Suspended from school

[sassym69]

My daughter has been escorted publically and humiliatingly from school and suspended as a photo shared on her private group (snapchat) has been copied by someone and passed to the head. The photo is an innocent pic of her teacher at the board, thats it ! Granted she shouldnt be using her phone, she was ordered to leave school immediately and not given any real explanations. She was treated with complete disrepect in front of fellow pupils too and made to feel like a criminal. Any school governors out there that can offer advice as I am sure there should be a proceedure on this where they should actually speak to the child first ?

[BubblesBuddy]

Also there are a lot of adults on this thread who seem to think what a DC does has to be responded to as in “an eye for an eye” scenario which isn’t how a school can operate. It’s important a DC learns from mistakes. Adults have already got the experience and maturity to fully understand the consequences of taking photos when they shouldn’t. Sometimes DC need to learn this. Of course what she did was wrong but it shouldn’t be PE. It should be an opportunity to learn it’s not acceptable, the phone shouldn’t be in the classroom and she must not break school rules. However she didn’t attack the teacher. She caused offence and that’s not quite the same.

[LolaSmiles]

BoneyBackJefferson
I don't think the OP said it was a permanent exclusion. If they did then I missed it and would agree there would need to be a chain of events to make this episode trigger a permanent exclusion.

A fixed term exclusion would be absolutely appropriate though for the student's behaviour in this case.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

LolaSmiles

It was in one of the OP's later posts

sassym69 Fri 29-Nov-19 21:16:56

Just kind of wanting to share like you do and vent. And, kind of maybe have reassurances that she wont be completely excluded.

It infers (to me) that this isn't a first offence. And the response from the school would (for me) back this up.

I could be wrong and the school (especially if yr 11 and under) would normally bend over backwards to keep them in.

[LolaSmiles]

I see what you mean and how you made that inferences.

I read it as a parent who perhaps has no experience of exclusions worrying that a likely fixed term exclusion was going to be a permanent one.

Given the OP's attitude, you're probably more on the money than I am.

[cabbageking]

You need to refer to their behaviour policy and use of mobiles in school. They will also have had lessons on misuse of social media. I doubt there was not some comment associated with the picture. She would not appear to have respected school rules or shown any respect for the teachers privacy.
I suggest she may have broken quite a few school rules. I think her actions were disrespectful to the teacher.

[sashh]

op

Your child is a brat. She should be permanently excluded but I'd bet she will be allowed back and the teacher will be forced to teach her.

[legoninjago1]

Why would you worry she'd be excluded? Is there more to the story?
She's been suspended for two days, which in my view is completely appropriate and proportionate -if it's the first time. Hopefully she'll be embarrassed and contrite and learn some respect and humility. I suspect she'll take her lead from you on that so maybe prepare how you'll address it with her to prevent future incidents.

[LolaSmiles]

Lego
I wonder if some of the confusion is that most schools don't use suspended anymore as a phrase. There's usually fixed term exclusion (what was called suspension) and permanent exclusion.

[legoninjago1]

Ah I see.

[prh47bridge]

As others have said, GDPR applies to photos. Taking the photo was not a breach of GDPR - that falls under the exemption for domestic purposes. Sharing it on a Snapchat group may fall under GDPR. However, if I were the school I wouldn't be pursuing this angle. I would concentrate on the fact the OP's daughter broke the rules.

In terms of the process the school should be following, Admission is correct. I also agree with Admission that the final outcome could well be a permanent exclusion.

[BubblesBuddy]

How do you think this if you do not have a copy of the schools discipline, behaviour and sanctions policy or know the discipline record of the DD. I would fight this very hard for the DD if it’s a first offence. It’s disrespectful, crass and stupid but ultimately no actual harm was caused. It’s not assault, nor is it actually unlawful behaviour. It’s against the rules but punishment must be proportionate. Photos of teachers appear all the time on school
Web sites. Anyone could screen shot them and put them out on a public forum.

I think the DD is misguided and needs to understand the rules and is certainly in the “last chance saloon” but PE should not be the outcome. Fixed term and a behaviour contract so she can do her exams would be appropriate. Drop this teachers subject if need be. Also who didn’t check the DC were handing phones in? What mechanism is there for this? Some DC have 2 phones of course. However it’s difficult to see from policies I have read that this, for a first offence, is PE. In y11 it’s not acceptable to bend the rules to make an example of her. Therefore it should be fixed term. With a very clear contract of behaviour upon return.

[AuntieMarys]

Might stop her doing it again. A bit of "public humiliation " will do an arsey teen the world of good

[BlaueLagune]

You do realise that taking someone's picture without their permission and putting it online/on social media is illegal don't you

I don't think that it is.

