Don`t know if this is nationwide but it is happening here.

I told you a couple of months ago about my daughter being punched in the face by a boy the same age as her(aged 10)
For that he got one and a half days exclusion.
Took it to the police and the school refused to talk to them so nothing else could be done.

Today I find out the same boy has been elected to represent his class as a class councillor. How much more insulting for my daughter than to have the boy that has several times hit her to be given a place of authority.

I have an appointment to see the head tomorrow at 8.30 and this time I am not going away without justice.

Oh I know some parents will say, well he deserves a second chance, he has had loads of chances, why do schools have to protect those that bully and neglect those that get bullied.

Maybe go punch the class teacher in the face and alert he/she your now standing as Prime Minister. j/k

Seriously though that's bad. Was the boy elected that by the other children or by teachers?

Take it to The Star.

But remember, we have only heard your side of the story.

(I'm not suggesting that this will happen to your daughter rosie by the way and we only have one side of the story.) Just hoping this may help in some way...

I've a niece (not in Sheff) who was very badly bullied to the extent that she went from being very bright, confident and happy child to being depressed and very shy. She did exactly as all the guidance says...told her parents...who told the school. She and her parents recorded everything that happend. The bullying was verbal and physical and took place in and out of school. The police were eventually involved.

The school were absolutely disgraceful in how they dealt with this and we also found out that the legal 'rules' dont seem to help either. If my niece was, say 19 and attacked by someone also 19 - then the police could get involved no problem. If the bullying (or physical violence in my nieces case) is between children and takes place in schools it seems that no-one seems to be able to deal with it - or want to..or know how to..

In the end my niece changed school and about a year later seems (we hope) to have dealt with this very well and back to her normal firey self. This gives the wrong message to the bully and my neice but there came a point where enough is enough. Threats to the bullys parents (and my bro-in-law is a big man!) did no good and probably made matters worse.

Sorry rosie if this isnt very optimistic and sure this wont happen to your daughter..my point is that sometimes schools will say the right thing..have policies and procedures in place but when it comes to action - that's a different matter. Yes, this boy does deserve a second chance but I think this may be a step too far?

(I'm aware though-or at least truely hope- that some schools will behave much better than the one my neice went to. The BBC website used to have good details of places to contact for advice about anti-bullying policies and actions and an agency called Kidscape)

Good luck at the school tomorrow.

Sorry to hear about your little one. I do feel it is very unfair if what you state is all that happened.

I would leave the teachers out of it, they don't have any say anymore ( and the kids know it!). Only the head has the ability to exclude or expel. As they get charged (£1000's) / have to keep figures down they tend not to bother or they have their hands tied by the LEA, plus the governors also have a say and have to have extensive evidence/ history and such like before anything can be done.

I also find that the 'horrible' kids get all the treats and for free, when the 'good' kids are just left to get on with it. Bit like real life.... I suppose it's good training for when they get older!

Hope you get things sorted, but steaming in will only make things worse.

We recently expelled a pupil and despite the child's behvaiour directly affecting the other pupils and teaching staff, we had to have several meetings with the LEA, governors and the parents to get the process done.

The LEA usually go with the head's desicion, but the parents have a direct option to appeal, and you can thank the Government for that. So if their child gets expelled, it's a 50-50 chance they'll be re-instated (resulting in even worse 'untouchable' behaviour).

update

The class rep`s were picked by the children themselves. In my daughters class there are only 6 girls and 18 boys so all the boys voted for the boys one of which was the one that hit my daughter.

My daughter never gets in trouble at school, so can`t be blamed for being hit.

I have been up to school and the outcome is a girl rep will be picked, the rules will change for election next year and anyone with a set number of yellow cards can`t stand for election.
The head did not realise my daughter felt let down by the school and will re-address that.

I did not steam in but presented my case for how I felt it sent the wrong messages to both the naughty children and the good children in school. I realise they have given him a second chance but I still don`t agree.

Bullying is just that and should never be praised in anyway.

I'm glad the school kind of listened to you and will take your daughters feelings seriously now. I do agree with you that the child should be punished and not praised/rewarded by being put in a position of trust. I hope the school make amends to your daughter and listen to you better in future.

My own daughter (Now 15) was bullied at primary school. It got so bad I removed her and didn't send her for three weeks. It was a Catholic school and the head refused to acknowledge that bullying happened there. In her opinion, it was a kind, caring, Christian school and bullying wasn't an issue. I met with the governors and various other people.

What was there solution?

They decided it was because my daughter wasn't street wise enough (at age 10 for heavens sake!! ) and said they'd get someone to come in and help her with "stratergies to cope" with the bullying!!! I refused as I was not going to let her be turned in to the problem, not the victim. I refused to send her back and they then took it a bit more seriously. They finally finished their anti bullying policy (which had remained half done for 2 years!!) and got all the kids to write her letters apologising. She finally went back and left for senior school a month or so later.

Bullying is a serious problem and schools really should take it more seriously.

I totally agree FetishFairy

Schools have bulling policys but have no idea when to inforce the policy as it would cause problems with parents and the Education authority.
It is no good saying we understand and have rules when they break them as much as the bullies.
Heads should take a stand and sort the problem out and not be won over with lets give them a second chance and well they are only children.
They must realise these children grow up and if they have no rules at school when are they going to learn whats right from wrong.

Rules have no meaning at the moment. How wrong is that.

My son had an issue with a bully in his reception year. I think I posted about it on here then as I was extremely concerned.
It took (I think) at least four visits from myself, my husband and my sons dad who came down from Scotland to get it sorted.

They were I have to say fairly helpful and were looking to find any problems with the young lad to cause him to be like this. I didn't want him being made to feel school was out to get him in his first year so wasn't as pushy as I would be if it started happening later.
It is now resolved, my son has his friends and this boys name rarely gets a mention now.

The school does now have a policy on bullying but I do know two other members of the family went through that school hating it despite requests by parents to get the bullying sorted.

moon