Page 37 of A Class Act

‘Which bit, Sorrel?’ I hissed. ‘How manybitsare there?’

‘Ms…?’

‘Allen,’ I offered with a smile. ‘We’re all Allen.’

‘Ms Allen,’ she started again. ‘I hadMrsAllen sitting here at the beginning of last week, which, I’m sure you’ll be aware, was only the first week of the new academic year. When I took up my headship at Beddingfield last Easter I inherited a litany of Sorrel’s misdemeanours. And, I’m sure you’realsoaware,’ she went on, and here she raised an eyebrow in Jayden’s and my direction, ‘but, I’m getting the impression you’renot… that Sorrel was already on probation?’ She ran a hand through her long blonde hair. ‘My predecessor, Mr King, had excluded her several times for short periods of time but always allowed her back into school. I accepted the post here with the proviso that, together with the governors, I would be operating a zero-tolerance policy on poor student behaviour. As such, to protect the good name of the school, the other students, and particularly the parents who have constantly been to see me with complaints about Sorrel, Mrs Allen was told, as was Sorrel, that any more taking of other people’s property?—’

‘Property?’ I stared.

‘A mobile phone last Tuesday. Sorrel was given a final written warning on Wednesday. On Thursday she disrupted the PE session – Sorrel has opted to take GCSE PE, as you know.’

I didn’t.

‘And disrupted the dance session.’

‘Call that dance?’ Sorrel sneered. ‘It was a stupid sailors’ hornpipe…’

‘Sorrel,’ I snapped. ‘Enough.’

‘Sorrel took Mrs Pemberton’s phone from her hand…’

‘I was just trying to get some decent music on the deck.’

‘…actually snatched the phone from the teacher’s hand, leaving her with a quite unpleasant scratch to her wrist…’

‘It was a tiny little mark, for heaven’s sake.’ Sorrel sat back in her chair, arms folded, a closed-down expression on her very pretty face.

‘…and then walked out of school with it.’ Ms Liversedge raised an eyebrow and then a hand as Sorrel attempted to speak. ‘That teacher’s phone is still to be recovered, and the matter is now in the hands of the police.’

I closed my eyes briefly, then glanced across at Jayden, whose face was impassive.

‘I didn’t nick it.’ Sorrel said, shaking her head. ‘If she’d had the sense to use Find My Phone, she’d know I left it on the windowsill outside the gym.’

Ignoring Sorrel, Ms Liversedge continued. ‘I asked Sorrel’s mother to come into school on Friday, and that’s when I told her there was no longer a place for Sorrel here at Beddingfield High.’

‘Which was more than enough to make her ill again,’ Jayden interrupted. ‘Brought on one of the seizures which are part of her condition. She’s back in hospital, you know.’ Jayden, usually pretty laid-back, sat up in his chair crossly. ‘Surely your ESW should have been working with Sorrel?’

‘ESW?’ I asked.

‘Educational social worker,’ Jayden snapped. ‘I’m assuming the school has one, Ms Liversedge?’

‘Of course,’ she said smoothly. She really was an incredibly cool customer, very attractive with a quite amazing bosom on full display beneath a plunging white silk top.

‘What’s their role?’ I asked hopefully, leaning forward. Was this someone we could turn to for help?

‘An educational social worker will coordinate with parents, teachers and students to assess and resolve the student’s behavioural and social problems. One of their main responsibilities is to create a plan to help students function in a school environment, participating in the special educational needs process as necessary.’

‘I’m not SEN,’ Sorrel hissed in fury. ‘That’s for the thickos who can’t do the work. She was rubbish anyway.’

‘Surely she should be in this meeting with us now?’ I asked, pinning all my hopes – and desperation – onto this elusive demi-goddess of off-the-rail fifteen-year-olds.

‘Unfortunately, she’s been dealing with a higher than usual number of cases and erm… erm… has gone off with… erm… stress. We have been told a replacement for Ms Greenhough is forthcoming, but…’

‘But probably not forthcoming this week or next?’

‘As you say.’ Ms Liversedge steepled her fingers and looked across at us over her hands. ‘It’s not the best of situations but… but I’m afraid the governors and myself are not prepared to back down on this. To be honest, I’m very surprised to see you all herethis morning. Mr Bray – our chair of governors – and I werequite adamantabout our decision when we spoke to Sorrel’s mother on Friday afternoon.’

‘As my father has already told you, she’s in hospital,’ I hissed. ‘Possibly – in fact quite probably –becauseof all this.’

---