Out of control teachers

[Jamhandprints]

I work in a primary school and in the last two weeks have witnessed two very distressing situations. One, the HT dragging a SN child into her office and screaming at him. I honestly thought someone was being murdered from the noise but it was just because he didn't want to do his work.
Then a SL had visitors in her classroom and insisted one child be removed from the room in case he decided to be naughty. He didn't want to go and started crying and she still insisted so a member of staff picked him up and carried him out. He cried for an hour, and was hitting himself with his fists, then the SL came outside and saw him crying and told him off very firmly for not cooperating and said he'd be sent to the HT.
I've felt very shaken by both these incidents and feel I should report it to someone but don't know how or to who. The school has a lovely behaviour policy so in writing all looks good.
Am I just being too soft?

( I am a chair of governors BTW)

Yes, so I feel you may as well just report direct to the LADO. I'm a teacher, it's what I would do.

Please ignore all the advice on this thread. Being brave is admirable but lonely and please be aware that whistleblowing is a lonely endeavour. Think hard about reporting this because of the corruption in the education system that gives HT so much power to say just about anything about a teacher and get away with it because of their authority. LADOs work closely with school heads. Whistleblowing is never anonymous and all of your fellow colleagues will melt into the background and watch you struggle alone with this.

Be aware that as a teacher if you report this the head can report you to the TRA and you can be hauled up in front of them for professional misconduct. So, although the actions of the SLT and the HT are wrong, if you want to stay in the teaching profession - the best advice is to leave. A school run like this is not a good place to work.

I'd agree with the above comment. Be very careful. You'll probably either never work again for the local authority. Or be ostracised & want to leave, never working again for this authority.
It's not right but I've seen it happen more than once.

But she has a legal duty to report safeguarding concerns. I would do it under safeguarding via governors rather than using the whistleblowing policy though.

Whistleblowing policy. Not a governor, not the headteacher, use the whistleblowing policy. Keep written records of what you have seen.

Our school also have a handling policy for situations when staff need to physically move or restrain children.

**she has a legal duty to report safeguarding

Again I would repeat. It you wish to remain a teacher, don’t follow advice here. It’s unhelpful the guilt tripping. And to those who say “that’s what I would do” I doubt you would. You’d probably look the other way or blame the child.

Until the law really protects whistleblowers this safeguarding requirement needs to be lifted from teachers. A great injustice is daily being done to teachers and children and LADOs governors Ofsted et al collude in this.

And as a teacher you live with the guilt of either action or inaction but with no real Protection.

And as for unions they too collude with this and would advise leaving.

until the law really protects whistleblowers this safeguarding requirement needs to be lifted from teachers

Be that as it may, the safeguarding requirement is still there currently. Eventually these kids do grow up and may start legal proceedings. Personally, I'd rather be in trouble professionally than legally. It's a pretty rubbish situation to be in though, OP - my sympathies.

I would tell the parents of the children involved if possible.

As a parent who's child was involved in an incident like you described (when he was only 3 ), I know that reporting and complaining achieved nothing, but at least I could remove my child from the school.

If the OP reports to parents, it could be used against her as a safeguarding issue and professional misconduct. A fast route to losing job and a hearing in front of the TRA.

The comment regarding legal culpability and being named in a future law case are just more guilt tripping and scaremongering.

Please protect yourself so you can continue to do good work in the classroom. Whistleblowing doesn’t change a thing for the outcomes of children in these situations.

With this type of leadership it sounds a bad place for children and teachers.

Be wary too of who you share this information with in the school. Staff room friends fade faster than morning mist in the face of adversity.

If Llamatears is right, I'm so sad for children and the teachers who wouldn't do something like this and feel as though they can't report the bad stuff. What a sorry situation. How will 'right' ever win? How does the culture of a school, where practices like this happen, ever change?

@Llamatears I'm very interested to know where you are getting this information from as it goes against everything we have been taught in our Safeguarding training.

@UnderPompeii
Did your safeguarding training include what steps to take if it’s HT And other SLT breaking safeguarding and abusing children ?

Safeguarding isn’t going to teach you what to do when in OPs position. If she reports them to ‘appropriate channels’ she will more than likely end up out of work.

@DonPablo

It’s being getting worse for quite a few years. Academies and private companies moving into education. They operate like businesses and want to avoid reputation alone damage League tables and teachers held to account for what is unreasonable.

Yes we were specifically told that if we were not happy with either the way the Head has handled a Safeguarding issue, or if we felt we needed to go above her regarding her own behaviour towards children, we were to contact the LADO.

And again, I am asking you where you are getting this information from.

Children don’t even figure into it from what I’ve seen. Isolation booths are a symptom of this. Poor SEN children don’t stand a chance.

@UnderPompeii

See above.

@Llamatears you haven't answered my question.
I feel slightly sickened that you are advising turning a blind eye to protect your own back when a child's safety and wellbeing is at risk. You are speaking with great authority and refusing to say where you get this authority from.

@UnderPompeii

It’s easy to be a hero on a forum but difficult to face the reality of this type of situation.

I would hate anybody to go through what I experienced when trying to support young people in abusive Situations and becoming a whistleblower.

I am sorry that my comments anger you but there is little to no protection for teachers in this position. Check out the threads on TES on similar dilemmas. Teachers are not supported and their integrity and has been eroded to the detriment of the children.

Still no answer then @Llamatears . Handing out dangerous advice without identifying yourself. You are cowardly and I have reported you. I'm leaving this thread now. I hope you can sleep well at night.

@UnderPompeii

Well as I did whistleblow I can hardly be called a coward. And I was isolated by many so called colleagues for doing so. I am still paying the price now for my ‘bravery’ and no I don’t sleep very well at night.
But you report away if it makes you feel better.

Sorry but it is your absolute duty to report this and if you don't you are no better than the people who did it, I speak as someone who has stuck their head above the parapets before in a similar situation and it shouldn't even enter your head to not report it

Laying your hands on anyone is physical abuse and is only justified if there is a threat to them or others if you don't.

It's not a moral dilemma and if you feel unable to report it then I suggest this is not the correct professional environment for you

Bad things happen when good people do nothing