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Bullying at Bohunt - a1 (1st Sep 2010 - 14:09:23) This is a subject matter that has been concerning me for a while are there any other parents out there that have a concern about the bullying occuring at Bohunt and the lack of school responsibility to address this problem. Due to the nature of this issue I will moderate responses if they are inappropriate. I will accept nicknames to hide individuals names if felt necessary

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - tj (1st Sep 2010 - 20:42:52) my daughter suffered bullying at bohunt she has been left a year now. i do have other children still there. I found that we didnt get any help at all although i kept reporting it, nothing ever happened to the bullys if they had followed thru with the bullying policy they should have been excluded, she is still suffering now as she cant get over it.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Dawn Hoskins (2nd Sep 2010 - 12:13:33) I would be good if the new head would join in this thread. I would say that I have had 3 boys at Bohunt, only one is there now - and I have never heard them mention bullying. However I am very aware of the devastating consequences it can have on the self esteem and mental health of the victims. This is just the sort of thing that this site is good at - troublesome issues that have not been resolved. Lets get this out in the open and offer our support to those who have been affected.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - mc (2nd Sep 2010 - 15:02:01) My daughter had a problem when she was in Year 8. I contacted the school and they suggested I spoke to the Head of Year. He dealt with the situation and telephoned me to let me know what the school had done within 24 hours of me reporting the problem. I am left wondering whether who you report problems to makes any difference. I have to say my experience was very positive and was told the school take bullying very seriously and they acted immediately. The problem stopped. However, the problem of bullying is very serious. There is excellent advice available on the Kidscape website. Of course, bullies are also very clever at covering their tracks so sometimes there is very little evidence and this makes it difficult sometimes for the school to intervene, especially when it is one child's word against another's. My advice to anyone being bullied is to get witnesses to come forward if possible so you have someone to back up your story.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - k (3rd Sep 2010 - 00:32:47) yes there is a bullying problem at bohunt my younger brother has been bullied for his whole entire time of being there and the school were contacted a number of times. The bullys even thought it would be funny to contact myself and mother with threatening behaviour and it took for me to give the school an ultimatum they deal with them or i do along with my other brothers. They soon listened after that and for the rest of last term my brother had no problems we shall see how that goes this term so yes there is definitely a problem but the school doesn't want to be remembered for bullying just kids who can get good grades.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - claire (3rd Sep 2010 - 20:18:17) I have always found the pastoral care at Bohunt very very good. Tutors, senior tutors, head and deputy are easily accessible. If i had a problem that i felt wasn't being dealt with effectively I would be contacting the govenors, county hall and social services as a child safeguarding issue.The school have an anti- bullying policy -ask to see it, ensure it is being followed. The problem of bullying in society in general has become more complexed and insidious due to the misuse of social networking sites such as Facebook. I disagree that the school should enter into discussions on this site as it is accessed by such a tiny proportion of the Bohunt community that it would not really be an effective or meaningful vehicle for debate.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - tj (3rd Sep 2010 - 22:26:17) im glad that people have had positive experiences, but as have previously said my daughters wasnt, i did ask for the policy and several occasions but never received it, and to say contact governers etc is easier said than done, when you are trying to keep it low key, when your child is distraught and worried about the comebacks, they are the ones who have to go in every day and face the bullys and dont want you to report it, maybe its her fault for having adhd and poor social skills or is it maybe it should have been stamped out when the first incident occured. 16 months on i wish these bullys could see what they actually do to there victims. but hopefully she is going to get counselling and things will get easier for her.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Sarah (5th Sep 2010 - 12:38:33) I understand parents concerns as bullying occurs in most schools to some degree. As a parent there are lots of measures that you can take to support your child/teenager - I would recommend a website called: www.gotateen.co.uk, which has a resource for parents on the subject of bullying including lots of really good advice. I agree that bullying can now occur on social networking sites and therefore as a parent it is really important to be aware of what your child is accessing . For example any child under the age of 13 is not permitted by Facebook to have an account, however many of my sons friends have it. It is easy to be mis-led by our children into thinking that all their friends have it and therefore it is OK! I have found the school very supportive as a parent, however there will be extreme cases of bullying and it is important to know your rights and be able to protect your child. Look at ways of increasing your child's self esteem and help them to problem solve - a great skill for later life as we all come across bullies in everyday life.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - sarah (5th Sep 2010 - 12:48:42) Just wanted to correct the info I previously gave on web site:- Please note that the web site address is: www.gotateenager.org.uk and is part of Parentline Plus. Telephone: 0808 800 2222 for support and advice. They also have discussion boards for parents and info on other topics such as Confidence, Drugs and Alcohol, Sex, Risky Behaviours, Boundaries etc.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - kz (25th Oct 2010 - 00:06:14) Hi I can completely relate to the lack of action on clear bullying & inappropriate behaviour at Bohunt. I found the school weak & then unable to change its course- no blame policy is a cop out. Hampshire CC have no ability to intervene & the governors choose whether or not to intervene - based on the say so of the chair - who supports the head who endorses the staff. A very closed system, with a complete lack of rigour & in my experience highly damaging to the victim - who is left unsupported. Other schools are far better - do not doubt this - if your child is not being heard the school may well be at fault - good schools will not tolerate bullying. Good luck. We changed school and have been amazed we put up with it for so long - & remember the proof will be in better academic results too.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Bob (25th Oct 2010 - 09:48:58) If your child has reached the end of the road with mainstream schooling and is forced to drop out, there's always Red Balloon. A new branch will open soon in Reading. www.redballoonlearner.co.uk

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Tracey (25th Oct 2010 - 13:41:28) I'm due to move to liphook very soon and my children will attend bohunt. Reading this I'm horrified that the school seems to do nothing. Can anyone suggest a good school in the area?

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - B (25th Oct 2010 - 17:55:52) I have to say that following an experience with my daughter, I contacted the deputy head to discuss this issue at Bohunt and he has been fantastically supportive. He has resolved the issues and kept us completely informed, had regular meetings with my daughter to ensure she is satisfied and I have to say that I am happy with how the issue has been dealt with, and importantly, so is my daughter.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Phil (25th Oct 2010 - 17:56:09) Try Mill Chase then. www.millchase.hants.sch.uk

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Peter (26th Oct 2010 - 14:18:33) I just have to add that the bullying at bohunt is rife and my wife's daughter has experienced this on several occasions. It seems that no matter what the good intentions of the School is that they can't control the kids behaviour in our Schools today. They need to bring back the disciplinary procedures of the past. Because the students responsible will not listen to the teachers and basically get away with it. I'm not saying that capital punishment always worked, it sometimes was inflicted unfairly, it will need to be done publicaly in front of the whole school to humiliate the very worst behavioured students that won't listen to any other method, don't forget that a lot of these badly behaved students rely on their mates egging them on, it certainly gave another method of installing discipline and punishment for those that don't care and don't listen. Teachers hands are being tied by not being able to rectify some students behaviour. Some of the readers of this may think that I'm very old fashioned in my attude but I have experienced this myself.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Bob (26th Oct 2010 - 15:01:15) Tracey – Yes, I can suggest a good school in the area - Bohunt! Let’s get this in perspective. Three or four people on this discussion board have had bad experiences. Three or four others say the opposite. One of my sons went through a bad patch at one time and it was quickly dealt with. It’s important to realise that the overwhelming majority have no complaint and are unlikely to write to this website or any other forum. Bullying occurs in all schools and it is a very difficult thing to resolve. Occasionally, schools get it wrong as we have heard. But for all that, Bohunt is a very good school and is a match for any in the area. If exam league tables mean anything, it’s among the best. There are schools of similar stature such as Weydon and Eggar’s but why burn petrol ferrying your children to one of those when you have a really good school right here in Liphook? So please don’t allow the complaints you have read here to influence you. Instead, why not go to the school one morning and ask a few parents at random for their views, or indeed the pupils? That would give a more balanced view and I believe it should set your mind at rest. Bob

