Bullying complaints (2)

The request was successful.

Hello,
I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.
This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please can the following information be provided for the academic years: 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 (so far).

1) How many formal complaints regarding a school staff member (for example, but not limited to: teacher, headteacher, head of year) bullying a student or a colleague did your school receive over the specified academic year(s)? For Q1, please can you disclose the nature of the bullying complaint i.e. 'threatening language'. 'cyberbullying', 'physical assault', and tell me who complained about whom, including the complainant's year group if it is a student. So, for example, a Year (INSERT YEAR HERE) student could have formally accused a teacher of using threatening language in a bullying manner. 1a) How many of these complaints- identified in Q1- were formally investigated by the school?1aa) What were the outcomes (for example, but not limited to: warning, removal of post) of these investigations? Please state the amount of money the complainant received in cases where the parents of said child/ colleague demanded compensation for the incident.
Though "bullying" has not got a legal definition, I am classing it as: intending to hurt someone either physically or emotionally (this is often aimed at certain groups, for example because of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation). Bullying takes many forms and can include: physical assault, teasing, making threats, name calling, cyberbullying - bullying via mobile phone or online (for example email, social networks and instant messenger).
If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be grateful if you could please contact me by phone ([mobile phone number]) and provide assistance as to how I could refine the request.
Kind Regards,
Yohannes Lowe

Enquiry Parkfield,

Good morning

 

Thank you for your email.  Here is the information you requested.

 

Freedom of Information Request (Parkfield Community School) received 20th
March 2021

1) How many formal complaints regarding a school staff member (for
example, but not limited to: teacher, headteacher, head of year) bullying
a student or a colleague did your school receive over the specified
academic year(s)? For Q1, please can you disclose the nature of the
bullying complaint i.e. 'threatening language'. 'cyberbullying', 'physical
assault', and tell me who complained about whom, including the
complainant's year group if it is a student. So, for example, a Year
(INSERT YEAR HERE) student could have formally accused a teacher of using
threatening language in a bullying manner. 

 

1a) How many of these complaints- identified in Q1- were formally
investigated by the school?1aa) What were the outcomes (for example, but
not limited to: warning, removal of post) of these investigations? Please
state the amount of money the complainant received in cases where the
parents of said child/ colleague demanded compensation for the incident.

 

No of formal Year Group No. formally Compensation
Year complaints of student investigated by requested or Outcome
school received
(a) Not
(a) Year upheld
2018/19 2 6, (b) 2 None (b) Upheld,
Year 4 new
processes
in place
2019/20 0 N/A N/A N/A
2020/21 0 N/A N/A N/A

Kind regards

 

Parkfield Community School

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Yohannes Lowe <[FOI #740094 email]>
Sent: 23 March 2021 22:29
To: Enquiry Parkfield <[email address]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Bullying complaints (2)
 
WARNING: This email originated outside of Excelsior MAT. DO NOT CLICK
links or attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content
is safe. Please click on the sender's name and check the spelling of the
sender's email address carefully for anything unusual.

Hello,
I hope whoever is reading this is keeping well.
This is a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act
2000.
Please can the following information be provided for the academic years:
2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 (so far).

1) How many formal complaints regarding a school staff member (for
example, but not limited to: teacher, headteacher, head of year) bullying
a student or a colleague did your school receive over the specified
academic year(s)? For Q1, please can you disclose the nature of the
bullying complaint i.e. 'threatening language'. 'cyberbullying', 'physical
assault', and tell me who complained about whom, including the
complainant's year group if it is a student. So, for example, a Year
(INSERT YEAR HERE) student could have formally accused a teacher of using
threatening language in a bullying manner. 1a) How many of these
complaints- identified in Q1- were formally investigated by the
school?1aa) What were the outcomes (for example, but not limited to:
warning, removal of post) of these investigations? Please state the amount
of money the complainant received in cases where the parents of said
child/ colleague demanded compensation for the incident.
Though "bullying" has not got a legal definition, I am classing it as:
intending to hurt someone either physically or emotionally (this is often
aimed at certain groups, for example because of race, religion, gender or
sexual orientation). Bullying takes many forms and can include: physical
assault, teasing, making threats, name calling, cyberbullying - bullying
via mobile phone or online (for example email, social networks and instant
messenger).
If you feel that a substantive response to this request is not possible
within a reasonable time frame, or the request is too broad, I would be
grateful if you could please contact me by phone ([mobile phone number]) and provide
assistance as to how I could refine the request.
Kind Regards,
Yohannes Lowe

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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show quoted sections

