I won't let my son back to school after he was attacked for his hair

By The Post | Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 05:00

A MUM claims bullies have forced her 12-year-old ginger-haired son out of school.

Emma Walsh and her son Tyler, 12, at their home in Yate Picture: Dan Regan BRDR20120121A006

Emma Walsh says she will not let her middle child, Tyler, return to Yate International Academy following an attack last week.

Ms Walsh alleges that Tyler has been a target for bullies ever since he started secondary school 18 months ago, because of his hair colour and because he is keen to learn.

She is angry that the school's response to the latest incident was to suspend the attacker for one day – and to suggest that her son attend its pupil inclusion unit, for vulnerable students.

She is also upset that the academy refused to send work for Tyler to do at home until he was able to start at a new school.

Ms Walsh said this amounted to punishing the victim, while failing properly to penalise those who were responsible for the attack, which happened last week during a lesson changeover.

Tyler, who is in Year 8, was set upon by some Year 10 students and chased into a toilet cubicle where he "freaked out" and had to be rescued by a Year 11 student.

Ms Walsh, 33, a full-time mother, of Wellstead Avenue, said her son had been extremely distressed by the incident, which she had been told happened after the perpetrator "had a bad day" and took it out on the first person he came across.

"It is not fair that Tyler should be bullied out of school," she said.

"He wants to learn and has been getting excellent grades and earning points for his guild (house).

"He was going to after-school science club and would like to become a scientist or science teacher.

"He wants to go to school but not to that school.

"Yate International Academy has punished one boy, when a whole group were involved. A day off school is hardly a punishment for what my child has had to endure. I think it is absolutely disgusting."

She said the school had said it would keep Tyler safe by teaching him in the pupil inclusion unit but this would mean he would be set apart from his peers.

"I don't feel my son will be safe at school so I am keeping him at home until he can start at another school next week. I will be tutoring him at home."

Ms Walsh said the academy had told her it would not send work home for Tyler because it was felt that this would be condoning his absence.

"It is like they are punishing him," she said.

Ms Walsh said she had complained to Tyler's head of guild and would be taking the matter up with the academy's principal Roger Gilbert and with the education watchdog Ofsted. She said she believed Tyler had been targeted because of his bright ginger hair and because he was keen to study, and said that this was another issue the academy had failed to acknowledge.

Ms Walsh, who also has a 15-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter said Tyler was initially bullied by various other pupils when he was in Year 7 and was attacked in the street by two pupils before Christmas. She said she believes the academy, which is having a £16 million rebuild, should improve its anti-bullying policies.

"They are spending millions but that does not change their policies," she said.

Mr Gilbert said in a statement: "Having taken account of all persons' views in this matter the academy has managed the issues raised in accordance with our clearly defined policies and protocols. This has included seeking clarifications from external bodies such as the Education Welfare Service."

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Comments

Bristol, this story has gone AROUND THE WORLD.

"Tyler Walsh has been the victim of extreme bullying at Yate International Academy.

"The bullies have even been visited by police in an attempt to stop them from taunting Tyler.

"Now the school says it has no choice but to remove Tyler from his class
and place him in their 'pupil inclusion unit', meaning he will be separated
from the rest of his classmates.

Idiotically, the school is targeting the wrong student.

It should be the bullies who are excluded from school, not their victim.

The school has defended its actions, saying "it has followed all of its bullying guidelines".

THEN THEY NEED TO USE COMMON SENSE & REVISE THEM.

There should be a ZERO TOLERANCE attitude against BULLYING

- and that INCLUDES TEACHERS and the principal

- and some of those who post on this forum.

YodaAirborne.

By YodaAirborne at 04:32 on 02/03/12
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This ones been and reared his ugly head again.

By Bluebluemoon at 14:37 on 31/01/12
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Picture this:-

A Child who goes to secondary school. They are naive, socially challenged and sensitive.

