Hailsham school principal addresses bullying concerns as parent temporarily removes children

Parent Robert Kindleysides said he has stopped his children from attending Hailsham Community College (HCC) in Battle Road for at least two weeks as he is contemplating home schooling his three daughters.

He said there have been incidents of bullying at the school for eight months.

Mr Kindleysides, who lives in Hailsham, explained that he is concerned how bullying could impact children’s mental health.

He added: “If children want to learn in school they have to want to be in school.”

The father-of-three said that alleged ‘distressing’ bullying incidents are negatively impacting his children’s education.

The school’s interim executive principal Tim McCarthy said the college accepts there is an issue with ‘poor behaviour’ from a small number of students.

He added: “We understand the concerns of parents and carers, and we treat these very seriously. However, we would want to reassure all parents that the college is taking firm and systematic action to improve behaviour - this is being led by Mrs Natalie Chamberlain, the newly appointed interim head of school (secondary). In particular, there is a zero tolerance of bullying.”

Mr McCarthy said the college has, and will, use exclusions when necessary.

He added: “The above behaviour issues are not unique to HCC – they are similar behaviour ‘spikes’ being reported by headteachers in almost all schools locally, regionally and nationally.

“A major underlying cause of the behaviour issues being displayed is that these are the after-effects of the pandemic, during which many year groups of children did not attend school at all and were, in effect, ‘trapped at home’. This has led to issues affecting young people’s physical and social development as well as their mental health and wellbeing.”

Mr McCarthy said the school is working with partners and parents to explore ways of improving behaviour across Hailsham – both in the college and the community.

He emphasised that a majority of students at the school ‘act as great role models for others’.

Four students in year seven had used their own pocket money to buy a wreath to lay at the war memorial in the town centre in honour of the people who lost their life in the First World War.

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