Dear Enquiry Parkfield,
Thanks very much for your response to my request. I really do appreciate it given how busy everything is at the moment. Sorry to be a pain, but I do not quite understand the response as it looks like Whatdotheyknow has jumbled up the formatting of the answers. Would you mind sending the reply in a different format- or just sending a sentence or two (instead of a table). It would be really helpful.
Your reply read like this:
No of formal Year Group No. formally Compensation
Year complaints of student investigated by requested or Outcome
school received
(a) Not
(a) Year upheld
2018/19 2 6, (b) 2 None (b) Upheld,
Year 4 new
processes
in place
2019/20 0 N/A N/A N/A
2020/21 0 N/A N/A N/A
I

Enquiry Parkfield,

1 Attachment

Good afternoon
Sorry for that.  Here is the table element again.
Kind regards
Parkfield Community School

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Yohannes Lowe <[FOI #740094 email]>
Sent: 19 April 2021 12:25
To: Enquiry Parkfield <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Bullying complaints (2)
 
WARNING: This email originated outside of Excelsior MAT. Keep this in mind
before responding, opening attachments or clicking any links. If in any
doubt, the grammar and spelling are poor or the name doesn't match the
email address, then please contact the sender via an alternate known
method to confirm authenticity.

Dear Enquiry Parkfield,

Thanks very much for your response to my request. I really do appreciate
it given how busy everything is at the moment. Sorry to be a pain, but I
do not quite understand the response as it looks like Whatdotheyknow has
jumbled up the formatting of the answers. Would you mind sending the reply
in a different format- or just sending a sentence or two (instead of a
table). It would be really helpful.

Your reply read like this:

No of formal Year Group No. formally Compensation

Year complaints of student investigated by requested or Outcome

school received

(a) Not

(a) Year upheld

2018/19 2 6, (b) 2 None (b) Upheld,

Year 4 new

processes

in place

2019/20 0 N/A N/A N/A

2020/21 0 N/A N/A N/A

I

show quoted sections

Dear Enquiry Parkfield,
Thanks very much for re-sending the information.
Again, sorry to be a bit of a pain, but I am still a bit confused by the formatting of the response.
What does the '2' and the '6' represent in 2018/9 (are they the different year groups to which the students who complained about bullying belonged to?) Does the 'None' mean no compensation was given? Is it true to say both were 'upheld'?
Is it possible to confirm what the bullying behaviour was which was complained about in each cases? Was the complaint aimed at a teacher? Were the members of staff removed from post after the complaints were upheld? I appreciate your need not to identify anyone, but I do not believe the answers to these questions will do so.
Best,
Yohannes

Enquiry Parkfield,

1 Attachment

Good morning
I am unsure why the table is not visible in the received email as it is in
the sent email.
Year 2018/19 - 2 formal complaints.  Year 6 child and Year 4 child, both
formally investigated by the school.  No compensation requested or
received for either.  Outcomes: Year 6 complaint - not upheld.  Year 4
complaint - upheld, with new processes put in place.
I do hope this helps.
Kind regards
Parkfield Community School

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Yohannes Lowe <[FOI #740094 email]>
Sent: 19 April 2021 19:04
To: Enquiry Parkfield <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Freedom of Information request - Bullying complaints (2)
 
WARNING: This email originated outside of Excelsior MAT. Keep this in mind
before responding, opening attachments or clicking any links. If in any
doubt, the grammar and spelling are poor or the name doesn't match the
email address, then please contact the sender via an alternate known
method to confirm authenticity.

Dear Enquiry Parkfield,

Thanks very much for re-sending the information.

Again, sorry to be a bit of a pain, but I am still a bit confused by the
formatting of the response.

What does the '2' and the '6' represent in 2018/9 (are they the different
year groups to which the students who complained about bullying belonged
to?) Does the 'None' mean no compensation was given? Is it true to say
both were 'upheld'?

Is it possible to confirm what the bullying behaviour was which was
complained about in each cases? Was the complaint aimed at a teacher? Were
the members of staff removed from post after the complaints were upheld? I
appreciate your need not to identify anyone, but I do not believe the
answers to these questions will do so.

Best,

Yohannes

show quoted sections

Dear Enquiry Parkfield,

Thanks very much, that's clear now. I am aware of how much pressure schools are under at the moment so I really do appreciate your help with this. Just so you know, I have sent this request randomly to hundreds of other schools across the country so I can try and establish the extent of bullying allegations. If a lot of institutions come back to me and say there have been such allegations, I will then send the FOI to all schools. Would it be possible to please tell me what the nature of those two complaints were, the months(/year) they were lodged, and can you please confirm that the two pupils were complaining about the alleged behaviour of teachers? In the year 4 case, what does 'upheld' mean (i.e. was there a formal warning given or the similar).
Best,
Yohannes