Crisis for local school after playground attack
Southfield School Head fights for the
right to protect his school from violent families
After
a vicious attack on two parents in the infant playground of Southfield
Primary School, the Head Teacher Colin Lowther has expressed his
fury at the LEA�s decision to reinstate the families of the offenders.

Police on patrol at school as parents
collect children |
The attack happened at 3.15 last Tuesday as the children were coming
out of school. Eye witnesses told how a Somalian woman was verbally
abused by Irish traveller women (two are juveniles) after which
she was pushed to the ground and viciously kicked. Parents went
immediately to her aid only to be turned on by the attackers.
Another
woman was then violently assaulted, losing clumps of hair from her
head in the attack � her only crime was to help a fellow parent.It
took five people to restrain one of the mothers. The women were
arrested and released on bail without charge.
The Head Teacher, Colin Lowther�s immediate reaction was to exclude
the two families, who have six children at the school, and hold
an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors. He was taken aback
when he didn�t receive unanimous support for his decision.
The
Ealing LEA informed him that it was �illegal� to exclude the children
on the basis of their families� behaviour and that the children
were to return to school on Monday 3rd March, which is what has
happened. This action goes against the Government�s pledge of a
"zero tolerance" campaign against violent parents in which
Stephen Twigg, the education minister, said pupils could be excluded
in exceptional cases for the misdeeds of their parents.

Two TV camera teams outside the
school |
Understandably parents are now fearful not only for their children�s
safety, but their own safety, even though Police have been stationed
at the school gates since the incident. This allegedly is not the
first attack perpetrated by these families, two other incidents
occurred but the victims were too afraid of repercussions if they
spoke to the Police.
Sadly Mr Lowther feels he is powerless to act against the families
and other parents are keeping their children away from the school,
some have even gone as far as finding alternative places in other
Chiswick schools. "It's very sad when we have worked so hard
to integrate the children," he said. "Parents feel that
if their children do not get on with those from the two families
then they could become targets. I don't feel I can sit back and
watch it happen even if it puts my job on the line." There
has already been two resignations from Governors, one of whom has
already removed their child.
He is fighting for the right to exclude the six children belonging
to the two families who he alleges are being "orchestrated"
by a 14-year-old sibling and her cousin who have been permanently
excluded from other schools.
David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head
Teachers, which is advising Mr Lowther, said it was "absolutely
critical" that heads had the right to exclude pupils on safety
grounds.
The school is seeking an injunction against any member of this family
coming within a certain radius of school property. A previous injunction
had been in force but proved to be ineffective.
March
5, 2003
Ealing
LEA backs excluded families in legal action
Somali
victim of attack lives in fear
|