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Tracey (26th Oct 2010 - 18:45:54) Hi Bob. Thank you for the positive comment. I will be at the school after the holidays asking random parents what they think. I've looked up all the schools in liphook on the Internet and they all read very good. Then I looked on here and see the bullying issue. See you all next week when I move to liphook x

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - kz (26th Oct 2010 - 20:42:26) Some parents will be aware that their children are more sensitive to the ethos of their peers, it is only natural to want to know how the school deals with promoting a positive experience. My child had serious health problems after 1 year at Bohunt - yet slotted in straight away at a new school. Bohunt does not like to admit to mistakes, the head refused to return any calls, ditto deputy head & head of year. In the end several doctors confirmed the symptoms of bullying - make your own mind up! Most children may be more fortunate, but it does not make it right.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - rita w (30th Oct 2010 - 17:23:39) I WAS A PUPIL AT BOHUNT SCHOOL FROM 1985-1990. I WAS BULLIED VERBALLY AND PHSICALLY FROM THE DAY I STARTED UNTIL THE DAY I FINISHED. I COULD NOT FINISH MY EXAMS AS I WAS IN HOSPITAL FROM THE STRESS OF IT ALL, ALL MY EXAMS HAD TO BE GRADED ON MY COURSEWORK. A TEACHER ALSO JOINED IN FOR A WHILE, ITS A PROBLEM THAT BOHUNT DOES NOT WANT TO BOTHER WITH. THEY WERE TOO CONCERNED ABOUT LEAGUE TABLES AND PUPILS NOT WEARING BLAZERS. IF I EVER HAVE KIDS WOULD SEND THEM ELSEWHERE.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Peter (30th Oct 2010 - 18:37:07) My namesake makes the interesting suggestion of capital punishment to be carried out in front of the whole school. What a marvellous prospect. Even serial truanters would make an effort to be in school on time to witness the hanging of a bully. Or maybe a gallows could be erected in the car park where the miscreants' rotting remains would be on view for months after the event as a reminder to all? We haven't had one of those around these parts for many a year, and it's high time they came back in my view. Personally though I would favour the electric chair, the use of which could double up as a 'hands on' demonstration of alternating current in physics classes.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - LS (31st Oct 2010 - 11:47:08) Really sad to read about the bullying. It has brought back a memory for me, I was bullied at school, my father did not put up with anti social behaviour, seeing me in tears, I was advised by him there was only one way to stop them, I took his advice and decided to sort this problem out, they never picked on me again, this was forty years ago. My son starts Bohunt next year, if it happens to him, I will give him the same advice, also I will back him 100%!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Peter (2nd Nov 2010 - 21:05:03) Not only bullying at Bohunt but also cheating at exams,just to get an A is going on right now in year 11 by one of the Male students and others,right under the Teachers noses.Papers brought into the exams hidden in dictionaries& pockets to obtain these grades.The only one their cheating is themselves in the end!but its still unfair on the majority of students who work hard and do their best.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Bob (3rd Nov 2010 - 12:35:02) Peter, If you know that cheating is occurring, isn't it your duty to report it to the Head? Give him the names and the evidence you have. It's tantamount to a crime, after all. Why tell us and not the Head Teacher? Or is it just an attempt to blacken the name of a good school? Cheating at exams is another intractable problem in schools; thousands of pupils are involved every year affecting a massive 0.03% of exams taken (see news.bbc.co.uk/... ). Once again, let's keep it in perspective. Bob

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - RB (3rd Nov 2010 - 13:28:38) I am truly amazed to be reading all these negative comments about Bohunt - it is a very large school with about 1400 pupils and for its size I think is happy, progressive and relaxed. I have two children there and I have never been aware of any bullying. I have always found all staff helpful, responsive and supportive with any problems we've had over the years. I am sorry to hear about students who have been bullied, it must be very frightening. In my experience it is always best to go straight to the senior tutor first, or even straight to the head, with a problem - that way you know that it will get dealt with quickly. I wanted to send my kids to private schools and felt we were taking a risk by going to the local school, but I am so, so pleased that we did - Bohunt has proved me wrong, it's a great, well run, solid school.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jane (3rd Nov 2010 - 16:41:03) I agree with RB - I also have 2 children at Bohunt who are very happy there. There is always going to be bullying it happens in every part of society including the workplace. So let's not assume that Bohunt has more cases than the average without knowing the facts. I know of 2 instances where bullying did occur and the school did deal with it quietly and efficiently. My experience with the new(ish) head, Mr Strowger, is that since he has started he has clamped down hard on certain behaviours - look how the skirt lengths have got longer, and the kids are looking a bit more 'uniform'. And I also know from personal experience how seriously he has clamped down on pupils who have been involved in cyber bullying via Facebook.I really don't believe he would tolerate bullying if he knows about it. I think Bohunt promotes very positive behaviour and also achieves very good results. Let's not knock it on a public forum like this - we are exceptionally lucky to live in a village that has a school with such high standards and results.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - peter whiteley (4th Nov 2010 - 20:20:58) Bob,This is a fact that this is going on and the student that has observed this is and has been a victim of bullying by friends of this student so it is a difficult situation for the student because if the student tells anybody they will be picked on and bullied even more!Oh! by the way,the deputy head and others have been told about this intimidation and bullying and even though the ones concerned have been spoken to,it has not stopped and can make things worse sometimes.It is not up to me its up to any School to monitor exams ,to stop this cheating!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - mark (20th Nov 2011 - 22:17:49) As a pupil of Bohunt between 86- 91 I can say that bullying did happen, but no worse than any other school. Most of the kids in the area are of fairly good backgrounds. The school occupies a lot of space so teachers could not be everywhere at all times. I hated going to school, but Bohunt really as much as I hate to say it was a fantastic school to go to and I wouldn't think twice about sending my kids there if I lived there still. If you compare Bohunt to most city schools then Bohunt wins hands down and offers much more.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (22nd Nov 2011 - 10:26:28) my daughter suffered so much bullying at bohunt that I removed her, the teachers seem powerless to stop any serious bullying, and just seem to pay lip service to any concerns, my daughter was very vunerable as she has suffered with type 1 diabetes since the age of eight and when she was 15 she suffered severe epilepsy and was on life support on three seperate occasions, when she returned to school after three months off due to her illness, she was bullied constantly, the school did attempt to stop it but in my opinion it was too little too late, I would never send another child of mine to bohunt. I also agree with the poster who advocates the cane, if these kids are big enough to give it, then they should be big enough to take it.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Student From Bohunt (22nd Nov 2011 - 18:31:11) Hi Im currently a student at bohunt. ive been there since 2008 and im now in year 10 since day one ive been bullied none stop. i tried talking to the teachers and they say they will sort it but they didnt do anything at all, when i was in year 8 i got threatend by teacher who works there still, she said she would kill me and they still didnt do anything about all of my situations. i think bohunt is the worst school for bullying but they still do anti bullying weeks? seriously if they was that interested in anti bullying week they should take more notice in what happens around our school. ive always wanted to leave this school cause its only made me feel like im not worth nothing, i know when im older and have kids im never putting them in that school.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (23rd Nov 2011 - 07:48:57) bohunt student Have you told your parents? if not then thats the first thing you should do, also you should name and shame this teacher, tell the Herald, a teacher is in a position of trust and should not be allowed to get away with making threats. from my own experience Bohunt is very good at sweeping things under the carpet, they tryto portray the bullying as "just a joke" or "high spirits" another excuse they use is that the bullied are over sensitive. Dont let this go, is there a teacher you like, who you feel you can trust, if so talk with him/her, make a big fuss, dont be quite and let them get away with it.When my daughter was bullied the final scenario was I withdraw her from Bohunt, it seems the bullied have to be the ones to suffer, I feel that the bullies should have been expelled, but Bohunt do not want bad publicity so they let them getaway with their bullying, so create bad publicity for Bohunt, as I have already said, get in touch with the Herald and explain the situation to them, you might get a good result, I hope this has helped you a little bit, and never think you are to blame for what is happening to you, the vast majority of bullies are cowards and schools should work harder at stamping this out.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - an old student (23rd Nov 2011 - 13:48:51) I left Bohunt just over 20 years ago and bullying was a major part of my life and to be honest I don't think it will every change. Bohunt is a great school but it has left me scared for life and is a part of my life I never want to revisit. I wish I had the channels that are around today, it needs someone to report the school and maybe then they might stick by the words they use, they talk a good game but in my time they never once helped me with my daily bulling. Student of Bohunt, good luck and have the faith that their are some good people in the world and you should look to take this further I know I wish I had.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jane G (23rd Nov 2011 - 14:32:54) Dear Bohunt Student I have 2 children at the school, and know that it is a very good school. But I am also aware that sometimes students get bullied through no fault of their own, and they don't know where to turn. I am sure the school has the right intentions but they have clearly not helped you as much as you need. I would strongly suggest you confide in someone...either your parents or maybe a friend. Get this person to go with you to talk to a teacher you trust at school. From what you have said your issues have been disregarded in the past but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try again, but with someone standing beside you you may feel a little stronger. If you don't feel able to speak to a teacher face to face write all the issues down and send them by email to your tutor. Your education is very important and you mustn't let the bullies stop you from becoming what you want and deserve to be.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Dave L (24th Nov 2011 - 00:11:29) My Son has just completed his sentence at Bohunt, he was bullied and on three occasions recieved hospital treatment for attacks within the grounds. Each time I reported this I was assured that the event would be investigated but no feedback was ever recieved, at one stage I was told it was my son's fault as he refused to socially interact!. He is now at sixth form college, he has a circle of friends and is popular, I take great exception that he has had 5 years of his life ruined and that far from reacting to the behaviour of the children concerned they have encouraged it!. Personally I reflect on my secondary education as some of the best years of my life and resent the fact that my son has missed out on this. when I questioned my sons GCSE results as being below expectations (forecast11 A*)achieved 1 plus a number from A to C he replied why should I help them achieve their goals when they have sanctioned my misery!. I offered to move him to Churchers in year 9 but he said that if I did the bullies and their academic supporters would have won. He has yet to pick up his GCSE certificates as he feels physically sick just to enter the prmises, if the current head spent less time on Facebook threatening those who post adverse comments about the school and more time on enforcing discipline perhaps the status quo may change. I have followed advice from Ofsted and issued a written complaint to be assessed by the chair of Governers and after 2 years I am still awaiting a reply.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (24th Nov 2011 - 08:41:36) To be honest the only thing to stop a bully is to stand up to them, they normaly back down once they have had their just deserts as is the way with all cowards, also I would love to name the scum that made my daughters life a misery, does any one know the legal implications of doing this

