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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

But it is "in schools" - help SSA amplify these terrible failures of safeguarding

113 replies

2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 10:45

Over the last week or so, education leaders have denied that inappropriate and often unlawful RSE is being taught in our schools.

This thread makes for very sobering reading and needs to be in front of your MP and the Secretary of State for Education. Parents need to holding leaders to account and asking what the government is going to do about this horrific failure of safeguarding.

twitter.com/SafeSchools_UK/status/1635573520942891008?s=20

Please write to your MP and the Secretary of State for Education and include this thread. Copy in OFSTED and the Children's Commissioner

If you are on twitter please share and tag your MP, Gillian Keegan and the Children's Commissioner. (need the @ symbol before) Rachel_deSouza, GillianKeegan, ofstednews

www.writetothem.com/
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Also, use this thread to talk to you own schools. Find out what is being taught and demand to see the resources. People are finally listening, we need to ensure they now act.

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MrsOvertonsWindow · 15/03/2023 10:52

Thank you 2fallsfromSSA.
That twitter thread is chilling. All parents need to read this and check their child's school. It is so important that this is stopped.

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MrsOvertonsWindow · 15/03/2023 10:53

And yes - I'll send a copy of the twitter thread to my MP and ask for answers.

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ArabellaScott · 15/03/2023 11:35

Thanks, OP. Apparently Woman's Hour has spent the morning dismissing Miriam Cates' report.

I hope the government are going to listen, even if the media won't.

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LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 11:45

The MC professional is a sacred caste there are never any consequences and double standards apply.

Their whole career they have reported Mother's to social services, demanded they become homeless, and lose everything for many, if they don't leave an abusive man with the children they threten to take the woman to court and remove her children.

These people don't 'leave the abusive men at work' they want to hold on to everything they expect others to lose. There are no SS referral for them failing to safeguard at work (if they can't at work they can't at home and their children deserve safeguarding from them as well as the public) nobody is taking their work or home children away so this will carry on.

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ResisterRex · 15/03/2023 12:13

Lunchtime bump because Safe Schools have done so much work on this!

And so many others have been asleep at the wheel Sad

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nilsmousehammer · 15/03/2023 12:13

LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 11:45

The MC professional is a sacred caste there are never any consequences and double standards apply.

Their whole career they have reported Mother's to social services, demanded they become homeless, and lose everything for many, if they don't leave an abusive man with the children they threten to take the woman to court and remove her children.

These people don't 'leave the abusive men at work' they want to hold on to everything they expect others to lose. There are no SS referral for them failing to safeguard at work (if they can't at work they can't at home and their children deserve safeguarding from them as well as the public) nobody is taking their work or home children away so this will carry on.

The class different standards of safeguarding seem to be becoming more stark. As that absolute muppet tried to explain last week when they said if a working class person did it it would be abusive, but a middle class, educated person who understood it all - that was fine.

Deptford Women's Project nailed all this years ago.

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2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 12:18

ArabellaScott · 15/03/2023 11:35

Thanks, OP. Apparently Woman's Hour has spent the morning dismissing Miriam Cates' report.

I hope the government are going to listen, even if the media won't.

OP posts:
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2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 12:19

Thank you @ResisterRex - we are all volunteers and have jobs, families etc. you support is appreciated

Anyone who thinks we do this for any other reason than to safeguard children is deluded!

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LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 12:33

nilsmousehammer · 15/03/2023 12:13

The class different standards of safeguarding seem to be becoming more stark. As that absolute muppet tried to explain last week when they said if a working class person did it it would be abusive, but a middle class, educated person who understood it all - that was fine.

Deptford Women's Project nailed all this years ago.

Who would you trust to safeguard your child?

David Bell, KJK, SCA types or current NHS & school staff?

As long as there are double standards and no consequences it will continue.

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LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 12:34

SSA nor SCA!

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ArabellaScott · 15/03/2023 12:34

2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 12:18

Brilliant. Thank you for all that you're doing.

