Eleven Plus Bullies

I listened to a mum today at the leisure centre. She described the problems her daughter has had with bullying at school. The girl is now ten years old and will be taking her Eleven Plus after the summer holidays.

The girl is very bright. She has found Level 5 work easy to cope with and loves the challenge of new work. She is perfectly happy to tackle hard and demanding questions – and is friendly and unassuming. We have enjoyed her company.

It transpires that she has been bullied at school on a regular basis.

Her parents have followed the correct paths. They have spoken to the various teachers, and the head teacher. The mum said: “The teachers have been brilliant. We could not ask for more.”

The girl has had counselling because, in spite of energetic intervention, the problem has persisted. The bullies, apparently, have been unrelenting.

This is a sad tale. The statement was made that it was unlikely that the bullies would follow the girl to grammar school.

The academically gifted have been persecuted for ages. History abounds with able people who have been hounded and pilloried.