Girl dyed hair over school bullying
Thursday 22nd April 2010, 6:30PM BST.
A Shropshire schoolgirl was so badly bullied when she started secondary school she dyed her ginger hair to try and fit in, her father claimed today.
Nicole Nagington, 12, started Phoenix School, in Telford, last September and dad Ian claims she was instantly singled out because of the colour of her hair and the fact that she wears a hearing aid .
Mr Nagington claimed the bullying became more intense in January and he came home from work one day to find his daughter had bleached her hair.
He has now pulled her out of school.
But the school’s deputy headteacher Anne Keegan today insisted it had no problems with bullying and urged the family to send her back to school.
Mr Nagington today said: “The bullying is always about the colour of her hair so she decided to change it, but it hasn’t worked and the bullying has continued.
“It has really got worse since January and my daughter is inconsolable. I’m not taking her back to that school if it makes her feel like that and I don’t think any other parent would either. We want to move to another school.”
Nicole, who has six brothers and sisters, has not been to school for six weeks after the Dawley family’s attempts to find her a place at another school proved fruitless.
Mr Nagington is now hoping Nicole can be transferred to Wrockwardine Wood Arts College.
But Mrs Keegan said they were not aware of Nicole being bullied until after her father came in to speak to them and pulled her out of school. She said: “Nicole has not been in education now for some weeks and this is the father’s right.
“We have asked Mr Nagington to come in to the school for a meeting with Nicole but he has so far refused. We have a lot of procedures in place where we can work with the student and help them feel secure and safe in this school. Her father should bring her back.”
By Holly Evans
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Nicole, you are very pretty girl, don’t let those unkind pupils upset you.
I went to the school when my daughter was bullied and they did help to sort it out. Bullying is a very serious hurtful matter and the school should do all they can to address the issue.
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Feeling secure and safe in this school are the key words; many of the problems occur when children are trying to walk to and from school. I had a similar problem with my son when we lived at Shawbirch and he attended the Charlton School. He would come home covered in bruises and the school was not interested because it was happening off school grounds. He subsequently moved school and is now studying at Uni. Teachers can insist there is no problem all they want, but it is little consolation to Nicole.
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Tis hardly surprising that the school’s deputy headteacher insisted it had no problems with bullying . . . they seldom, if ever, admit that they do. This child’s father made the difficult, but correct decision for the benefit of his child. No child should become afraid to come to school. Where are the parents these days in teaching their children respect, empathy & compassion for others???
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my daughter is now in her 3rd year of attendance at the Phoenix school and I have constantly had to contact the school with regards to my daughter being bullied. They say they dont have bullying as they DO NOT do anything about it – it is constantly being wiped under the carpet, they do not take these complaints seriously especially when it is what i class as mental bullying where it takes more of a impact on the child. They do not realise the state that children get into with regard to these issues, when are they gonna open their eyes to this and put a stop to it
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“the school’s deputy headteacher Anne Keegan today insisted it had no problems with bullying”
Does she mean that there is no bullying, or that there is but the school doesn’t consider it to be a problem? If as I suspect it’s the second, then she should resign.
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After spending £120k on supply teachers, the Council are now going to move the pupil, why don’t they tackle the problem, BULLYING.
Why should the victim have to move?
The problem will not go away whilst the continue to ignore the problem.
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Nicole, you are a pretty girl, and I think the bullies are jealous of that fact, bullies only pick on people normally because either they have been bullied in the past or they have personnel problems in there home life.
Please don’t let them win,I would go back to the school with your dad and see if anything can be sorted, as it is a serious matter and the teachers will address the matter,if you still feel that you want to leave at least you have tried.
Keep your chin up Nicole,things will get better for you.
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I am shocked….. my kids go to this school!
the school should do something about it, they nipped it in the bud when my daughter was picked on last year & she’s been fine since, what’s gone wrong here! SORT IT OUT PHOENIX!!!
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Nicole don’t dye your beautiful hair!
It’s gorgeous and anyone making fun in any way are just jealous of it believe me!
I hope things get better for you sweetheart and either a new school or things sorted out in your old one.
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One CAN’T tackle the problem of bullying, because it is so inherent in society. Kind of like trying to fight a war on terror – you cannot fight a war on people’s mentality. You can try to change it, but it’s pretty much human nature to discriminate and pick on the ‘weak’ in the group. How do you fundamentally change human nature? They can try educating in school AFTER the problem is noted, but if there’s a change in mentality, it has to be a very primal, cultural one, coming direct from every child’s parents from birth. How do you make that happen successfully?
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