Woodhouse West: Sheffield primary denies 'culture of bullying' after parents pull children out of school

Four households have told The Star they feel their children face “constant” taunting, name-calling and teasing from pupils of all year groups at Woodhouse West Primary.

They claim their children come home crying regularly or refuse to go in the morning over persistent bullying, leading to parents of two children pulling them out now exams are over.

In a statement, Woodhouse West said it takes “all incidents seriously.”

One mum told The Star: “I’ve got emails from March 2020 I’ve sent about my son being bullied.

“He’s had trouble all the way through school but this past year it has gotten worse, and nothing is done. He’s miserable.

“Just as an example, there’s one boy who constantly telling him ‘no one wants you, your parents don’t want you,’ then blows him kisses and winks at him when nothing is done about it and he ‘gets away with it’, because it’s always the case that ‘no adults saw it’. It’s been going on all year.

“School always says ‘plans will be put in place’, then nothing changes.

“My son’s mental health is my main priority and I’ve taken him out of school.”

Another mum said she has had four children go through Woodhouse West in the past 10 years who “were all affected by bullying.” When this was put to the school by The Star, a spokesperson said they had only received “two reported incidents of conflict/ bullying by other pupils.”

The mum said: “The school’s response to bullying is just terrible. They don’t take action.

“When one of my daughters went to Y7 at a different school her bully was sent there too. She was so anxious when she found out, but that school instead took action, nipped it in the bud and put a stop to it straight away. My daughter is doing so much better now.”

Another mum said her son “screams that he doesn’t want to go back” and has to deal with his bullies following him home.

She said: “I’ve had numerous meetings. The school keeps saying ‘let’s put a plan in place’ that is never acted on.

“My son retaliates quite a bit now, and that just makes it easier for the school to victim blame.”

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Outside of what could be rough and targeted play in sports like football and dodgeball, the four households The Star spoke to did not raise any specific physical incidents or overt acts of violence, but spoke at length about high levels of teasing and taunting.

Woodhouse West is an academy as part of Sheffield South East Trust. The school has not had an Ofsted visit since 2018 or since it was converted into an academy in 2020.

When approached by The Star, the trust’s CEO Joanne Bradshaw wrote in reply: “There is not a culture of bullying in the school.

“Woodhouse West Primary School is a popular school. Leaders, staff, parents and pupils work hard, together, to promote a safe and nurturing environment for everyone.

“Although bullying incidents are rare, they are taken very seriously and dealt with appropriately through robust policies and procedures. Any parents who have concerns are asked to contact the school.

“Leaders and teachers regularly meet with parents and the school has an 'open door' policy. Woodhouse West is an inclusive school striving to meet the needs of all pupils. Staff are highly trained and experienced, particularly in safeguarding and pastoral support.”