Parents' plea for exam feedback change after girl's suicide
Her parents say she had become distressed when discussing her options with teachers, particularly over suggestions she might need to change subjects to reach university.Her dad Glen Markey said: "The first thing was that there wasn't a breakout room for children if they became distressed, there was nobody there that had designated pastoral responsibility."So, they were all good senior teachers, but none of them had that sort of specific skill set."The De Ferrers Academy later implemented pastoral and safeguarding changes and told the BBC those approaches continued today.But at the time of his daughter's distress, there was no such provision, said Mr Markey, who pointed to an issue that arose during Helena's inquest; a hearing that touched upon protocol, or lack thereof, in circumstances where pupils faced such struggles."The most important thing the coroner said was that in law, there was no process for calling parents," Mr Markey explained.A decade on from Helena's death, and as exam results loom for teens this month, the couple are now petitioning the government for change, asking for "specific statutory guidance" that requires schools, colleges and universities to notify parents if a pupil is distressed by results feedback. Helena's mum Sharron Markey said she and her husband would have gone straight to the school had they been made aware of their daughter's experience."It is really a simple thing, a phone call. Schools ring parents for example if a child turns up at school and hasn't got the correct uniform."It's just common sense – a duty of care", she said.
The inquest into Helena's death, which recorded a verdict that she had taken her life, heard that staff at the school believed the teenager had calmed down after the meeting, and stated that positive aspects of Helena's school life were also discussed.One staff member told the inquest that they believed Helena was heading home to discuss it further with her parents.The de Ferrer's Academy said Helena was "a bright, happy and talented pupil" and was regularly in their thoughts.A spokesperson said: "We support any initiative or conversation that helps raise awareness of the support that young people need – particularly at key milestones in their lives, such as the end of their exams."Following this tragedy, we further enhanced how we help students transition through different stages of their education…"In fact our last independent Safeguarding report concludes that "children and parents can feel assured that the wellbeing and safety of all pupils is taken extremely seriously [and] there are effective processes and policies in place to uphold this."
The Markeys worry that not enough is happening nationwide to support children.Mr Markey said: "There's a mental health crisis out there with young people, but a new national policy [is] something we think will benefit teachers."I think [young people are] under as much pressure these days as they've ever been. This is really important – it could save lives."Ahead of A-Level and GCSE results days this month, their campaign for statutory guidance is being backed by the Burton and Uttoxeter MP Jacob Collier, who attended The de Ferrers Academy in the year above Helena."I still remember the smile that Helena had, that lit any room that she was in. And I thank Glen and Sharron for the bravery that they're showing in wanting to make a difference for parents," the MP said."The key thing in this campaign is that we see action from the government, so I'll be taking this to the minister and raising the case of Helena and the campaign to hopefully bring about the change that we want to see."
DfE statement
A Department for Education spokesperson said in any circumstances, schools and colleges must carry out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children."Through our Plan for Change, we are rolling out access to a mental health professional in every school, as well as our new [Relationship, Sex and Health Education] curriculum, which has made clear that secondary schools should work closely with mental health professionals to discuss suicide prevention in an age-appropriate way."Pastoral support across most secondary schools has shifted considerably after the pandemic, with extra investment in mental wellbeing, and more support staff being employed in some cases.Today, the thought of a phone call home seems an obvious thing, Mrs Markey suggests."We don't want this to happen to other families," she said. "Helena was such a beautiful person. Caring, thoughtful, generous. Just perfect."
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BBC News
18 minutes ago
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And what message do they send if they don't charge them all? So far, three people have been charged with displaying an item showing support for Palestine Action during the first demonstration on 5 July. They will all appear in court next director of public prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, had to consult the Attorney General's Office before he could go ahead with the charges because of additional safeguards in some terrorism means that Lord Hermer, the Attorney General and also a cabinet minister, or his deputy, may have to be involved in each of the files that police send to in turn, means the vast majority of the 700 may not know for months if they are going to end up on trial - in cases that could be more than a year away from a assuming they do get charged, history suggests the risk of a maximum of 14-year sentence is low. Palestine Action can challenge UK ban, court rulesPalestine Action protest arrests rise to more than 500Some don't know 'full nature' of Palestine Action, says Cooper Conventionally, a conviction like this would leave careers in tatters and have other life-changing equation for some Palestine Action protesters is are older people who have graduated from involvement in climate change activism and believe the ban breaches free speech safeguards. It seems many have fewer fears about the impact of arrest on their day-to-day is the ban on Palestine Action a legal and PR disaster in the making for Home Secretary Yvette Cooper?Huda Ammori, Palestine Action's co-founder, has said on social media: "The system can't cope when thousands resist." But ministers hope that the difference between the organisation she founded and other forms of protest over Gaza will become clear thanks to the second of the three linked legal battles soon to take centre August 2024 alleged PAG supporters broke into Elbit Systems UK in Bristol, an Israeli defence firm that has long been a key target.A repurposed prison van smashed through a security fence and crowbars and a sledgehammer were allegedly used to smash up people were injured: a security guard and two police Action promoted video of the damage - but not any pictures of the alleged allegations begin to come to trial in November. Some 18 people deny charges including criminal damage, assault causing actual bodily harm, violent disorder and aggravated incident prompted national security officials and the police to look at whether a terrorism ban on PAG could be justified, after having previously concluded that the vast majority of its highly disruptive activities amounted to minor criminal damage. Documents disclosed to the BBC in the High Court show how the thinking on a ban had evolved. Palestine Action was becoming more militant, said officials. It had allegedly produced an "underground manual" that it was claimed detailed how to plan a "break-in", referring to face masks, burner phones and fake car number plates."With an efficient sledgehammer in your hand, you can cause quite a bit of damage," the manual read, before than detailing how to do this is where the UK's wide definition of terrorism comes in. It includes not just the threat or use of violence to advance a cause - but also the use of serious criminal because in the 1990s the IRA began causing economic damage through bombs, without taking when Cooper banned PAG, her decision was largely informed by what the Home Office has described as millions of pounds of criminal damage, not an assessment that it was a group of murderous militants."Proscription is about one narrow group that has been involved in violent attacks including injuries, including weapons, smoke bombs causing panic among innocent people, major criminal damage," the home secretary said following last Saturday's arrests."There may be people who are objecting to proscription who don't know the full nature of this organisation due to court restrictions on reporting while serious prosecutions are under way but it's really important that no one is in any doubt that this is not a non-violent organisation." Ms Ammori has contested this characterisation, saying the government's own papers show that Palestine Action did not advocate for brings us to the third of the three big legal challenges that will decide this affair: was the Home Secretary right?The High Court will consider in the autumn if the ban was a rational and proportionate response to PAG's Hall KC, the independent watchdog of terrorism laws, has previously told BBC News that the ban is legally workable because the group had moved from protest into what is effectively "blackmail" - suggesting it was exerting pressure to get what it Ms Ammori's legal team have a range of significant arguments around freedom of Turk, the United Nations' human rights chief has got involved too, saying the ban is so wrong it places the UK outside international outcome of that case will define whether Palestine Action remains banned. If the ban falls, then the 700 arrested so far are free - their cases would collapse. As for the group itself, it may feel emboldened - but would know that it could still be banned again if its actions cross the terrorism laws the ban stands, then the advantage will be with the government - and arrests and charges will is the counter-terrorism policing way: slowly but surely, step by step, seek to contain and, ultimately, crush the threat.
