playing around rather than serious fighting.

Never seen or heard anything like that at local schools. All comps with mixed intake.
Now when I was at school (197Os...) I do remember a big battle St Trinians v St Elswhere fought in the park between the two schools. Twas mostly the boys fighting with the girls cheering on from the sides.

DD2s school was notorious right from the 70s when several of my friends went there (I went to the local grammar which was pretty bad too) to the 90s. A lot different now thankfully, this book made my blood run cold, though it all seemed normal back then.

www.flintoff.org/comp-a-survivors-tale

DP and DS have twice had to get off a local bus (the driver emptied it) because of fighting and bad behaviour between kids from a well known private school and mixed others, so I don't think good behaviour out of school can be guaranteed by sector. Though I appreciate mass brawls is a particular issue. But it may be a one-off.

Girls and Boys Grammars used to gang up on the local comp when i was there (90's)

My lovely polite middle class youth club kids occasionally turn up with tales of battles between rival schools.

I was at the grammar for 5 years and been youth working for 3 and never known it actually happen - but the kids get all riled up and excited ever so often, particularly this time of year when Y11 have just left. 95% is bluster, exaggeration and rumour!

OP - I would go and visit the schools asap - go to the open days a year or two ahead if you still have that time. And talk to other local parents - your DC must have friends with older brothers and sisters at local schools.

I think if we made decisions based on one incident, or one group of students, none of us would ever send a child to any school!

At least one of the schools in question has an 'Outstanding' Ofsted!