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - MM (24th Nov 2011 - 13:19:12) I have to say that reading this thread would make any prospective parent concerned about sending their child to Bohunt however, I dont feel this is a fair view. My daughter is currently at Bohunt and has settled in to Secondary School life so well that all of my fears I had before she started have completely diminished. The pupils, her tutor, her head of year and the rest of the teachers she has all seem to be great and she is loving life at her new school. Don't get me wrong she may just be one of the lucky ones and I do feel for those who suffer from bullying but I think its unfair to paint the school as a hive for bullies! Bullying is a problem in general across our society and more needs to be done to stamp it out but I feel you will get a element of bullying at whatever school you send your children to. How the school chooses to deal with it is another matter and I would hope that Bohunt has strict guidelines in place to deal with it. My experience of Bohunt so far is all good so please if you're resding this thread don't be put off of the school.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - k (24th Nov 2011 - 13:57:44) I have a child at Bohunt at the moment and if bullying became an issue,and I got no help from the school, I would not hesitate in contacting the police! Bullying and bullies MUST be dealt with and stopped, as some unfortunate children have even taken their own lives. They see this as their only way out. Teachers and schools have a "responsibility of care" and must be made to act. If the Headteacher has a problem with so called negative views and/or comments, then he should come on Talkback to give his side. Will he, I doubt it, he seems more concerned about much more serious issues like school uniform! Finally, if he wants to answer another "negative" comment: why did Bohunt do absolutely nothing for Children in Need? The only school I know not to participate. Pretty discusting I think, you should be ashamed!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - B (24th Nov 2011 - 14:03:00) I'm afriad to say that I am yet another parent of a daughter who has just left bohunt and suffered several years of bullying. The only positive thing I have to say is that as I got no joy from her head of house, I went to the deputy head, who was excellant. He had regular meetings with my daughter, kept his office open to her at all times and made her feel confident that something was being done. He also spoke to me several times on the phone as a follow up and things definitely improved for my daughter. The bullies were punished and their parents called in. I would defniitely recommend a meeting with him. However, I would say that she looks back at her time there as some of the worst times and is delighted to have moved on.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (26th Nov 2011 - 05:59:23) I have just heard of yet another case of bulling in Bohunt which happened only this week, the child involved needed medical treatment,but this time I am glad to say that the police have been informed, it is quite true what a previous poster said Bohunt is more concerned about trivial things such as school uniform, they actualy stand on guard outside the school to checkup on this as the kids arrive, maybe they should pursue bullies with as much vigour, they could have teachers on lunch and break time patrols, there must be a better way of tackling this issue than they have at the momment.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Bohunt parent (26th Nov 2011 - 23:27:26) My second child is currently at Bohunt and is loving it there. My daughter left last year, after 5 enjoyable years, during which she was supported and encouraged by her teacher's. Those 5 years were not without problems, but any issues we had were quickly dealt with. Staff have always been very approachable and communication was excellent. If any of my children were unhappy I wouldn't hesitate to move them to another school. Bohunt is not our closest secondary school and we made a conscious and well-considered decision to send them to Bohunt. My younger children, having seen the huge number of opportunities available at Bohunt and how happy their older siblings are, are looking forward to going there. On the subject of Children in Need, and the school's lack of support - i think you'll find that the school is supporting 'Movember', and so fundraising efforts are going towards this equally deserving charity. "Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year ..." Although I'm confused as to how a mixed school of teenagers is expecting much luck growing moustaches for charity. Maybe somebody could enlighten us, and let us know how much the school raised for the charity.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jay (27th Nov 2011 - 13:19:47) The teachers grew the moustaches (or tried), the children were allowed to wear their own clothes on Thursday provided they contributed £1 towards the charity. The school also had collection boxes for parents attending various events at the school recently. As to the bullying issue, I have a son at the school who, so far as I am aware, has not suffered serious bullying but I have a niece in the same year who has been constantly verbally abused by various individuals (boys and girls). At one time she reported an incident to a science teacher and was told that X was a nice girl and wouldn't do that! My sister has reported it (much to my niece's terror) and we are awaiting an outcome. According to the school anti-bullying week newsletter any concerns regarding bullyng should first be referred to the child's tutor or to Stewart Vaughan (Deputy Head) svaughan@bohunt.hants.sch.uk. Please Student of Bohunt, don't accept the bullying, go to Mr Vaughan (e-mail him if it is easier to put it all in writing) and make Bohunt take notice of you and give you the protection you are entitled to. We are all behind you.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - claire (28th Nov 2011 - 08:32:09) With regard to the charitable efforts of the students of bohunt I think you will find that every house has a nominated charity and they are often chosen by the students in response to something that has affected a peer either directly or as part of the family - very meaningful.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - LO (28th Nov 2011 - 16:38:52) I am currently a student at Bohunt school in year 11, I have never experienced any bullying at Bohunt, and i have a brilliant and very happy school life. I can also speak to behalf of the majority of my friends who have never had a problem with bullying. On the other hand I have seen the effects of bullying, my younger sister currently in year 9 has experienced bullying since the very begginging of her time at Bohunt. In year 7 it got so bad, we spoke to her tutor, senior tutor, the head teacher, and even my senior tutor. Nothing was resolved for a long time, then she moved tutor group, and we thought this would resolve the issue. It did not. My family and I questioned whether or not my sister was partly to blame for this, because I know she's not perfect, but looking at the evidence and what happens physical, verbal and mental abuse are not something you would like to bring upon yourself. My sister has tried greatly to improve things i've seen it first hand. The stress of this bullying follows her home, which does not benefit any of us at home, causing me significant stress, which does not benefit me in my final year of school with lots of pressure of exams and coursework, and the general stress of being in year 11. When my sister first arrived in her new tutor group, she was so happy, and everything went well, but a few snide sarcastic b****y comments here and there were the start of the bullying again. I got on the bus after school today, to find my sister in tears, to no suprise it was due to some boy spreading a rumour. This is a regular occurence, she also informed me that the same boy ripped out some of her hair. Now, we have contacted, our senior tutor as she was moved to my house, her tutor and our headteacher. Also my tutor has seen the effects as it often stresses me out, and she notices when I see her around. As much as we've tried to resolve this issue, nothing can be done. The same people continue to cause issues which are unfair and vile. These children need stopping once and for all. Bohunt need to crack down on bullying a million times more than it currently does. Their bullying policy is ridiculous. Last week was anti-bullying week, and Bohunt was trying to raise awareness towards the issue. Instead of promoting this with posters and powerpoint [presentations, they should] look at the issue right under their noses that are going on with not just my sister, but various other children that they know about, and try [not to] tolerate this disgusting behavior - instead of worrying about whether you're wearing nail polish or not wearing your blazer. Thank you.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (28th Nov 2011 - 17:43:37) I talked to Mr. Vaughn when my daughter was being bullied, she also changed tutor group, nothing was resolved, when these bullies realise nothing can be done to stop them they just continue, as I have said before I eventualy removed my daughter from Bohunt, disrupting her education, I think the bullies are the ones who should be removed, if they fail, after one chance to stop, then they should be removed from school permanantly, the victim should not always be the one to suffer.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - KT (28th Nov 2011 - 20:46:14) I too am a student at Bohunt, in year 11, and can say I've never experienced bullying first hand - however, I know of people who are bullied. I want to make it clear, though, that Bohunt is not some kind of school where all the bullies go, and it mirrors the same situation as in any other school. This thread seems to imply that Bohunt is the worst school for bullying, when it is not - only a small few people are affected. I'm not saying that this lessens the serious level of the issue, just that it is not everyone who is affected and only a tiny amount of the pupils here have ever bullied anyone. I know there are definitely teachers at my school that are very approachable and would certainly want to help if they knew that anybody was being bullied. I don't think there are any teachers that wouldn't want to help! The school nurse, for example, deals with all sorts of issues, and the head and deputy head would definitely be willing to help anybody being bullied. Personally, I don't know anyone directly who is being bullied, but I know of people who have been bullied. However, I know there are teachers who know, and the situation is being dealt with - it is just a matter of time. I'm not sure what people expect; a teacher cannot simply make the bullies stop. They can try, but ultimately it will not happen immediately. I think that Bohunt is a very good school and I am very happy here, much like everyone I know. Only a small amount of people are bullied, and the situations as far as I know are being dealt with, or if not, could be if the victim spoke out to a teacher.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - k (29th Nov 2011 - 14:24:41) It seems to me, reading many of the posts on here, that most of the Teachers and Headteacher do not take claims of bullying seriously, or indeed investigate them properly. WHY NOT? Are they scared of the bullies too? If they can't or won't do their job, then "get out" and bring in people who are willing to listen and act. Before it's too late! They're quick enough to act over their pension rights, what about a childs right to safety? It costs nothing to help but makes a huge difference. DO IT NOW!!!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Mary D (30th Nov 2011 - 11:25:43) My grandson was bullied at Eggers. My daughter could not get anything done so she had to change schools for the sake of her son's physical and mental health. We have all seen the change in him now. The schools should involve the police but this would give the school a bad name . I guess the Headmasters hope that the parents will take the bullied ones away ,problem is then solved. I wonder if the bullies grow up to be muggers and thieves.The school is failing them by not giving them the help they obviosly need

