Letters

1st of May 2009

From: Angel Garden

Subject: Non-violence and behaviour management policies

Date: 1 May 2009 12:33:50 am GMT+12:00

To: Mark Thornton

Hi Mark

Can I clarify a few points about these documents?

How long have these been policy at the school?  There appear to be two dates on them, but it's not clear what they represent? Are these the policies that have just been reviewed, there is no way to tell.

The two points that seem to deal specifically with the measures to actually prevent violent behaviour at school are quite vague.

Monitoring and follow-up will take place to ensure that aggressive behaviour stops.  Procedures set out under expectations of behaviour using the guiding principles will be adhered to

A clear set of disciplinary steps will be taken to deal with behaviour that is causing concern.

Am I right in thinking that the meeting next week will be to further define 'monitoring' and 'follow-up', and 'a clear set of disciplinary steps'?

After the College of Teachers has completed its review of the policy and the procedures, what will happen next?  How will they publish the procedures so that everyone knows what they are?

At the moment I am researching what other schools do about these matters, both those that are self-governing and those that aren't.  Also I am talking to Kay, who has some fabulous resources to turn a situation such as this one around.

Incidentally but most relevantly, the reports from school are not satisfactory in the least about what is going on.  A bout of 'play-fighting' erupted yesterday which was still disturbing [R] well after she should have been asleep.  I asked her if in her opinion, certain of the boys would be able to 'play-fight' without crossing the boundary into violent behaviour and she said no they hadn't, yet apparently Mrs Cole had sanctioned it.  The 'play-fight' started because [...] pushed into [R] hard from the back and she retaliated.  Her, and other girls point of view was that they would 'fight back' from now on. 

She reports constant harrassment, chasing, unwanted attention and she appears weary and ennervated and says each morning that she doesn't want to go.

it's really horrible every single day.  It will be good to see a public declaration of the school's intentions to effect major cultural change in this regard, when can we expect it?

best wishes

angel and steve