The child 'makes friends' but has the uncanny knack of saying the wrong thing or offending others, but with no malice intended.

A few who have felt offended by the childs words begin to call the child names. The child withdraws and isolates themselves and now other children within the school watch and see the reaction, they find it funny to start calling them names too.

Before long the child is a laughing stock. Other children walk past and tell the child that they are worthless, they mean nothing, that they are a freak. The child endures this for a long period of time. Now every night they come home from school they sit in their room and cry. They do not understand why so many children are laughing, shouting, name calling, challenging them to fight every day. Fighting is what this child is most frightened of. When they sit in class the hairs rise on the back of the childs neck, they sweat, they go red, they shake, they need the toilet - but are too scared to go. The children say, 'look at so and so, look what a state they are'. 'Look at so and so, what a piece of cr@p they are'.

The child now believes everything the bullies say. So many many children tell them they are awful they believe it. Children ask them to play, then run away laughing. Children follow the child home, tormenting them constantly. The teachers do not know how to handle it. So many children now abhor this one child that the teachers see fit to separate them from their lessons. The child sits alone in a room, doing their school work and crying wondering how life could get so lonely.

The other children come into the room that the child is placed in during lunch times and ask the child why they are there. They ask why the child is accusing them of bullying. From then on the door to the room is locked. The child sits in a locked room, with the light off so that the others will not know they are there. In the dark its a scary room, but less scary than what lies beyond the door.

Eventually the child does nothing but cry, they are isolated in school, arriving at school at 9:15 and leaving at 2:45 - avoiding any other children on the way to and from school. They have isolated themselves from family because of their embarrassment and feelings of failure. The child gets mugged whilst doing their paper round and then gives up their last bit of joy and independence in life.

The parent of the child, after numerous visits to school, makes their final one. The child is not quite 13 and on the brink of a break down. The parent removes the child from school. The child has learnt their lesson of saying the wrong thing but needs a fresh start. The shame of what happened is too much for the child to bear.

When is it that a child can say the wrong thing but be able to learn from it without being bullied? Why are our children not protected? When will schools teach children that its not perfection and A grades that count but that life is a challenge and its ok to get it wrong from time to time? Yes, school IS education but children are also in school to learn social skills, compassion, empathy, the right way to behave, right from wrong, sensitivity, how to harden up and take it on the chin. How to work as a team. How to form an alliance with classmates and how to not isolate others. School is a breeze for some, for others its a horror. The above has nothing to do with Tyler. But it did happen.

Some of the comments on here are crazy! We are supposed to be the wise adults! Children need life skills from school including on how to behave with others. Parents do their job, but they do not see how their children behave with their peers, the weak ones, the challenging ones, the bullies, the groups. Its about high time schools took responsibility and empowered all children to work together, as a team and to stop this mental anguish of each other.

By Mdisa at 14:19 on 31/01/12
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Having encountered this family (p.s. she has 7 not 3 children like she would have everyone believe). Her innocent hard done by son is maybe in her dreams!! The majority of times that he has been "bullied" has been as a direct result of him "gobbing off", shouting abuse and threatening other students and has nothing to do with his physical appearance (this has been brought to her attention on several occasions which she has chosen to ignore). I am annoyed that instead of going through the proper channels for any complaint she had about the school she went running straight to the media and dragged a school through the mud that although not perfect is improving all the time. The PIC at the school is not used as a tool for isolation and Ms Walsh should have checked her understanding of it before shouting inaccurate statements from the rooftops. Also she removed her son from the school they did not exclude him. In doing so she took full responsibility for his education therefore the school was quite right not to provide work for him. To be fair I am more than happy that this little thug will not be at the school when my child will be old enough to enter his radar!

By Yate78 at 13:36 on 31/01/12
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not sure what a "gimger" is but agree with everyone else..............seriously love, if you dont want kids taking the pi** out of your son, dont stick a picture of him in the paper!?

By Bristolexpat at 19:14 on 30/01/12
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