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BonfireLady · 15/03/2023 12:39

Thank you for sharing. I've posted the Twitter thread in to a school parents' forum as an FYI for anyone who is interested in the RSE materials discussions from the news.

I haven't heard the Woman's Hour broadcast but if it's all one-sided is that against the impartiality standards? Or did they offer both viewpoints equally?

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dimorphism · 15/03/2023 13:11

Thank you @2fallsfromSSA for all you do, I know it's not easy and is a huge sacrifice in terms of the time you have to spend on other things.

You may well be aware of this thread already but just to say I think it highlights the difficulty in that the school complaints procedure seeks to always prevent parents from sharing information and joining forces.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4733278-sex-not-gender-no-outsiders-changing-the-equality-act-depheaddsl-captured?page=1

The OP from this thread is a total shero but has suffered intimidation from the school which would shut up most parents.

I know parents who've raised safeguarding concerns where the children have suffered as a result and had to move schools - the fear of a backlash on their child is what puts people off, and it does happen, we all know it. I raised a fairly black and white safeguarding concern (procedure not being followed) at a club and was accused of being 'hysterical' and my daughter was sidelined by the club leader, eventually bullied and left the club. The events were quite clearly related the club leader very clearly didn't want me there once I'd pointed out her error. All the other parents told me verbally that they agreed with me and that I'd done the right thing, even thanked me, but my DD was the one who had to give up a club she loved.

On our parent chat site for DDs secondary we've been told we cannot post anything that criticises the school and one woman who was trying to see if other parents were concerned about a change in the rules (unrelated to sex based rights) was completely shut down and isolated. It was chilling.

Given this, especially at secondary where there are no longer opportunities to chat a drop off and pick up, how can parents connect with other parents to see if they share concerns? I do go to PTA events but it's a very, very small group of parents who attend, a miniscule portion of the whole. Any ideas or experience from the work you do with parents and schools? Thank you!

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SinnerBoy · 15/03/2023 13:21

2fallsfromSSA · Today 12:19

Thank you @ResisterRex we are all volunteers and have jobs, families etc. you support is appreciated

You can't imagine how much admiration I and presumably everyone else here has for you, for your dedication, your willingness to take these people on, the energy you must be expending and the mental stress you are putting yourself through.

On behalf of so many children and young people.

Thank you so much doesn't even begin to cover it.

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LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 13:38

dimorphism · 15/03/2023 13:11

Thank you @2fallsfromSSA for all you do, I know it's not easy and is a huge sacrifice in terms of the time you have to spend on other things.

You may well be aware of this thread already but just to say I think it highlights the difficulty in that the school complaints procedure seeks to always prevent parents from sharing information and joining forces.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4733278-sex-not-gender-no-outsiders-changing-the-equality-act-depheaddsl-captured?page=1

The OP from this thread is a total shero but has suffered intimidation from the school which would shut up most parents.

I know parents who've raised safeguarding concerns where the children have suffered as a result and had to move schools - the fear of a backlash on their child is what puts people off, and it does happen, we all know it. I raised a fairly black and white safeguarding concern (procedure not being followed) at a club and was accused of being 'hysterical' and my daughter was sidelined by the club leader, eventually bullied and left the club. The events were quite clearly related the club leader very clearly didn't want me there once I'd pointed out her error. All the other parents told me verbally that they agreed with me and that I'd done the right thing, even thanked me, but my DD was the one who had to give up a club she loved.

On our parent chat site for DDs secondary we've been told we cannot post anything that criticises the school and one woman who was trying to see if other parents were concerned about a change in the rules (unrelated to sex based rights) was completely shut down and isolated. It was chilling.

Given this, especially at secondary where there are no longer opportunities to chat a drop off and pick up, how can parents connect with other parents to see if they share concerns? I do go to PTA events but it's a very, very small group of parents who attend, a miniscule portion of the whole. Any ideas or experience from the work you do with parents and schools? Thank you!

We need to change the way the UK is safeguarding.

Schools and childcare providers will have more access to children due to the budget today. We don't want more DQST events.

Safeguarding should tip towards the parents away from professionals.

