Steve and Michelle had had enough and made an appointment to see Miss Whippet at the school. They waited on a bench outside the opulent office. Once beckoned inside, they talked about the name-calling, Griselina’s cheating and Gideon’s bullying. Miss Whippet looked unsurprised as she peered over her glasses. At first, she attempted to deflect the antics as harmless, but Steve went into lawyer mode and asked about the school’s anti-bullying policy. He discussed the duty of care the school owed their children and offered to discuss the breach of policy with the board of governors and local authority. He mentioned going to the police and Miss Whippet looked at him with saucer eyes. It was a brief meeting, but she did not need the authorities poking into her school. Especially as she was considering purchasing a second safe for her home as the one in her office was full. She promised to look into what was going on.
And so, the teachers were ordered to watch from a distance and report any instances of bullying. Even some school governors were roped into the exercise, such as the husbands of Mrs Snoops and Mrs Snipes. Many of these governors only wanted to garner favour for their own children at Snookington School so they were not used to working on official business. A report was compiled about Griselina and Gideon’s antics toward Lucy and Jack. Griselina’s cheating in the classroom was noted. She leaned over to cast a beady eye over Lucy’s work, despite Lucy trying her best to wrap an arm around her exercise book. After Griselina called out, “Please Miss, Lucy Nobody’s been copying again,” the answers were indeed the same. And they witnessed Gideon pushing Jack about and kicking him with his big boots each time Jack fell. An intervention was needed before Jack needed hospital treatment. Miss Whippet did not want any authorities getting involved.
Copyright © 2023 Callum Stanford. All rights reserved.
