A KINGSTEIGNTON secondary school has said it is committed to providing a ‘safe and supportive’ environment for its students after several parents took to social media decrying the bullying they say their children have experienced at the school.

The strength of feeling toward Teign School among the parents that commented on a post to the Spotted Newton Abbot Facebook page, which garnered more than 100 comments, was palpable.

This comes as the school has said that it is ‘committed to providing a safe and supportive school environment’.

In light of the post, the Mid-Devon Advertiser reached out to parents to hear about their experiences.

One parent said her son was assaulted by another pupil on the bus.

‘He was punched in the face by an older kid who should never have been on the bus in the first place’ the parent said.

‘My son is suffering severely with his mental health, he makes up fake illness so he doesn't have to go into school.

‘You don’t get to speak to anyone high up in the school, it’s always the Wellbeing Officer.

‘They don’t seem to care, and I know I am not the only one’ they added.

Another parent described the school’s student support as ‘completely diabolical’

‘I have had to take my daughter out and temporarily home school her’ the parent said.

The parent is moving their child to a different school in the New Year.

Another parent described receiving a phone call from their child who had locked themselves in the toilet as a result of bullying.

Teign School says it has ‘high expectations of behaviour’ for all its students and that it encourages students and parents to raise any concerns about bullying ‘as soon as possible.

Lucie Wagner, headteacher at Teign School, said: ‘At Teign School we are committed to providing a safe and supportive school environment that values diversity.

‘We have just redrafted our anti bullying policy following extensive consultation with students and parents and we also have student anti-bullying ambassadors at the school, who meet regularly with a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

‘We use Whisper, an anonymous service that lets people report problems they may have at school or at home and staff are also specifically trained to spot signs of bullying and how to support any victims of bullying.

‘At Teign we set high expectations of behaviour for all our students.

‘We encourage any students or parents with concerns about bullying to raise them with us directly as soon as possible so that we can ensure that every child can come to school feeling safe and happy.