Parent, UK

About 3 years ago now, I offered to volunteer at the school helping with hearing readers, for school trips and PTA activities. I followed their published process, contacted the school and asked them to DBS check me before starting this. One time, on arriving to help sell ice lollies after school I happened to arrive at the same time as another parent volunteering who, on overhearing their clear conversation with the reception/office, had never been DBS checked. However, this unchecked parent was given a ‘DBS checked’ lanyard (different colours to unchecked ‘volunteers/visitors’). The unchecked parent was then allowed to walk through the school alone. And, I was aware that this particular parent also regularly volunteered with hearing children read on a 1-2-1 basis, often outside of the classroom either in the hallway or in a small office.

Furthermore, as I understand it, in a subsequent ofsted report the school was found to have not carried out adequate checks on many of their school staff including teachers. Which, I considered shocking when taking into account that at the immediately-prior-time they’d just had a huge ‘cover-up’ for one of their school Governors (also an ongoing husband of a teacher in the school, and parent of child attending the school) who had been convicted for paedophilia related charges (he got a ridiculous community-based sentence perhaps due to him previously being a really ‘nice’ teacher - in addition to being Governor at this school, he had also been a teacher at a different school). The former Governor was at the school gates every single day dropping their child off, amidst crowds of unknowing children and parents. And, his wife continued & continues to teach at the school. The Head teacher of the school was extremely dismissive and ignorant of my concerns, and those of a few others. For one example, the Head saw no issue whatsoever with the wife accompanying the children at school camp, the children spending a week away from home with her. I felt differently.

This, alongside many many other things (like, for example, ANOTHER of my child’s teachers at a former school being convicted of paedophilia-related-charges!) , contributed to us making the decision to home educate. In our experience, I certainly don’t think schools, or the education system, or social care (in advisory/safety-plan role) do anywhere near enough to keep children safe. My experience is disregard, ignorance, failure, and a distinct lack of consideration or care for children, and families, in general.

-Criminal justice system needs to come down harder on teachers committing these crimes. I’ve read the teaching regulation hearing report for the two teachers prosecuted above, and others, and the sentences passed for them are abysmal. Teachers, in my opinion, should have some responsibility in helping keep children safe. And, I think the law should be more harsh on them if they are, or become the risk. Children should surely matter more.
- I personally don’t agree with the ongoing partners/husbands/wives of convicted paedophiles working in schools, or any child-related role.
- I think schools should inform/tell parents when a school governor, teacher or member of staff is convicted (found guilty) of child-related crimes.
- For those responsible for children (in part) to then to commit child-related crimes suggests something needs to be made more clear in their training/education, better recruitment, more frequent training, more encouragement of whistle blowing, alongside harsher sentences?
- safety plans (around the person/s of risk) surely need looking at - if no staff, parents or anyone is allowed to know what is in it then I don’t understand how it can be effectively working…or safe.
- The teaching regulation agency hearings are really delayed in their occurrence. And, some of their cases heard where teachers are able to continue teaching are quite shocking to me as a parent.
- everyone working/volunteering/visiting in schools should be checked. I completely realise it can’t/doesn’t identify all risk or future risk but it’s surely a start. And/or look at DBS - how can that be quicker, better, more effective.