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