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (30th Nov 2011 - 13:26:31) k you are correct in thinking that bullying is not taken seriously, it is 5 years since my daughter left Bohunt due to bullying. I am glad to see this issue getting aired, you ask what will it take, probably a child taking their own life, my daughter is type 1 diabetic and she got so desperate to escape that she regularly injected too much insulin to induce a low blood sugar in order to go to the school nurse during break times, her consultant was suspicious, as her condition had always been well controlled, she eventualy addmited what she had been doing, at which point I decided to take her out of Bohunt, in reality her life was at risk and the school was doing next to nothing, I feel Bohunt do not do enough to combat bullying they are far more concerned with school uniform and the length of the girls skirts, they need to get their prioritys right and rethink their policies on bullying.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - current bohunt pupil (year 10) (1st Dec 2011 - 20:59:22) I am currently a student at bohunt school and i have had hell since i started. However i do not wish to put parents off of sending their children here; it is a very good school and academically has acheived amazing standards. I don\'t believe that the teachers are at any fault in this as it is very daunting to talk to them about the problems you, as a pupil, are being faced with. Bullies are a problem in every school, as this is my second secondary school (after 6 primary schools due to my parents being in the armed forces) i can see that it is not a one school trend. Unfortunately it seems to be the genuinely nice people who get bullied because they don\'t have the best brands, newest gadgets or just because they like different things to the \'popular\' kids and don\'t constantly b**ch about everyone they meet. The day i started bohunt, i entered my tutor group wondering what i would find, only to see that there was a certain group of children i knew i should avoid. From then on they have been against me and as sad as it is, there\'s not much that can be done about it by myself. It has also been said that my year is one of the worst for b**ching girls, so i really have drawn the short straw. In year eight (my first year) i was verbally abused constantly, pretty much everyday and me and my best friend were ganged up on by at least 8 or 9 pupils from our own tutor group; blocking us both with our backs against a wall and semi-circled around us, hurling abusive comments (mainly at myself) due to an ongoing issue. A matter of weeks later, after months of abuse, both physically and verbally, i ended up with a rather large girl on top of me trying to beat me into next year. After i had hit her and she was pulled off of me we both got sent up to inclusion and questioned as to what had happened. After hearing my side of the story i was told i should not of hit back (which did not seem fair...). The next day my parents came into school to talk to my senior tutor, who then had a word with the girls in question and nothing more was said. They were polite and pleasent for the next few months but sure enough they came back... with a vengance. Again i found myself being verbally abused. This time around it got too much for me and after another few months of hell i ended up self harming. I also lost my appetite and began to draw into myself. The abuse continued and the self harm got worse. I was at breaking point, by this time i was neither sleeping nor eating properly and on top of which i had been diagnosed with anemia. My friends stated to worry as i had stopped talking for a short period of time. Luckily i am back on track now and the self harm is behind me (although there have been relapses) however i have just recently been through another batch of bullying, ironically in the same week as we held an \'anti-bullying week\' at bohunt. I am glad to sat though, that the girl in question was suspended due to constant intimidation issues. I feel that although i have had a lot of troyuble i am very lucky to have not moved schools and have a fantatic group of girls that are always there for me. The teachers at bohunt have been very helpful to me and i think without them this all could have been a lot worse. I strongly urge any student or indeed parent of a student who is being bullied to contact the school or (as a pupil) the teacher that you feel most comfortable talking to and tell them everything that has happened, i can assure you they will help if approached and if you are having trouble getting things sorted don\'t stop asking; BE PERSISTANT!!!! It will pay off! I am sure that the bullying problem we have at this school is the same as every other in the country and so parents should not be put off sending their children to bohunt. I hope everybody agrees with me when i say that the best thing to do is to STAND UP TO BULLIES!! If they hit you make sure they don\'t walk away until you\'ve done the same- they\'ll soon realize it\'s not a good idea! x