And I don't think sharing a photo of a picture of an adult teacher is in any way the same as a teacher sharing a picture of an underage pupil.

I do think that it's very good for teens to learn in no uncertain terms that they cannot, and must not, post things on social media and from that perspective the school has probably done right. There's another thread going at the moment about some sort of exclusion/isolation for posting a racist comment on social media. There are no second chances on social media, and kids have to learn, preferably not the hard way.

[BlaueLagune]

And as ever lots of rubbish being written on this thread about GDPR.

[BlaueLagune]

Your child is a brat. She should be permanently excluded but I'd bet she will be allowed back and the teacher will be forced to teach her

Have I strayed into AIBU or what? Blimey! I'm sure that teachers put up with far worse than someone putting a photo of them on social media.

[admission]

Bubblesbudy, you are clearly reading different school policies from ones that I have read in the last 12 months. Many schools now are taking firm action against any use of mobiles to take photographs in school, because what you and others might consider an "innocent, silly" photograph can so easily change into something that is far more of an issue. Schools cannot try discriminating between different photographs being taken, hence the ultimate sanction
OP needs to understand the potential end situation here and that is permanent exclusion.

[cabbageking]

Schools are considered private property so she did need consent to take the photo and to share it. We don't know what action school will take because we don't know what the child's intent was, their relationship and previous interaction with the teacher and any comments added to the photo?
We don't know the whole story, her history, her attitude and the fall out/ gossip/ or effect on the teacher or reputation of the school. We don't know how broadly it was circulated and if it escalated into something more or not.
We don't know what advice school received from school legal services and what further investigation may or may not reveal.
She broke the rules and the school will believe she poses a risk to the education or welfare of the other students or staff. If they turn up additional information as they investigate them it may become PEX. But we just don't know as it is specific to that child only

[greenlavender]

OP - you really really aren't doing your DD any favours. And you haven't answered anyone's questions, suspect there's a lot more to this story.

[CalleighDoodle]

I’m sure that teachers put up with far worse than someone putting a photo of them on social media.

Yes we do. But why should we have to put up with that?

[Chattybum]

@BlaueLagune ok then if it's not a big deal put a photo of yourself up on this board. We will see what we can come up with to say about it. Why not? It's not a big deal is it? It's just a silly little photo, who cares if it's floating around the internet until the end of time with something horrible added to it / superimposed on it / captioned. It's not like your future employer / child / friends and family will be able to see it if it ends up with your name on it? So put your photo up, (and we are going to need your real surname, first initial and rough area where you live, and your job title too).

[BubblesBuddy]

admission: clearly I am. It’s revealing that a child isn’t being given an opportunity to repent, apologise and learn from her mistakes and adults are using very nasty terms about her and treating her as an adult. She is at school and this can be rectified.

I have said repeatedly that what she did was wrong and against school rules but, the punishment must fit the crime. A first serious offence is not always an offence which cannot be put right. If the DD in question does understand what she did was wrong, won’t do it again and does respect the teacher and the rules in future, then I cannot see why she cannot be given a chance. It is not a hanging offence when the DD is 15/16.

Teachers names, photos, contact emails are often available via schools web sites. They are in the public domain. Even their qualifications are public knowledge. What would stop anyone taking a screen shot and posting it under a false name with a V attached? Nothing. Common decency should prevent it but that’s in short supply in many areas of work now.

[Chattybum]

Teachers names, photos, contact emails are often available via schools web sites.

Yes, with consent.

[LolaSmiles]

bubbles
Nobody is treating a child as an adult.

A student is being treated appropriately for a student who has broken school rules, taken photographs of staff and shared on social media.

One of the sanctions schools have available is exclusion (either fixed term or permanent). A fixed term exclusion for a situation like this is entirely appropriate. Sanctions go hand in hand with the apology process. It's not a case of take photos of staff and then have a nice little chat where people explain to the student that they shouldn't have done the very thing they KNOW was wrong but did anyway.

By that logic we shouldn't exclude for online bullying either and instead have cosy little chats about why it unkind to send malicious emails/photos about students (as if the bullies don't know that already).

I have no time for school leaders who tip toe around the perpetrators of nastiness.

[teenageanxy]

A photo is data OP.
Gdpr is about personal information, anything that can identify and individual.

Your daughter broke school rules.
She took a photo, allowed it to be copied which is distribution.

Back the school up

[Putapeonyinyourpocket]

I work in education and the same thing happened at our school and the same punishment was given, standard practice. Schools protect not only the children but staff too, your daughter needs to apologise when she returns and learn her lesson.