- Target:
- OFSTED
- Region:
- United Kingdom
After my daughter being bullied for the past two years whilst attending Tewkesbury School, it has recently got dramatically worse. After telephone calls, emails, letters and meeting with a range of staff (class tutor, anti-bullying staff, head of the school), the bullying is still not taken seriously.
The skill set that the staff posses certainly seems to be lacking in this area, as they not only do not seem to be able to recognize the signs of bullying, but they do not seem to know how to deal with it.
Even staff at the school (the receptionist and the Physical Education teacher) had been discussing my daughter in front of other pupils, and saying not very nice things. Complaints made to the head of school, did not get any feedback, then on chasing up, the head had no recollection of the conversation. This is how seriously the matter was considered.
My daughter was even asked by the head why she hasn't moved school, which only sends the message that the school knows it has a bullying issue, but if you get bullied and cannot handle it, then move schools. This alone is very worrying.
After reporting each case of bullying, it is my daughter that is isolated and has to sit in a class on her own (TLC), it is wrong that the victim loses out on their class time/education.
During a meeting at the school, the head even made the statement "Do you think ****** creates her own soap opera in her mind, for attention"? The culture of the staff is to try and point the blame elsewhere and not take any responsibility.
The bullies reports are looked at and referred to, stating to use that they (the bullies) attendance is good, their grades/reports are good and that they are not know to the school for bullying. This alone shows that they staff do not have the skills to recognize bullying.
My daughter has to report each case that happens, but now feels tired of doing it as the school does nothing/nothing changes. She now wants to leave the school as going is now a struggle for her, so the school heads advise "why haven't you moved school", has done its job.
We the undersigned call on OFSTED to investigate Tewkesbury School and its staff for its anti-bullying policy, the staff skills to recognize bullying, how it prevents it and protects its students.
As we have had situation(s) where our child has been bullied whilst attending the school, which we feel has not been dealt with in an acceptable manner nor the severity of the bullying been taken seriously.
We believe that currently Tewkesbury School, and the staff, are failing the Duty of Care for the students and this urgently need investigating and addressing.
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The Tewkesbury School failing to protect students against bullying petition to OFSTED was written by Mark Albutt and is in the category Children's Rights at GoPetition.