Headteacher bans parents from the playground

Mothers and fathers have been able to enter the grounds and even classrooms for years to drop off their kids off at the start of the day and pick them up after lessons.

But they have now been ordered to wait outside the gates of Chase Lane Primary School in Essex or face legal action for trespass.

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The situation has become so heated, police were called in on Monday - the day the diktat took effect - to prevent a breach of the peace.

The school claims it has taken action because adults were obscuring teachers' views of children in the playground - even though there is no record of any problems as a result.

Kelly Raison, who has a daughter at the school, said: "We were told we were not allowed to take children in the playground because of health and safety. Parents are up in arms."

Another mother, who declined to be named, said: "It seems absolutely ridiculous to me. Parents have been taking their children into the playground and collecting them from the playground for years.

"How on earth can this be a health and safety issue unless Mrs Carter knows something we don't?"

A newsletter sent to parents said warned they were only allowed beyond the school gate if they needed to speak to a member of staff to arrange an appointment.

It added: "The health and safety of our children is of paramount concern. We believe this is the most effective way of ensuring safety and enjoyment of our children.

"If parents continue to enter the playground they will receive individual letters of requesting them not to do so.

"If they fail to respond, names will be passed to the local authority for them to take legal proceedings."

Chase Lane, in Dovercourt, Harwich, is a mixed primary with 394 pupils aged between three and 11.

Ironically, an Ofsted report from January described it as "a good school which rightly commands the confidence of parents".

An Essex police spokesman confirmed: "Harwich police attended the school to prevent a breach of the peace."

He added it had been a 'precautionary measure' and no arrests were made.

Mrs Carter was unavailable to comment yesterday.

But a school source said: "There were so many parents in the playground we couldn't see the children and account for them.

"Now, if the parents wait outside the gate and the children are in the playground, we can see what's going on."

Headteacher Deborah Carter said yesterday: "We have been experiencing problems with parents dropping off and collecting their children from school and have received complaints from the pupils that the parents are overcrowding the site.

"So many parents now wait on the playgrounds, school field and pathways that it is stopping the children from enjoying their playtime before school and is occasionally making it difficult for the pupils to get to their classrooms.

"I asked the School Council, which is made up of students, how we could improve this for them. They suggested a Hug and Bye to Parents area which we will be introducing shortly.

"To try and ease this problem it was also decided to revert back to the old school policy of dropping off and picking up at the inner school gate, which is within the school grounds."