Parents have called off plans for a march to protest about safety at their children’s school. They planned to march to Newport's Lliswerry High on Friday (April 28) after two violent incidents at the school, both of which were reported to police.
Newport Council said the march has now been called off. Headteacher Neil Davies has also written to parents assuring them children are safe and asking them to warn their children about responsible use of social media.
Mr Davies said “most of the issues” in schools are now caused by social media. His letter follows chatter and footage being shared following a fight between two pupils on Monday, April 24.
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Teachers broke up the pre-planned fight between the two boys which was witnessed by large numbers of pupils. Footage was taken on mobile phones and shared.
Later that day, in an unrelated incident, a pupil was assaulted out of school hours near Spytty Stadium. That pupil was treated in hospital but later released and there was no suggestion people involved were Lliswerry High learners, Mr Davies said.
Responding to concerns about the incidents Mr Davies assured parents and carers in a letter that pupil safety was a priority. The two boys involved in Monday’s fight are not in school now and statutory procedures were being followed, he added.
The letter added: "In the first incident, a fight had been arranged between two learners to take place at break time on Monday. Social media had been used over the weekend by the two boys involved in order to organise this and staff on duty quickly intervened to stop the incident.
"The online mobile phone footage shared by some showed one of the learners wanting to continue the fight and staff stopping him from doing so, as is their duty of course. There were a large number of learners in the vicinity as it was break time and the yard was busy."
Mr Davies said he understood the phone footage shared on social media "may have caused concern to parents, carers and learners". He said safety remains a "number one priority in school" but admitted "the reality of all secondary schools is that there may sometimes be incidents of unacceptable behaviour".
Mr Davies went on to ask help from parents and carers talking to their children about using social media.
"I would ask that parents and carers talk to their children about the use of social media and highlight the importance of safety, appropriate use and the potential implications of things said and shared on such platforms. Social media continues to be one of the main causes of issues in schools and we will continue to address this in school as part of our normal school curriculum, alongside any extra-curricular provision."
In a statement Newport Council said: "The school and council are united in their efforts to ensure every child has the best possible experiences. The school always welcomes discussion should any parents, carers or learners have any concerns, issues or need support, and the ways in which contact can be made are regularly shared within the school community.
"We are very pleased that positive discussions have taken place regarding the proposed march. We would like to reiterate that the incidents on Monday were unrelated.
"The incident that occurred outside of school grounds is subject to an ongoing police investigation. The school incident is being dealt with in line with Welsh Government behavioural guidance."
A Gwent Police spokesperson said: "We were aware of a planned march in Newport on Friday 28 April. Our response to any public gathering will always be fair and proportionate."
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