Furious parents have hit out at a primary school after it hosted a Jubilee picnic for pupils last week, as it has been alleged that some children were made to eat their lunch in a separate field from others.
Students at West Hill Primary School in Cannock, Staffordshire, were treated to a picnic on Friday, May 27, ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and were allowed to bring their parents to enjoy the outdoor eating experience with them.
But it has been claimed that children who did not have their parents attend the event were forced to eat in a separate field away from their friends, where they could be looked after by staff, Birmingham Live reports.
The school faced backlash for the decision on Facebook after posting a message to thank everyone who was in attendance at the picnic.
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They had written: "Thank you all for coming and joining in with our Jubilee picnic. We hope you all had a wonderful time and have a lovely half term!"
Comments flooded in from angry parents who accused the school of treating those without their parents present "like outcasts" and sending several kids home "upset" amid allegations that the separated children also weren't allowed to join in with the tombola or the Jubilee-themed parade.
One parent wrote: "Disgraceful ... my six-year-old was so upset as I couldn't make it due to work commitments and was excluded to eat lunch separately and wasn't allowed to join in. Being a one parent family, I don't think this is acceptable!"
While another fumed: "And thanks for excluding the children whose parents couldn't make it! I was under the impression it was something for all children to enjoy and not be treated like outcasts because their parents had to work."
And a third said: "Three very upset children, not even allowed to have a go on the tombola or join in the parade after they had to eat their lunch separately, well done West Hill."
There were more unhappy parents who claimed separating the children was "unfair", with one even saying her daughter was distraught after being told she "wasn't allowed to join in the Jubilee".
Someone noted: "She’s told us at dinner time and bedtime she wasn’t allowed to join in the Jubilee, so I’ve reassured her it wasn’t the real Jubilee and she will be joining in with the real one next weekend."
As another furious parent said: "I must admit I was surprised when my kids said they weren't allowed to attend or take part in the parade, seems unfair to exclude the children from every aspect of the jubilee celebrations just because their parents weren't able to attend."
However, Kelly Bracebridge, headteacher at West Hill Primary School, has insisted staff had to do what they could to ensure that children without parents present were "safe and supervised at all times", and said that "no one was excluded" from events.
She said: "We held a jubilee lunch where parents were invited to have lunch with children on our field—these children were supervised by their parents. Children whose parents could not attend the lunch had their jubilee lunch on a different field, where they could be supervised by lunch staff.
"Ultimately, we had to make sure the children without parental supervision were safe and supervised at all times. No one was excluded, everyone had a jubilee lunch, and everyone that we spoke to had a really lovely day."
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