Shocking claims from Northfield School and Sports College parents after three teenage suicides
Amid allegations of bullying, three young pupils from the 1,300-strong school in Billingham, Teesside, have taken their own lives within a year
EXAM results are impressive and inspection reports are glowing – but a toxic gloom hangs over Northfield School and Sports College.
Amid allegations of bullying, three young pupils from the 1,300-strong school in Billingham, Teesside, have taken their own lives within a year.
The institution that proudly boasts of its anti-bullying stance now finds itself having to answer serious questions about a problem that some parents say has spiralled dangerously out of control.
Parents of other students have told The Sun that bullying is rife at Northfield.
They accuse head teacher Craig Walker of not doing enough to stop it and allege that ill-disciplined pupils “rule” the school which boasts Billy Elliot actor Jamie Bell and several professional footballers among its old boys.
One mum said: “For three boys to have died is a damning indictment on the school, but what is really sad is that no one is really surprised. There was a sense that it was inevitable, that is the most appalling thing of all.”
Tragedy struck for the first time last April when popular 15-year-old Harry Gray was found hanged outside his bedroom, a month after a fellow pupil at Northfield had threatened to have him stabbed following a disagreement.
Just two days later, 13-year-old Elton Harland, who had been Harry’s friend at Northfield and who had tweeted a tribute to him, was found dead in Lancashire, where he had moved to.
Tracy Waters, 44, said her son Kaiyne, 17, who recently left Northfield, was “tortured” during his five years as a pupil.
He was driven to self-harming and the verge of suicide by regular physical attacks and taunts on Facebook and by text.
She said of the first attack, weeks after the lad had just started at the school aged 11: “Kaiyne’s cheekbone was fractured and the shock of the attack caused a seizure which meant he was rushed to hospital.
“He was off school for a fortnight, yet the lad who attacked him was excluded for two days.”
Regular attacks followed.
Tracy said: This continued throughout his entire time at the school. He would come home in tears, sometimes shaking and would tell me that he wanted to kill himself.” Tracy tried to have the school deal with the bullies but claimed head Mr Walker took “a laid-back approach”.
She said: “He must walk around that school and see nothing, because as far as he is concerned if they don’t see it, it isn’t happening.
“Nothing was done about the bullying Kaiyne was suffering, even when I took in screenshots of the abuse and threats he was getting.”
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Tracy, who said there is no way she would send her ten-year-old daughter to the school, said: “I’ll never know how close I came to being like Harry’s mum or Arin’s. He was just so desperate.
“The school has to be held to account. If they are properly supported, no child aged 13 or 15 becomes so desperate about what’s happening to them in school that they choose to end their lives.”
The first victim, Harry, had reported to the school’s pastoral team that a fellow pupil had threatened to have him stabbed.
The accused pupil later told Harry his report “only made it worse” and the threats continued.