A horrified Midlothian parent has shared shocking details of injuries her young daughter has suffered as a result of bullies at her school.
The woman, who said she has been reduced to tears on multiple occasions after dropping off her daughter at school in the morning, has raised concerns over how the incidents have been investigated and dealt with by teachers and Midlothian Council.
Speaking anonymously to Edinburgh Live, the mother of the six-year-old girl who was five when the majority of the incidents occurred, has also shared images of bruises and cuts that her daughter has returned home with.
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Saying that her little girl is now scared of going into school and has made herself sick with worry, the parent is now at a loss as to where to go next to ensure the safety of her child when she is not present.
The woman said: "My daughter says she was strangled in the playground on multiple occasions, had her hair pulled and cut out and came home with cuts on her face. She is not safe and there is no real concern for her safety.
"We also pursued legal advice following an incident where she was concussed after falling onto her head from a height. She was asked to put something away on a stool and fell as a result, but we were told by the council that following an internal investigation, my daughter was swinging on her chair and fell.
"We were told we could actually sue them for negligence as a result of how they handled the incident as the teacher and support teacher confirmed to me that they didn't actually witness her fall of her chair. I want to make my daughter safe, I'm not attacking individual teachers or children. I've come home and sat in tears after dropping her off as she refuses to go in and tells me she's scared.
"I first noticed there was something wrong around Easter time, 2022. She came home with multiple cuts on her face. The teacher said they didn't know how it happened. She then told me someone grabbed her neck in the playground in April and had purple finger marks on her neck the next day."
The worried mum said that her daughter has been through a year of "hell" but she is not aware of any incidents since September 2022. However, the way each incident was dealt with still causes her concern.
Since being contacted by Edinburgh Live, Midlothian Council stated the authority takes bullying allegations "extremely seriously" and they will continue to engage with the girl's parents following their concerns.
She continued: "My daughter told me a boy put his hands around her neck and I have multiple pictures of all the injuries she has suffered in the last year. My biggest concern is that neither me or her have been believed.
"After querying the bruises on her neck the next again day, the headteacher asked my daughter if she was sure this is what happened and instead put it down to someone playfully grabbing her hood."
Following a lengthy complaint to the council, correspondence seen by Edinburgh Live shows officers admitted an accident form should have been filled out following the head injury sustained when falling. They also admit she should have remained under supervision of school staff until her mum arrived, instead of being left in the care of an After School Club staff.
The mum continued: "My daughter was also taken around all the classes following the incident where she was strangled and asked to point out who did it. She pointed out one boy who is several years older, but the school maintained he was off school that day. I said why would she make up who did that to her.
"I know teachers can't prevent incidents such as these happening, but it's just the way it has been dealt with that's wrong. The teacher's excuse was the fact she's a sensitive child, but what's that got to do with anything."
Following several incidents of bullying and aggressive behaviour, the woman actually withdrew her daughter from the school for two months while she physically and emotionally recovered.
After the council delivered their outcome report, the parent was told to contact government body Education Scotland if she was still unhappy - but that would take up to ten months for the case to be assigned before even being investigated.
A letter, seen by Edinburgh Live, states that two of the parent's complaints were partially upheld. It says that the girl should have remained under constant supervision following the heavy blow to her head in August 2022. They also said that despite a series of actions to support her emotional and physical welfare, they recommend that such incidents are investigated in a timely manner.
She added: "I can't say it's one kid in particular, as my daughter told me the one who punched her and cut her hair was in her class, but the one who strangled her was in primary five.
"Me and my husband are both very concerned. He spends a lot of time away through work but has also been phoning and emailing the council to get answers. I feel like they're calling a five-year-old a liar before even investigating.
"I have even considered moving her to a different school, but it's not that easy. She would leave behind her friends, after school club and we'd have to drive further to drop off and collect her. I just want this to be resolved."
The parent added concerns over the supposed cuts to the education budget in Midlothian, saying that all the additional support that her daughter is to receive are areas that are set to be cut by the government.
Her daughter has also enrolled in the Military Children's Choir to help take her mind of past incidents, which has helped massively, although she highlighted one of the proposed areas of cuts is reducing the instrumental music service. Musical therapy has been proven to beneficial for emotional, physical and psychological needs.
She continued to say that the school in question does not have the staff required to look after so many pupils and the jump from classes of eight throughout nursery to as many as 26 in primary school is hard to control.
A Midlothian Council spokesperson said: “We take all allegations of bullying very seriously. There are procedures in place within the school and within the Education and Children’s Services division to deal with reported incidents and to respond to concerns and complaints.
“These procedures have been followed and the concerns of the family fully investigated. The school has met with the parent and will continue to work with her to address any issues.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Bullying and violence is never acceptable and the safety of pupils and staff is paramount. It is for schools to decide what action should be taken depending on the individual circumstances of each case.
"We want all pupils to behave in a respectful manner towards their peers and staff – both inside and outside of the school grounds. We have produced guidance for local authorities and schools to promote positive relationships and manage behaviour.
"Scottish Government guidance is also in place to ensure a consistent approach to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools. This includes ensuring that appropriate support is put in place for all children and young people involved in a bullying incident. We expect all schools and local authorities to be using this approach.
"There are a number of programmes schools and local authorities can and do use to promote positive relationships and behaviour in schools."
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