Ballarat Grammar: junior school hit by more claims of student “brutalising” others

More parents have come forward with claims about the Ballarat Grammar junior campus, with reports a young male bully has been “brutalising” female students for months.

More parents have come forward with claims about bullying at Ballarat Grammar.

More parents have come forward with claims about the Ballarat Grammar junior campus, with reports a young male bully has been “brutalising” female students for months.

The school is aware of repeated incidents of physical violence and inappropriate touching by the boy, with parents of his young female victims disappointed by what they claim is an “inadequate” response from the school.

Reports have been made to the Victorian Institute of Teaching and Victorian Registration and Quality Authority, parents said.

One parent complained about the boy “hitting, kicking, punching and pushing girls over”.

“He is purposeful and corners the girls and intimidates and isolates them,” they said. “But the school engages in victim-blaming.”

Parents are told they have to be mindful of the boy’s feelings when they complain and also to be aware of the need to protect the reputation of the teachers. This is causing some to lose trust in the school.

One parent said a teacher stopped her daughter from talking about the conduct and dismissed her reports of violence.

The female students targeted are showing mounting signs of trauma and there are escalating concerns for their mental health.

Although the school has taken steps to have separate playground areas, and to have staff monitoring the junior school playground, parents allege the conduct is continuing.

Parents in another year level also claim their children have been subjected to months of critical incidents which have resulted in injury to students and classroom evacuations, as reported by the Herald Sun on Sunday.

Members of the school community are frustrated the problems haven’t been dealt with by the college, which charges $26,000 in annual tuition fees for day students in year 12 and $50,000 for boarders.

One Monday Ballarat Grammar’s headmaster Adam Heath said the school would not discuss the latest incidents outlined “due to privacy reasons, respect for these children and their families, and to safeguard against negative impact on these young children”.

“All Junior School staff at Ballarat Grammar work tirelessly to provide and maintain a safe

environment for young children in their care,” he said.

“When they become aware of any reports or episodes of inappropriate or aggressive behaviour or disrespect amongst the young children, they are taken seriously and responded to with age-appropriate action.”

Ballarat Grammar has already been accused of having a “toxic” culture in the boarding house, with more than a dozen families documenting a cycle of grooming, violence and physical punishments among students as young as 12 and older students.

As a result, the school has instigated two separate external cultural and procedural reviews.

“The school is listening to the school community’s concerns and is fully committed to

working on reform, where needed, right now,” Mr Heath said.

Another parent contacted the Herald Sun to say many parents find the school “a nurturing and safe space, particularly in the junior school”.

Originally published as Ballarat Grammar: junior school hit by more claims of student “brutalising” others