'Rampant school bullying causing self-harm' - parent

A parent at Outwood Academy Ormesby School says legal action is being considered

Pupils at a secondary school have self-harmed due to "rampant" bullying, a parent has claimed in a report to a council.

They said Outwood Academy Ormesby School in Middlesbrough did not respond adequately to alleged issues and legal action was being considered.

The comments were published in a report to Middlesbrough Council’s people scrutiny panel, which has an option to decide to carry out an investigation.

A school spokesman said since its 2022 Ofsted inspection, which highlighted issues of bullying, "consistent progress" had been made and it worked closely with parents and carers to ensure concerns were heard and resolutions found.

The school had been rated "inadequate" by inspectors two years ago with bullying, defiant pupils and learning gaps among concerns raised.

A follow-up visit in January found the school had made progress to improve and incidents of bullying had fallen, however more needed to be done, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Future review

The parent, who is not named in the report, said some children were resorting to self-harm "due to the stress", and described the school's response as "inadequate".

Bullying, assaults and attacks were "rampant", they claimed, both in person and online.

"Legal action is being considered to enforce necessary changes and ensure the safety and education of our children," they added in the report.

They also claimed they had witnessed a decline in education quality since Outwood’s takeover of the school.

The scrutiny panel is due to meet on Monday to discuss which areas it wants to review over the coming months.

These may relate to council services but also involve matters involving external organisations and bodies which affect communities.

The suggestion for the panel to investigate the school was one of several different topics put forward during a period of public consultation.

Middlesbrough Council said it did not endorse the content of submissions.

Deputy mayor Philippa Storey, executive member for education, said the Labour-led authority was "proud" of the school and the progress it had made.

"The school has made continued improvements over a sustained period and the leadership is striving for the very best outcomes for its students."

A school spokesman added: "As a school community, we remain dedicated to providing every student with a safe, supportive, and high-quality educational experience.

"We also work closely with parents and carers to ensure any concerns are heard, so that we can work together to find a resolution."