Lambethhcc

Denmothersmith - I'm sorry to hear what you and your son are going through right now. Sadly you are not alone and I know of other children who are experiencing similar situations in some of the schools that I work with in Lambeth. The first thing to realise is that the school has a duty of care to look after your son, and that they can only do this if they know what is going on - so do tell them, and if you can, take the time to explain to your son why you have to be honest with the school about what is happening - it is the only way to start the process of stopping it from happening. The school should have anti-bullying procedures and policies in place (ask them for a copy), they should also have a member of staff who oversees the whole process (find out who this person is and ask them to talk things through with you). Have they done anything to prevent this form of bullying happening? if not, why not? If so - what have they done and how do they enforce/back it up? What we ill they do to ensure that the bullying stops? There are some really good organisations "Stonewall" "School's Out" "Inclusion for All" as well as anti-bullying groups and organisations (which you'll find on the internet). Contact your council and find out who is your "health Schools consultant/PSHE Providers Forum Chair", this person should also be able to give you some advice and guidance as well as helping advice and guide the school - sadly I don't have contacts for your area but your council should be able to provide them. Hope this helps. Mark Healey Lambeth Hate Crime Coordinator