Playground 'assailants' charged with affray

Two of the women at the centre of the Southfield Primary School furore have been charged, but the Head Teacher�s decision to exclude their children is still being argued with the LEA.

Two of the three women (one a juvenile) accused of the vicious playground attack at Southfield Primary have been charged with affray and will appear before Ealing magistrates court on Thursday March 20th. The accusation of �affray� has been made by Southfield School after the alarming assault made on two parents, one a school governor, as the infants entering their playground at the end of school.

Colin Lowther�s exclusion of the children from two families has raised issues that have traveled much further afield than our local community. His decision to protect his school from violent parents has warranted coverage London�s news bulletins, London Radio and a number of national newspapers.

Southfield�s parents, teachers and governors have campaigned rigorously in support of the Head Teacher�s decision and most believe strongly that it would not benefit anybody, least of the excluded children, if they were readmitted to the school. Many of the young children who witnessed the attack were so traumatised, they needed counseling from Ealing Council professionals, for which the school had to provide the funding.

Speaking about Mr Lowther�s actions, Ealing Council leader, John Cudmore, claimed the decision to exclude the pupils was in defiance of regulations after receiving advice from the Department of Education. He claims the DofE was clear in advising the LEA that you can't exclude children on something their parents or family members have done.

However, Charles Clarke Minister for Education, said in a speech in December entitled Discipline in Schools �values such as respect, courtesy and consideration are the foundations of a civilized society. Head Teachers and other school staff deserve respect.� He went on to say that �Education depends on relationships between school staff, pupils and families. Even where an exclusion was not fully justified relationships may something have broken down to such an extent that it is in no-one�s interest for the pupils to return to that school. Exclusion must be an option available to Head Teachers.�

Junior education minister Steven Twigg in his �zero tolerance to violent behaviour in schools� speech stated �When parents� attitudes had caused a breakdown in home-school relations, there was a case �in extreme circumstances� for the children to be expelled�
Both these ministers� statements, not made in relation to this particular case, would appear to support Mr Lowther�s decision to exclude the children.

Cllr Cudmore said there was still a chance the children would return to Southfield or go to another school in the area: He realizes that it's not going to be easy to get their education back on track and that it is the job of the local authority is to find another place. He added that the degree of publicity these children have had will make it even more difficult.

March 15, 2003

Crisis for local school after playground attack

Ealing LEA to support excluded families' legal action

Somali family lives in fear