Ramdoms with a random degree, who also passed a job interview with zero family link to children and no parental responsibility have their voices heard more by other professionals, why?

Those caring for their own children full time have insights (parents like KJK) and lack of inwork brainwahing working parents don't have.

Teachers seem to be considered a sacred caste, with double standards apllied when it comes to what loss they should accept to safeguard - compared to the parents they demand have a loss the teachers wouldn't accept for their own family - yet the professionals are considered more competent in safeguarding?

Government inquiry after inquiry shows any progessional will safeguard themselves and their institutions (SSA obviously not included) and harm the vulnerable.

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LittleFingerStrength · 15/03/2023 13:48

It's not just schools, NHS, anywhere including charities are the same, excessive control over what people can say about them and too much focus and cult/tribal behaviour making a sacred caste of the professionals and institutions.

The walking red flag leadership teams safeguarding the institutions - yet this is a safeguarding red flag in inquiries, and the safeguarding boards are these very same chronic inept failures. It seems the only lessons learned are how to safeguard these destructive individuals and institutions better.

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ResisterRex · 15/03/2023 13:55

I must agree with @SinnerBoy and say thank you @2fallsfromSSA. Your work is invaluable Flowers

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QuietlyLurkingintheCorner · 15/03/2023 14:39

Thank you @2fallsfromSSA for all your work on this. I really hope Woman’s Hour invites you on to provide a counter argument to the piece this morning. I only heard the last part of it but it made me so angry. I have emailed them to talk about my experience of having to tackle this stuff at 2 of my DC's schools, secondary and infant (yes infant!) just in the last 6 months. Good outcomes in both cases btw and not in small part down to advice from the SSA website.

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2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 14:55

Thank you everyone, I have passed it all on to the SSA team.

@dimorphism I am aware of that thread and we were in touch with the OP. She did an amazing job but you are absolutely right about the complaints system and how intimidating it is. We have all gone through the complaints system at our own schools and so we know how hard it is when you are up to speed on everything and are able to present the arguments. Some of us are lucky in the fact our schools know we are part of SSA and so may well treat us more cautiously. I have to say our children have never suffered because of a complaint and its appalling that other children have. Again, its goes against the tenant of safeguarding. This is something that OFSTED needs to be made very aware of as well as the DfE. We have of course also given that feedback to both organisations.

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2fallsfromSSA · 15/03/2023 14:56

@QuietlyLurkingintheCorner I suspect they will not invite us on but we live in hope and would be there like a shot if they asked us.

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MrsOvertonsWindow · 15/03/2023 17:00

Another one thanking SSA for everything they're doing. That twitter thread is so chilling - so much disinformation and dangerous stuff being pushed at children.
Sadly (because I hate seeing this happening to well meaning schools) the only thing that will stop this is some brave parents dragging a school through the courts. So many safeguarding breaches and behaviour that arguably could be prosecuted under some aspects of the 2003 Sex Offences act.

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Vebrithien · 15/03/2023 19:00

Hi!

Thanks @dimorphism for the mention.

Yes, @2fallsfromSSA was most helpful, and my DD's school have now changed the poster wording to "sex equality". But it took a fight, lots of research, and I was threatened with the police for voicing my concerns on the year group WhatsApp group. And the whole school were warned to not discuss concerns via WhatsApp.

There are a group of us now (on a separate WhatsApp group!) meeting up and currently writing to see the resources used.

It helps that I'm in education myself, so know the statutory and non-statutory guidance.

I also started a thread with pertinent resources I used.

@2fallsfromSSA I am not on twitter, but can forward evidence, if needed. I can also get copies of resources used in the lead school in large MAT.

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ArabellaScott · 15/03/2023 20:00

I was threatened with the police

I'm sorry, WHAT?!

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SinnerBoy · 15/03/2023 20:12

Didn't you see Veb's thread? The dep head threatened to report her to the Police, for "defamation."

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ArabellaScott · 15/03/2023 20:16

Fucking hell. Was it the poster that had 'gender' instead of 'sex'? I missed the bit about defamation.

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