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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Rachel Alexander & Susie Beever

Mum BANNED from son's school after row with headteacher over dinner lady

A mum says she has been banned from her son's school after storming into the head's office like a "momma bear" over a dinner lady row.

Kerry Riley admits calling son Tjay's headteacher "a few names under the sun" following the argument over the lunchtime staff member, the exact cause of which she has not revealed.

But after the 29-year-old from Stoke brought Tjay, eight, into school the next morning, she found she was barred from stepping foot on the premises.

Kerry said she had been gearing herself up to apologise when she was kicked off the grounds at Knutton St Mary's Academy in the city.

“I basically told the headteacher that he had the rest of the week to sort things out or I would end up dragging the dinner lady out myself," Kerry told Stoke-on-Trent Live.

"I did call him a few names under the sun."

Knutton St Mary's Academy said it wouldn't tolerate abusive and threats towards staff (Stoke Sentinel)

She added: "When I went into school the next morning he then pulled me aside.

"He said ‘You’ve not received your email, you’re not allowed on the premises'."

The email revealed that the school had "concerns" over Kerry's recent behaviour on the site, adding her "aggressive manner", "threatening language" and "swearing" towards staff had led the school to issue the three-month ban.

Kerry added: “They're classing it as a threat that I had stated I would 'pull her out of school myself'. I was thinking it was a joke. I have issues with this dinner lady.

“I’d previously spoken to them nicely about it and they had made a verbal agreement. The school basically agreed that they would keep her away from him. Then, he came out on two separate days saying she’d approached him and spoken to him.”

Tjay is now off school, despite head teacher Paul Berridge saying arrangements could be made to drop and collect him at the school gates.

“It’s one of them, he’s my son, he’s my responsibility to make sure he goes in. You can’t see the door that he goes in and out of.

"My son’s currently not in school. I‘m a single parent. At the minute he’s missing out on school. He got upset this morning, he’s upset about not being around his friends.”

Knutton St Mary's Academy said it would not tolerate "threats of physical violence" and "abusive language" towards staff.

Headteacher Mr Berridge said: "As a rule, we do not usually comment on individual cases. However, I wish to reassure you that we take the safeguarding of pupils very seriously at Knutton St Mary’s.

"What we are not prepared to accept is threats of physical violence and inappropriate abusive language towards staff. In such situations a banning order may be issued to a parent.

"Separate arrangements are made to ensure that the child can continue to be brought to school and dropped off and picked up at the gate, as is the case in this instance."

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