Revenge

We've just got rid (they've gone up to senior school) of a "behaviourally challenging" year group - not the whole year group of course, but a group of about 20 children within it. Do you get the idea that if I say "behaviourally challenging" it means absolutely, bloody, awful behaviour - well if you do you're right. I don't mean pranksters, jokers, wise crackers in the back corner of the room. I mean physically aggressive, mental little monsters. Children already known to Behavioural Support Services, Social Services and the criminal justice system. Children who would lie, fight, bully and do anything they could to come out on top - whoever they hurt on the way up.

We first asked for help and guidance from Behavioural Support when the group were 5 years old. Over the years we have put so much time and effort into trying to help them change ... to no avail. And in fact the "problem" group within the year group had swelled.

I'm sorry to say that I don't feel any sadness about them moving on, I won't miss them and I don't really care if we don't get them back as visitors. And I also feel no remorse for what I did yesterday. A group of them gathered at our school fence to heckle the children inside. Their taunts were offensive, racist (even though 2 of the boys were themselves Sikh) and threatening. I approached the fence and asked them to move away.

One of them came straight back at me - you can't ask us to go away, we can stand here if we like, it's the pavement. I repeated my request and added that I wanted them to go away because they were winding the children on the playground up. No!

I was rapidly working out my options when help arrived on a white charger - a passing police car saw what was happening, slowed, reversed and parked next to the boys. They didn't half move on pretty damn quick when he asked. I blew him a kiss for his help :o) Ah revenge. Do I feel guilty - fat chance!