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jane G (1st Dec 2011 - 22:10:30) To Current Bohunt Pupil All I can say is wow....you come across as being a very articulate, intelligent, rational person with amazing strength of character. I can only commend you on your contribution to this thread, and if you were my daughter I would be exceptionally proud of you. I am sure you will end up as a very successful adult, unlike the bullies you will leave behind!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jay (1st Dec 2011 - 22:26:13) If Bohunt has such articulate, thoughtful, mature and sensible students as the ones who have recently posted on this thread, I think they should put them in charge of their anti-bullyig policy. For all that they have been through (or seen happen) they are still willing to see the good points instead of simply criticising the school. Well done you guys, your parents must be very proud of you and you should be proud of yourselves. Keep up the positive attitudes and you will go far.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - current bohunt pupil (year 10) (2nd Dec 2011 - 16:54:34) To Jane G, Thank you very much for your compliments and support. I just hope that other people can see that even when there are things such as this going on that it will not stay this way and that after they stand up to these people the first time it gets easier and easier. To Jay, I agree with you that students should have a say in how we deal with bullying however when students put themselves forward for things such as school council or green team (an evironmental team at our school) this tends to cause further bullying because this gives them the label of 'boff' or 'teacher's pet' etc. It is also very daunting to try to talk to teachers about this type of issue. I believe many students would be very intersted in such a prospect however scared of being singled out and bullied further. As i said in my first post; all schools have a bullying 'problem' but depending on how it is delt with depends on what kind of reputation. It seems to me that some have had rather negative experiences with this however others (such as myself) have had fairly positive results (to some extent...). You can't simply judge a school on one child's experience of it. As for a positive attitude i wouldn't go as far as to say that; yes things are looking up now but i can almost certainly assure you that this isn't going to be the end of hassel for me, for now though i'm going to enjoy it while it lasts! :)

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - a.f (6th Dec 2011 - 19:36:23) Hi, im currently a year 10 pupil at bohunt. i have just been excluded permently due to a fight that took place the other week. This girl had layed into my friend and i pulled her hair to get her off, no big deal, however i have since been arrested for abh yet all i did was pull her hair. the case has been dropped and i have not been charged, this girl has made a mountain out of a mole hill, i didnt actually do anything of the physical hitting yet i have still been punished and the other girls have gotten away scott free. no teacher was around when this year 9 pupil attacked my year11 bestfriend so she carried on. i stepped in and have now been kicked out of school for pulling someones hair. This case was not bullying and i dont feel its fair that i have been punished for being an innocent by stander! the girl instigated it on facebook a day before and also lied point black to the police officer about previous happenings, i feel that this case has been very one sided from school and they have not supported me or my friend in this at all! there are no measures in this school for pupils who have got adhd and depression. they have no order and only care about their status and uniform! when they look at the bigger picture they will see a lot of damage has been done to the pupils of bohunt school mentally and educationally. a lot of things get brushed under the carpet and i feel that the school 'dont care' about our feelings and are very biased. A teacher had told me prior to the event that there is no room for slackers in his school, and that there's no point coming second best. neil had also told me that 'how many second chances are you going to get' AS MANY AS IT TAKES TO MAKE THE PUPIL FEEL SAFE AND SECURE AND NOTICED AND HAPPY! point made.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (7th Dec 2011 - 08:16:00) af I am sorry but you do not get excluded permanantly for no good reason, I beleive the "fight" you are talking about is the one I made reference to in an earlier post, if this is the case the girl involved suffrered more than hair pulling and needed medical treatment. As far as I was aware she was beaten up by two 16 year old girls, herself being 14 and petite, I am glad that Bohunt seem to be taking this problem seriously at long last and am only sorry that the police did not prosecute.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (7th Dec 2011 - 09:39:04) I forgot to add, the phrase "how many second chances are you going to get" implies that you have already had several.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - k (8th Dec 2011 - 09:38:19) may: Well said ,I couldn't agree with you more.No smoke without fire! I would like say "well done" to Bohunt for showing some backbone at last.Long may it continue. People need to keep posting their experiences in order to keep this issue in the spotlight.The bullies need to be weeded out ,one by one! School should be a happy and safe place for our children!!!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - may (8th Dec 2011 - 10:13:15) K Thankyou, I only wish Bohunt had done more when my daughter was hounded out because of persistent bullying, but I am very glad to see that perhaps they are now realising that the bullied should not be the one to pay, whilst the bullies are given one or two days exclusion and then allowed to carry on, lets face it, to bullies a couple of days exclusion is like a holiday, it is not a punishment.Well done Bohunt for doing the right thing.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Marcus : ex pupil (8th Dec 2011 - 12:09:15) To be honest, i used to get bullyed at school right up untill i had enough and just got masses of revenge back... that shut them up.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - BB (2nd Feb 2012 - 19:54:37) My son is at Bohunt and is quite vulnerable to bullying as a result of some developmental issues he has. If there are any potential or real bullying incidents I let the school know promptly in a calm manner, I find emails work well. Emails serve as a record of each event. Each time I have had a prompt response and my son has been satisfied with how the teachers have tackled the situation. I am extremely happy with how the school looks after my son. The school has an enormously difficult job and has a responsibility to all its pupils, including helping the 'bullies' deal with their behaviour or their misconceptions that they have probably learnt from adults themselves. The parents also have a responsibilty to work with the school and this will ensure the best end result for all the children, which, surely is the point of this thread? Violence is unacceptable in all circumstances and I find a lot of the 'advice' on this thread hugely unhelpful. I am a teacher myself at another school and would wholeheartedly recommend Bohunt to other parents. If you treat the school and the teachers with respect you will get the same, if parents are aggressive or refuse to work with the school and seem focussed only on criticising then they will get nowhere.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jane (3rd Feb 2012 - 08:12:47) Well done BB for what you have achieved with your son! It is really good to hear a positive outcome for Bohunt as we often only hear the negative stuff on here. I attended a meeting at school last night for year 9 pupils to inform them about their options. My son came home very enthused sbout the opportunities available to him and the fact that the school are one step ahead of the game with regards to Computing and Maths...just what we need in the technological world we live in.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - b (12th Sep 2012 - 16:47:39) Reading through this post has really surprised me. I am a ex Bohunt pupil I left in 2007 and people seem to have forgotten the problems this school has had before? There has always been a bullying problem in this school, granted all other schools experience this however with Bohunt you can't trust the teachers to confide in them! I seem to remember a certain teacher being a convicted peadophile...it was all over the news and the school tried to cover this up! This was the most appauling breach of trust and the school let it go on for a long time. Bohunt has got a reputation for being a bad school at it's own fault, the bullying just contributes to this, ultimately it is down to the staff and the poor judgements that have been made in the past. It is up to the school to pull its repuation out of the mud, a few comments on here about bullying are not going to ruin it's reputation, that's already been done! The sad part about this is that there are a few brilliant teachers in that school, Mr Vaughn (deputy head) being one of them.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - rita (12th Sep 2012 - 22:08:33) just wanted to say that i was bullied at bohunt from start to finish. i just wish i had stood up for myself and hit back while i was being verbally and phisically attaked. the teachers stuck up for the little darlings as they were mostly a grade students and me being from a council estate got all the blame and was told i was being to sensitve and could not take a joke!!!!!!!!! i can honestly say i hate every single one that done that to me and just hope that there kids are not victims like i was. i also hope that they will hang there heads in shame if they are reading this, but i doubt it. i have had one apolagise to me but did not accept it. it was too late, 3 visits for stress in hospital and all my exams had to be graded on my coursework. i suffer from low self esteem and find it difficult to trust people. thanks bohunt.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - liz (13th Sep 2012 - 09:04:36) I have no involvement with Bohunt but as far as I'm aware some people move to this area because of the school's GOOD reputation.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Bohunt Pupil. (14th Sep 2012 - 16:25:23) i am a student at bohunt and i know whats its like, ive been bullied since the day i started there and im now in year 11. alot of the teachers you cannot trust and most of all they hardly sort anything out. the only reason why most people come to bohunt is cause off the great GCSE's people have been getting and they dont know about bullies there cause its not like the school is going to tell them?

