Letters

2nd of June 2009, 7:47pm

From: Ms Angel Garden

Subject: Re: matters concerning bullying

Date: 2 June 2009 7:47:54 pm GMT+12:00

To: Mark Thornton

Dear Mark

You are quite wrong that it is our choice to keep [R] out of school.  (It is also not about [...] accusing [R] of lying, but of stealing, which is a bit different!)  It is simply that, given that apparently no-one at the school is going to take the matter up with [...] until Thursday, we don't see how you can claim that it is a safe space for her in the meantime.

Would you please inform me, as of today, Tuesday evening, what steps you have taken to deal with the matter so far, so that we may make judgement about what to do tomorrow. it is entirely unreasonable that [R] should not be at school, and entirely unreasonable that she should be expected to go to school under these circumstances also.  It is also reasonable to ask to be told what steps you have taken, although really we should not have to.  What is the distinction you are making between dealing with it 'properly' and dealing with it 'hastily'?  [R] wants to attend school without harrassment, why is that a problem?

To make it clear that it is not our choice to keep her home I would like to suggest that we send her to school and patrol at breaks as we did before, to make sure that she is shielded effectively from contact with [...] until you can be there to deal with it.  Under the circumstances I don't think that is unreasonable.

As far as meeting, we have already met with management and were told that there would not be a consensus for zero tolerance among the parents and basically that it would not be happening at the Steiner School.  Unless there has been a change in this view, then there seems little point making a big song and dance about meeting.  Really this delay has come about due to a misunderstanding about the legal responsibilities of the Trust.  If it's down to them to define 'management' and they are happy to leave it to you, and we have already asked you and not got a satisfactory response, then I'm not sure what is on the agenda.  Perhaps you could elucidate further.

best wishes

angel and steve