More than half of school leaders have suffered online bullying

Fifty-six per cent of leaders in mainstream schools across England said they had encountered negative or offensive comments on social media from children’s parents over the past year.

The poll from The Key, the organisation that provides leadership and management support to schools, also showed that almost two in 10 (15 per cent) said they’d been the victim of cyberbullying during their career.

Personal insults, grievances and potentially libellous remarks are among the types of comments that school staff reportedly face from parents via social media sites, like Facebook.

The Key's survey of more than 1,000 school leaders found that issues were more prevalent at a primary level, with almost six in 10 (59%) saying they’ve had to deal with parents’ negative posts on social media, in comparison to almost half (46%) of secondary school leaders.

Speaking about the findings, Fergal Roche, CEO of The Key, said: “Inaccurate or offensive comments are not only upsetting for those individuals involved, but at a time when schools are increasingly having to market themselves to attract pupils and staff, such public and negative remarks can have a detrimental impact on their reputation.”

Schools are using a variety of approaches to support and manage engagement with parents and their wider communities online. Some, for example, are incorporating parent/carer codes of conduct into school policies to set expectations around the use of social media.

Others ask parents and carers to refrain from discussing the business of school or children attending school in any public forum, while many request that complaints are made via official school channels rather than social networking sites.

Fergal Roche continues: “Schools take complaints seriously, and have formal processes to ensure that any issues are resolved quickly and with pupils’ interests at the fore. Nevertheless, it’s important that schools recognise the potential risks of social media. Building strong, two-way relationships with parents and carers, and having procedures that are clear and mutually beneficial, helps to ensure that everyone feels part of an inclusive community where concerns are aired constructively.”