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - ti (20th Dec 2013 - 21:33:59) I am reading some of these disturbing messages and serious thoughts are going through my mind. We are hoping to move into the area because of the school. I can only see this thread going up to end of 2012. Are there more recent posts? I have spoken to the school re admission and they are simply so nice. Please I would really like to see more up to date postings.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Susie (20th Dec 2013 - 22:46:38) My son and both his cousins go to Bohunt and while no school is perfect they are loving it. He also deals with an illness that can make school difficult but they have been very supportive and he has never been happier. There are opportunities to do a huge range of activities and their extra support from Microsoft and Apple mean the kids are very up to date with new tech. I recommend Liphook Scouts too.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - [removed] (21st Dec 2013 - 22:46:33) I am currently in year 11 and have struggled since day one. It is sad really because I recently found an old diary I kept when i was in year 6/7. I was counting down the days till I was going to to Bohunt. My diary was full of happy wondrous thoughts about Bohunt. A week later i wanted to leave due to bullies. In year 7 iIwas good, innocent i suppose. I let them do it. Of course I reported it , but that didn't stop them. Year 8 i started to fight back and by the time i got to year nine i was in inclusion all the time for hitting people who were mean to me. I have never stopped reporting people. I would report them, the teacher would "have a word" , the bully would stop for a day and then it would start again. 5 years is a long time. During these 5 years i have constantly self harmed and had suicidal thoughts. I am not telling you this to get sympathy. I am telling you this because i want to give hope to others. Fat.ugly.freak.stupid.beast.weasel...all names that i have been called and the list is endless. It started on-line too "go and finish the job,kill yourself.no one wants you here". And I can tell you i was close. I had simply had enough of bohunt and i just wanted out. Thankfully i found this website www.beatbullying.org which helped me to build confidence. No thanks to bohunt might I add.Once i was in an absolute state crying and the head teacher came up to me and asked me if i was ok (clearly i wasn't) I shrugged and he replied "well off to class then". WOW. HOW SUPPORTIVE i thought... I have been hurt on so many levels by so many bullies. Even complete strangers would bully me. In year 9 my future looked rubbish. My grades were down and i was close to expulsion. Now i am targeted for A's and i haven't self harmed for a long time. NO THANKS TO BOHUNT. I really wanted to help year 7's this year by being a mentor but i wasn't allowed because i had a "negative past". Which is why i write to you all today to say that eventually it will be all right. I am going to college, i am going to university and i am going to own my own business. Bullying has effected me my whole school life but they are not effecting my adulthood! Once i get my GCSE results in august i am never looking back

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Phil (22nd Dec 2013 - 14:38:37) It's not the school that causes the bullying. It's the pupils.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Ad (22nd Dec 2013 - 14:51:47) Congratulations to the young person who posted the thread on December 21st,what courage you have shown,not onlyfor reliving the hell you went through but also for having such a POSITIVE attitude! I hope that you fulfil all your wishes and dreams and wish you the very best of luck in the future.A very Happy Christmas to you and your family.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Kaz (23rd Dec 2013 - 01:30:23) Wow to the person that posted their experience - don't feel down. I know far to well about bullying at Bohunt I got suspended several times because I stuck up for my self I got escorted out of the school a number of times for sticking up for my brother who wasn't just bullied he was pretty much sexually harassed. My son started in 2012 he had about 3 weeks of bullying until he turned round and beat the crap out of this kid. Normally I don't condone violence it wasn't until I came in to collect him that they realized who he was how things have changed there is a massive bullying problem at the school but its not so much the schools fault but maybe more the parents fault for not giving the child the right guidance.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Patsy (25th Dec 2013 - 18:57:56) Great story, but agree with post. It's not the schools fault. You would have to be incredibly naive to think there is a single school in the country where there isn't any bullying. Sadly it happens, schools are not miracle workers and can't solve every problem I was bullied at school for being fat, and guess what , I was fat. I didn't do any exercise and avoided any sort of PE, to a certain extent my choice of lifestyle bought the bullying upon me. Don't get me wrong bullying sucks, being a victim sucks, and I hope that my son who is 10 does not experience bullying

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - tony (25th Dec 2013 - 21:35:42) Patsy. You were bullied and feel to some extent you may have brought it upon yourself. I wouldn't entirely disagree, there are things we can all do to avoid being bullied, but as kids it depends on so many factors outside of our control. As an adult it is easier to see that, but as a child it can fall on you like a ton of bricks and literally shatter your self belief, all playing further into the hands of the bullies. I had a bad year when for reasons totally beyond my control I changed schools at 12 from a nice to a rough school. I spent a year being slaughtered physically and emotionally, I lost most of my self confidence. I thought about both extreme ways out, one for me, one for them. In the end I beat up the biggest of them and never got touched again. Did it toughen me up? Well yes, but at a cost, I stopped being academic and eventually dropped out of school. It's got to be the school's responsibility, a few years ago my generation would have said disabled kids just have to expect it (I'm not kidding or justifying it), attitudes have thankfully completely turned around, now if society can do that it can protect the less obviously hurting kids too. Just deal with it Bohunt and protect them kids, don't turn a blind eye, it's your job!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - ti (26th Dec 2013 - 21:00:10) Thank you everyone for their contributions and added some great up dated posts. I am very sad to hear these stories and really grateful for you to share them especially that young lady in year 9. I am even more amazed that the school is not addressing these problems effectively (what is holding them back?). How can a school be rated as "outstanding" if there are serious problems such as this. There are not many kind words so far that I can see, this is very discouraging. Thank you again.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Julie (5th Jan 2014 - 17:38:12) I'll probably get told off but when my little brother got bullied there many moons ago I got hold of the bully by the scruff of the neck and told him if he wanted to bully someone to try me. Being as he was a few years younger, he backed off. Same thing with my kids when they got bullied. Sometimes the bullies need someone to stand up to them to make them realise they're not the dogs whatsits after all

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - D K (6th Jan 2014 - 15:13:54) My experience at Bohunt was nothing more than traumatic. From day 1 i was picked on, for no other reason than my taste of music and hair style. It sounds so immature to think such small things could affect someone so badly, but they did and still do. Since being at Bohunt i have suffered crippling anxiety and manic depression. Bohunt very much turn a blind eye to bullies. I know this from my own experience and from talking to current students. If you report an incident, they will simply turn their back and say sticks and stones. This has lead them into trouble in the passed however, I know people as well as myself who have cracked at the hands of bullies and retaliated, not because we have had no self control, but because for 5 years, bullies have viciously, and relentlessly picked and picked our patience away, people don't understand the affects unless they have felt them. I remember the anxiety of getting out of bed, ready for the next flurry of insults and sometimes physical abuse. I can recall a time at school, I had been through a very hard time at home, I was quite a reserved child, because of my "social status" at school, a member of my family had tragically passed away the night before, and I was nothing more than mortified. One of the bullies this day decided, (knowing my circumstances) to crush an orange into my hair, rub the squashed fruit into my face, then slam my face into the dinner table, least to say, I went pretty uncontrollably nuts, having suffered at the hand of this person for years previously. When taken to what was top corridor at the time, I didn't even get a chance to mention I was being severely bullied, and didn't even get to tell my side of the story, as the bully was one of great academic achievement, so for Bohunt excluding such a pupil would be kicking themselves. So I was automatically excluded without explanation for my actions. This day has affected my life in so many ways now. From college applications to work. Because Bohunt fail to deal with bullies properly. Their zero tolerance to bullying policy is just propaganda, made for parents yet to join there kids up to the school, or those with children already there. It saddens me greatly to see students are still suffering under the hands of bullies at Bohunt. And it should stop. Food for thought. Take a piece of paper and screw it up, then punch it repeatedly, unfold, and observe the creases. Now apologize to the paper and see if the creases disappear. Sadly they don't.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Von (6th Mar 2015 - 12:42:54) Oh dear, we are supposed to be moving there for the school. Not so sure now

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Nicola (6th Mar 2015 - 14:17:32) Seriously worried now my son starts there in September !

