On Thursday 9 September, we wrote to you regarding an incident involving rowdy and physical behaviour that raised serious concerns. I recognise that this has raised questions and concerns from a number of people in our community and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on what we have been doing.
Over the last week, we have been following up extensively and tackling the issue in 3 main areas:
- Students who were involved directly in the incident.
- Students who were bystanders but heightened the issue through inappropriate chanting and cheering.
- Students who misused technology and social media platforms, and in doing so put themselves and others at heightened risk.
We have taken appropriate actions in line with school policy according to the role that different individuals played, including serious consequences such as suspensions from school where these were merited. As we did this, we emphasised to the students that they should take responsibility for their actions and use the opportunity to reflect and learn so they avoid similar issues in the future.
We have also spoken to all Year 8 and 9 students this week regarding expectations, responsibilities and how to ensure they contribute positively to the DC Community. During these assemblies, we talked extensively about being a ‘good digital citizen’ and how important it is to use social media platforms responsibly. This included ensuring that any inappropriate videos were deleted and not shared.
When speaking to the students, we highlighted that while the vast majority of students conduct themselves very well each day of their school lives, when there are issues, it is important we take positive action to ensure a safe and productive educational environment where everyone can flourish.
We are committed to providing the best learning experience possible for all students and are confident that we will not have a repeat of this situation. If you do have any further questions or concerns, then please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, I wish you a good weekend ahead.
Best regards
Mark Poulsum
Head of Secondary