Shocking goings on by Megan Stammer's school

(90 Posts)
Blu Tue 25-Sep-12 15:48:44

If all the press reports are accurate.

The school and County Council / LA claim they have been investigating the relationhip between Forrest and the girl since a pull brought it to thier attention, and reports say he was to be suspended on Friday. And yet the girls mother had not been told of any of this, and thought she was simply attending maths coaching. Why would they investigate an inappropriate relationship between a child and a staff member and not tell the child's parents?

The school has recently been involved in a 'grooming' and unlawful sex case involving 2 other girls and a male teacher.

One of the Governors was charged in June with numerous (38) sex offences involving children and young teens dating back to the 60s and 70s. Despite the fact that he was suspended by the CoE when these allegations came to lighht, he was allowed to remain a school governor - "At the time the headteacher at the school Terry Boatwright reassured parents that the allegations were historical, dating back more than 40-years in some cases and were not connected with the school."

Terrible, terrible safeguarding lapses all round.



out2lunch Tue 25-Sep-12 15:49:38

how awful

Blu Tue 25-Sep-12 15:52:14

And the diocese responsible for Sussex (where the school is) has been found to be so irresponsible that it has had it's powers withdrawn by the Archbishop of Canterbury here

CajaDeLaMemoria Tue 25-Sep-12 15:54:04

Although I am not sure if they will apply in this case, remember that there are strict rules regarding confidentiality.

If she had wanted the morning after pill, for example, or an abortion, her parents do not have to be told. That could also be true in this case. It could be that they couldn't, legally, tell her mum, that she knew and didn't want her mum to know, or that they told another adult instead.

Or it could be that the school has real issues, in which case I hope that they are sorted out quickly and efficiently, for the safety of the other children.

We rarely get all the facts in these cases.

scaevola Tue 25-Sep-12 15:57:22

I doubt we shall learn more about what the school and other relevant authorities did or didn't do in this case until she is safely back.

They may be keeping the back story confidential for good reason at this stage.

But if they had concerns about the relationship why the hell was she still having private coaching sessions at school?

All very odd.

lack of communcaiton perhaps

i spose they can't act quickly

DogsCock Tue 25-Sep-12 16:00:58

That is interesteing that the telegraph are using the term 'paedophile' in the recent grooming case of the 2 girls. They were 15 and 16 at the time. Yet on the other long running thread about Megan there is huge argument that if Forrester has slept with Megan, he is not a paedophile. A Paedophile, according to the other thread is pre-pubescent children. All very interesting.

Northernlurkerisbackatwork Tue 25-Sep-12 16:01:15

I don't understand why he hadn't been suspended as soon as the allegations were made. Surely that would have been more appropriate? The suggestion is that the allegations were made months ago.

scaevola Tue 25-Sep-12 16:01:46

Just sloppy reporting.

just because it is a broadsheet does not make the reporting any better than The Tabloids

Blu Tue 25-Sep-12 16:02:57

I understand there are confidentiality rules about things, but if the school believed that a teacher was behaving inappropriately with an under-age pupil (or any pupil, really, given the position of trust) shouldn't the parents of that child be told? because in that case - unlike a request for contraception where she is un-coerced - she is a victim of that inappropriate attention.

Had Megan's mother known she might have thought twice before allowing her dd out on a sleepover without double checking her whereabouts.

hattifattner Tue 25-Sep-12 16:03:43

you couldn't make it up. shock

I think the difference between the pill scenario and this is that going on the pill at 15 is not illegal. Having sex with a minor when you are in a position of power is very wrong indeed. I cant imagine why the parents were not informed.

piprabbit Tue 25-Sep-12 16:06:00

Exit - that's exactly why parents should be informed, so that they can then take additional steps to protect their child. If they had known, perhaps they would have decided to stop her additional coaching, or monitor her internet access more closely.
As it was, they seem to have been left in ignorance, and their DD may have been made more vulnerable because of it.

scaevola Tue 25-Sep-12 16:07:38

The authorities are not confirming when the investigation started, nor anything about it.

Although various anonymous parents and pupils have said they thought there was something going on from early this year, there has been nothing to say it was actually reported at that stage.

The important thing now is to get them back. Witch hunting Investigating the investigation for lessons to be learned can wait.

Blu Tue 25-Sep-12 16:08:02

Slarty - I work in an organisation where we have strict safeguarding rules and acting quickly is exactly what we are told to do. Quickly in terms of suspension or removing contact - not quickly in terms of coming to conclusions or sacking someone etc..

Suspensions are to remove any risk or alleged risk while invetigation takes place. Which is why the priest charged with sex offences should have been suspended from the governors.

Blu Tue 25-Sep-12 16:09:45

scav - anonymously in the press (it would need to be), but students with their parents present have said that they reported it in July.

scaevola Tue 25-Sep-12 16:11:32

Ah, hadn't caught those reports (only seen SKY, who have just been more circumspect).

BabeRuthless Tue 25-Sep-12 16:33:47

What struck me this morning was a Sky reporter talking about how he'd been speaking to pupils. I'd be absolutely furious if my child was being stopped by a reporter & quizzed on the way into school. Teenagers are hardly the most circumspect of people and I think it's pretty shabby of any news organisation to be getting them to gossip like this.

edam Tue 25-Sep-12 17:19:46

It certainly sounds as if the school has failed in its duty to safeguard the welfare of pupils, in several different cases. Appalling.

JaneH99 Tue 25-Sep-12 22:52:36

Forgive me there are a number of misguided and subject illiterate postings here.

Q1 - How many parents have read the child protection policy of the school in which you have placed your child/ren?

Q2 - If as I suspect almost none of you have - why not?

Q3 - Are you aware that there is no mandatory requirement on any school to refer allegations of abuse or witnessed abuse up to and including rape of a child by an adult on school premises to the LADO (do non teaching parents know what or who the LADO is?) police or social services?

Now at this point I feel a member of the teaching profession will be reaching for the keyboard - please don't just read on. Your intended contradiction would be wrong because if you think I am wrong (who wouldn't - my statement is so contra intuitive) then you will have been mislead in your whole school / Designated officer training by whichever training organisation provided it to you. Sadly this is the default.

Please refer to P444. para. b) of "Child Abuse : Law and policy across boundaries" by Prof Laura Hoyano + Dr Caroline Keenan which says :

Professional identification of child maltreatment

There is no mandatory reporting law in England and Wales. The ‘Review of Child Care Law’ which preceded the Children Act 1989 concluded that ‘the shadow of near automatic reporting’ would raise ‘barriers between clients and their professional advisor's and even between professionals concerned in the same case’ which could actually hinder the process of child protection.

In other words it was the medical profession which knackered child abuse being reported to someone independent of the setting for independent assessment.

Another location which explains clearly the statutory framework is here :

Please look at paragraph 5 page #3.

So when you drop you DD/DS off at school tomorrow - please appreciate they have no statutory right to have any allegation or alleged or actual witnessed abuse reported to the LADO, police or social services.

Unless a school commits in writing in their child protection policy to 'inform' all allegations to the LADO, your child (and you) has absolutely no rights to have allegations passed to the LADO for independent assessment.

And a final thought. If you think it will never happen to your child and family, you will join the large number of parents who used to think just like you, and I imagine this probably includes the distraught parents of Megan Stammers.

Roseformeplease Tue 25-Sep-12 22:57:00

Maybe subject illiterate but yours is just illiterate, Jane.

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