Day: 1 December 2016

Sexual Harassment in Schools – Guardian Article

December 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Hi Everyone!!

Following the sexual harassment incident which hasn’t been resolved yet, I have found this article by the Guardian which talks about a rise of sexual assaults in UK schools where very little or nothing is done to resolve the situation. Below is the very article if you would like to read it.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/29/epidemic-sexual-assaults-schools-groped-pornographic-images-slags

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Lethaniel

Minutes 1st December

December 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies 

  • Dewi
  • Ms Lucking

Agenda

  • Meeting with Mr Bull – Jamal has expressed an interest in attending, Obai to attend also
  • Follow up to Last week’s meeting (thoughts and reflection).

Albion – Do all members of staff know this incident has occurred? Yes.

Albion – students do not know what has happened across the school. Albion is concerned that the leadership team is attempting to ‘cover things’ up.

Obai is angry because he feels that the school could have done more to identify the student who committed the assault. He cited an incident last year where a teacher was nearly hit by a coin and the boys were kept in the room until somebody confessed.

Alfie expressed disbelief that the leadership team contains only two female members of staff.

Mr North and Jamal pointed out that CCTV had been investigated and that it wasn’t the job of the Equalities group to find those responsible. How might we focus on bringing about positive change within the school?

  • SIMS Categories – JN has spoken to Ms Wilberforce and she has confirmed that she will introduce a drop box system when streamlining the categories on SIMS.
  • Jamal’s article on Cat Calling – a link to this is here, please read.

    The following were on the agenda but not addressed within the meeting.

  • PSHE
  • Making positive change – Lethaniel has found an article in the Guardian about sexual harrassment in schools and has posted it to the group.  Please read.

Minutes 24th November 2016

December 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Apologies

Ms Murphy (rolling apology until Christmas)

Ms Lucking

Agenda

  • Ms Dearden’s Resignation
    • Freddy Summarised Leon’s account of why Ms Dearden was resigning and his understanding of it
    • Leon explained that he felt it wasn’t fair which is why he brought it to the equalities group meeting. He wants posters or assemblies to send a message.
    • Ms Dearden explained that the reason for her resignation was that she felt the serious incident was dealt with inappropriately and not as seriously as Ms Dearden felt it needed to be taken.
    • Obai felt like the assemblies related to it were about attitude rather than condemning sexual harassment
    • Generally among the student members the feeling was that content of assemblies has been too vague
    • Several students worry about students protecting each other from consequences makes the schools culture worse
    • Some students expressed concern for female staff and all students
    • Things taking too long to be addressed and not repeating the messages consistently was Dewi’s concern
    • Ms Critchley expressed her feeling that it is not within the equalities group remit to deal with this incident directly but we can work on changing the school culture and attitude towards women and attitudes on physical boundaries in general. Mr North later seconded this when students felt passionately that they wanted to help.
    • Jamal has an essay on cat calling with some relevant statistics and will forward this to Ms Critchley for publication on the equalities group site. It will open peoples eyes and he feels the stats speak for themselves.
    • Ms Schuil feels like incidents of sexual harassment should be treated as harshly as theft. This needs to start with staff taking it seriously.
    • Albion proposed regular and repeated education on this issue and other issues.
    • Next week we will check how each of the equalities group roles can contribute to action here

We did not make it to further agenda points but Dewi did (hurriedly) call for action regarding an Assembly for Y9. Margaret would like boys input on instances of homophobic bullying.

  • Meeting with Mr Bull
  • Equalities Statement – Has been passed to Mr Durant by JN.
  • Y9 Assembly
  • Thabit’s Sexist Issue (Thabit was absent and so could not report on this.  JN will speak to Thabit about this issue).
  • School Trips Funding
  • Disability Discrimination