Parent accuses Hastings primary school of ignoring racist abuse

The woman, who has given her full name and details to the Hastings Observer but asked to remain anonymous for her child’s safety, said Sandown Primary School, The Ridge, Hastings, where her daughter attends, has failed to keep a record of incidents she has reported.

In response, the school said it was ‘not aware of any evidence of racist abuse’ and advised the parent to speak to the headteacher directly.

The concerned mum said: “I have had meetings with the school on a number of occasions but they have failed to take my complaints seriously or keep a record of them.

“My daughter gets so upset by the racist abuse that she asks to stay at home and it’s having an impact on her education.”

Responding to these concerns, the school’s headteacher Charlie Lindsay said he had not received reports of racist abuse.

He said: “Bullying and abuse has absolutely no place in our school and we take this extremely seriously.

“We investigate any reports thoroughly and take appropriate action.

“We are not aware of any evidence of racist abuse, but would encourage (her) to speak to us directly about any concerns she might have.”

The woman said her daughter has refused to go to school due to the abuse she has received.

As a result, the school’s educational welfare officer has got involved due to concerns over the girl’s lack of attendance.

The woman, who claims she has been treated differently to other parents, said a welfare officer has turned up at her home address to ask about her daughter’s absences.

She said: “I just don’t want to stand for it anymore. I wonder if there are other people experiencing the same problems as me so I wanted to put my story out there.”

In a written statement, Mr Lindsay said the school was working closely with the parent to ensure her child attends regularly.

He said: “Good attendance is vital to ensure our children achieve their best and reach their full potential.

“As we would with any family, we have worked closely with (her) to help her ensure her child attends school regularly and arrives on time, and we will continue to do so.”

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