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Chris (6th Mar 2015 - 14:50:05) I wouldn't let this thread worry you. Whatever secondary school you look at will always have an element of bullying, that's what some kids do. You need to look at how the school deals with it. Considering that, some parents won't agree on the schools policy and will therefore moan on here.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - V (6th Mar 2015 - 17:09:41) I have to agree with Chris, and I can only say that my eldest child went through school without a hitch. My younger one is now in the upper school and we have had no problems at all. The school has prepared my children for their next step in so many ways and I can only say that it is a great school.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Michelle (6th Mar 2015 - 22:59:46) My eldest daughter is currently at Bohunt and has never had an issue, from my experience it is a great school that has prepared my daughter for her next stages in life. My youngest will definitely be going to Bohunt as well. I know of a friend of my daughters who suffered some bullying on the earlier years but the school quashed it straight away and dealt with the issues. Unfortunately bullying does happen in every walk of life and in all schools to a degree but how the school deals with it is the important thing. Please don\\\'t think the school has a major issue with this because as far as I can tell we have witnessed this neither has any of the other families I know over the past five years.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt and views - Gill Purchase (7th Jul 2015 - 15:48:57) Hi all - Bohunt has been named the provider of a new secondary school in the South of Wokingham. These threads concern me both as a parent and a co-founder of a Parents Action Group. Could you email my group (SWFSG@mail.com) with any comments you have about your experiences with Bohunt - good and bad - all will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. Many thanks

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Ex student (7th Aug 2015 - 08:57:46) To be honest as being an ex bohunt pupil I hated my experience there. It's all well and good if the teachers liked you or if the other students liked you if not it was hell. Throughout my schools days my teachers didn't much like me because of the reputation of my brother and I was bullied a lot and the teachers didn't seem to care. One lad bullied me everyday and the one day i retaliated I was in trouble not him, by which I only threw some food down his top and he pushed me, hit me and spat at me, yet I was in the wrong. The teachers there only care about results and seemed to only enter pupils into exams if they thought they would pass (sorry if this had changed now), also when Strowger started there was a 'dislike Neil strowger' page on Facebook and I liked one post and was taken out of lessons for a whole day missing important things just because he overreacted. Neil also shouted at me saying I need anger management because I told him I was like my dad - and my mum would think he was pathetic for doing this! Just a thought for everyone to consider for some people bohunt had and will be a very enjoyable part of their lives for others it was hell. This was originally posted to the thread 'Bohunt on the BBC' but more appropriate here.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - stacey (7th Aug 2015 - 09:59:17) Perhaps the problems at Bohunt need to be highlighted on the programme alongside the Chinese exchange? I agree about them forgetting the children who are not high achievers, but that happens these days at most schools due to the school wishing to keep their result table up!

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Neil (1st Feb 2016 - 10:33:45) I was a student at bohunt in the 90s and suffered every day all day from bullying until i left in 97 or 98 can't remember. the teachers did nothing and every time i tried to sort it myself i would end up on the top corridor. And because of the bully's my school work suffered i'm now 34 and it still affects me today the school was not very good at sorting it out and i was kept upstairs outside the deputy heads offices a lot of the days because i'd been pushed to the end of my tether and had to sort it myself and surprise surprise because the bully's hunt in packs there story was believed instead of mine i also now have arthritis in my back which is caused by some of my bully's pinning me down and jumping and landing on my belly like a wrestler would so it isn't just while you are a student it stays with u for ever

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Ian (1st Feb 2016 - 18:56:55) Bullies tend to be insecure flawed sad individuals who often have been bullied themselves. Unfortunately for a bully in an online world they will live their lives looking over their shoulder because they will never know when their past will catch them up.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - C (1st Feb 2016 - 22:46:32) As a current student this thread saddens me however it is all too true. I know of people with siblings in the years below who suffer with bullying whilst attending bohunt and although alarms have been raised numerous times, those in higher authority don't appear to do much. Although Bohunt is a great school in terms of academic ability, from where I'm sitting it is very much their main concern rather than student wellbeing (not that grades aren't important).

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Richard (2nd Feb 2016 - 13:04:18) Question: Why are the physical aspects of bullying not dealt with as assault, and the police informed? This would reduce schools' ability to hide it This is not directed at Bohunt per se, but most schools seem to have this issue periodically Alternatively, why does the school leadership team be unable to take a position where bullying will not be tolerated in any shape or form. If people bully in the workplace, they get dealt with, why should schools be any different, as after all we are trying to prepare our kids for a future in the wider world?

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Jo (2nd Feb 2016 - 16:07:26) We had problems but Bohunt dealt with it immediately, it stopped and was sorted out. Those in authority in our case did act and resolved the bullying satisfactory. Im sorry that others are not experiencing this.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - tony (2nd Feb 2016 - 22:30:19) I hear that if a school admits a child is being bullied, they have to inform OFSTEAD and risk being demoted in the national rankings, so they'd rather deny any knowledge of it. Is that really true? Sad if so.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Anon (13th Dec 2016 - 18:51:28) I am currently a student at Bohunt and 2 girls I thought were my friends have turned on me and I don't know what to do. I feel alone and self conscious of my every move. I don't know what to do. I've seen other people being bullied at school but when a teacher sees they seem to turn a blind eye. I can't report because I don't trust my teachers. I think that Bohunt really needs to crack down on bullying.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - anon (13th Dec 2016 - 19:01:54) The people bullring me don't know they're doing it so the teachers don't really seem to care as it looks like harmless fun. My two best friends from primary school have totally changed and I don't know what to do. My sister will also be starting in two years so I worry about how she'll do to. I don't know if she'll be ok or not and I can't talk to my parents cause they'll over react and make me look stupid. The teachers ask me what's wrong but I just can't trust them. What is they took my friends side. I am forced down under peer pressure and I really hope the new behaviour policy for 2017 will help.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - H (13th Dec 2016 - 21:01:27) Oh sweetheart, that was heartbreaking to read. I have to say I went through a similar situation when I was at Bohunt (was over 10 years ago mind) but I had a little group of friends and one day day the three of them just turned. They didn't want to include me in anything, they would laugh at me and have the their own little jokes, I would stop myself from crying while at school but as soon as I would get home the dam would break. I hadn't done anything to make them act like this, I had always been a good friend and done anything I could for them. I felt like you did, I couldn't talk the teachers and I definitely couldn't talk to my parents. However, what I will say is that it made me realise there were other people at the school who did want to be my friend and who did want to include me. I had always been so caught up with our little group, but this situation allowed me to get to know some new people who in fact are some of my best friends today. Have you tried speaking to other classmates, get to know them? I hope things turn around for you.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Katie (13th Dec 2016 - 21:10:50) Dear Anon, I am really sorry to hear that you are being bullied and that you feel so alone. I remember exactly what it is like when friends exclude you and I'm sure they don't realise how much it is hurting you, especially when the adults around are not aware it's happening. There is a lot of power play in friendships at secondary school and it often seems to lead to one person being the butt of the jokes or being left out. It's not your fault and it's really unfair. I know you have said that you don't trust your teachers and that you don't want your parents to know in case they make the situation worse, but I think you would feel better if you confide in someone even if they don't intervene. Is there anyone who you would feel okay talking to? Maybe your sister or a friend who isn't in the same group? Someone who can listen and be supportive when you have had a really bad day. I also wondered if you had looked at any anti bullying websites? There is a really good one called Ditch the Label which has lots of advice and support. You can talk to people on there who have lots of experience helping teenagers deal with bullying. I know that everyone reading this will be wishing they could help you and hoping that you know you are not alone. One day this will all be just a memory of a really tough time that you got through and you will be happy with friends who truly value you. Wishing you all the best and please let me know on here how you are doing.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - A (13th Dec 2016 - 21:38:55) Dear Anon, Sorry to hear you are going through this. It is vitally important that you to speak to an adult about this problem, so you are not suffering alone, and someone can then take any action that is needed to sort things out. A public forum is not the best place to get help or support as none of the local people here know you or are able to help you find the root of the problem. . I understand why you are worried about confiding in your teachers but they are best placed to help you if this is happening in school and they have a duty to help you. Your parents also will probably be disappointed if they discover later that you were not prepared to talk to them about this. You don't have to give them every detail if you don't feel comfortable doing so, but you should explain your fears about not wanting to make a drama out of the situation and ask them to be discreet if they discuss your problem with the school. But parents and teachers can't do anything if they don't know what is happening or understand how the behaviour of your friends is affecting you. If you really won't talk to teachers or parents, do you know any other adults who you would trust, such as the organiser of a club that you belong to, or a relative or neighbour? Please do speak to someone if you can't sort the problem out, but in the meantime, visit this website which will give you advice and support. www.childline.org.uk

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - L (13th Dec 2016 - 22:44:28) Dear Anon I'm so sorry to hear you are having a tough time. It is really important that you find someone to talk to. If you don't feel comfortable confiding in your teachers then I know that there are two new welfare officers at the school, I think they are based in the old medical room. They are not teachers and it's their job to support students with their welfare. You seem to think that the girls don't realise what they are doing or how their actions are making you feel, this might well be the case and they need to understand this. You will not be alone in feeling like this, teenage years and friendships can be complicated and difficult at times, but nothing will change unless you can find the strength to act. I know that's easier said than done but there are people there to help and support you, go and find them tomorrow and let them help xx

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Anne (14th Dec 2016 - 11:28:54) Dear Anon So sorry to hear this. My daughter is in year 8 and was being bullied, she did not want to go to school and became very upset. She did confide in me as pictures were going round on SnapChat. I spoke to her Achievement Co ordinator and she dealt with it the same day. So far all is good. I would recommend that you confide in someone as soon as possible, please. I saw how it affected my daughter and can only imagine how it is affecting you. xx

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - tony (14th Dec 2016 - 18:25:59) I may be wrong, but I think that what everybody except L is missing is that Anon doesn't feel he/she can trust their teachers. By inference I take that to mean they either aren't aware of the schools anti bullying procedures, what steps to take, or they simply don't have confidence in them. I think if you are being bullied you have to accept the young person's confidence is going to be at a low anyway, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to seek help, not try to brush it under the carpet for an easy life/good Ofsted reports or whatever, like so many institutions of old have done.. Whichever, it is surely a failing on the part of the school. I know bullying seems to be a phase of early teen years, for some reason starting secondary school brings out the tribalistic sadism in some young people, thankfully the majority will go through school unaware of the misery bullying causes, but when it hits, it's surely up to the school to have robust, helpful policies in place that the children know about in advance, a safe place they can go to if needed, someone trained that they can talk to in confidence, practical advice and help etc, no excuses. I don't know about Bohunt's exact policies, but judging by previous posts there is history here, it may be only a minority who suffer bullying at any time, but it won't go away and in this day and age I would hope Bohunt as well as doing well academically (which is great) also stops to help and pick up the pieces when one of their students is suffering in this way. I would be interested to hear from someone at Bohunt what their policies are on this.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Amy (14th Dec 2016 - 22:30:04) As with any school who follow guidelines, their anti-bullying policy is available on their website: Bohunt - anti bullying policy PDF As a teacher and someone who has suffered bullying I can see both sides here. It's awful that the poster feels they cannot talk to an adult but there's also the question of how the school can deal with the situation if they are unaware. I fully appreciate teachers aren't always the easiest to approach when you are a teenager but an adult somewhere needs to know to stop the situation. It's impossible for the school to act on something they are not aware of. Perhaps a friend outside of the group could talk to an adult for you?

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Helen (15th Dec 2016 - 10:51:51) I think the previous posting in 2016 was probably correct, that if Bohunt listen to claims of bullying they lose their grading with OfStead. BOHUNT school appears to be all about their status and not much time appears to be spent helping teenagers through their difficult years. what do the school governors think? Hopefully some are parents who read this. Are they local people with connections to the pupils?

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Anon (15th Dec 2016 - 12:41:36) Disagree with the previous comments, my child is going through a real tough time and the school have been brilliant. The Welfare staff have gone above & beyond and I can't thank them enough. It's not the sort of thing that is bragged about. These situations are private and unless your child is having the support. .everyone else won't hear about it. It's not the sort of thing that is made public knowledge- it's your private business and no one elses.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Lorraine (15th Dec 2016 - 20:58:39) Helen you are completely wrong, not sure where you're getting your information. Of course bohunt wouldn't lose any grade for recognizing out dealing with bullying. One of ofsted's main criteria is how safe and cared pupils feel in and around school. They find this out by looking at policies, talking to pupils and parent surveys. If bohunt said they didn't have bullying then ofsted would never believe them. Bohunt got an outstanding grade for dealing with these issues and supporting pupils through difficult teenage years. The problem is that schools are expected to deal everything nowadays and there's not an awful lot the school is legally allowed to do. The highest punishment is exclusion and its very hard do that. Parents don't always support school and the teachers and there's no backup from home it's an impossible situation. Bohunt works hard to support pupils in and out of classroom.there's no way they'd get an outstanding grade if they didn't.

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Lxx (22nd Dec 2016 - 17:02:16) To everyone being bullied I'm so sorry to hear that bullying continues at Bohunt. I left over 2 years ago and was constantly bullied for the whole of my time there But i just wanted to say you'll get through this. I didn't think i would, but i did. I went through self harm and suicidal thoughts and it was tough and extremly difficult. I am now in my first year in university studying for my degree which, considering i was almost kicked out in year 9, is impressive. A website charity that really helped me is "The Mix"(links below) they have a live group chat, articles and 1-1 support. I wouldn't be here without them. I now volunteer for them as well AND i met and spoke too prince harry and the duke and duchess of kate on monday because of it!! So i guess what i'm trying to say is there is life after Bohunt. once you finish year 11 go to college ( i can recommend south downs) and don't look back! Stay strong and if you ever want to chat , let me know and i'll give you my email <3 Lxx Links: Discussion boards: http://vbulletin.thesite.org/ Support chat: http://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/group-chat 1-1 chats: http://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-advisors

Re: Bullying at Bohunt - Anon (22nd Dec 2016 - 21:35:54) As well as bullying at Bohunt there is also a lot of kids who are suffering from mental illnesses, including self harm, depression and anorexia, it is rife at Bohunt and I don't believe the school is addressing the issue effectively. If I could turn back time I wouldn't have sent my child To Bohunt, there is too much emphasise on achieving A* in GCSE's and not enough on the students well being.

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