A CHILD was left to sit in wet clothes after being refused a request to use a toilet at a school run by an under-fire academy trust, it has been claimed reports the Local Democracy Reporter.
The shocking event was revealed by a councillor who attended a public meeting where up to 150 parents gathered to express concerns about the way their children are treated by the Mossbourne Federation.
The trust now runs the Hassenbrook Primary School, Gable Hall School and the Corringham Academy.
The Hackney-based trust has previously come under fire for its overly strict approach at its east London schools.
At the meeting held shortly after Christmas, attended by Vikki Hartstean, councillor for children’s services and education, and council leader John Kent, it was agreed a “task and finish” group of councillors would be set up as an impartial intermediary between parents and the Mossbourne trust.
Explaining the level of parents’ concern at a people overview and scrutiny committee meeting on Thursday, chairman Neil Speight said: “A child who was in school asked to go to the toilet and the Mossbourne policy is that you don’t go to the toilet for a certain amount of time and from what I understand the toilets are actually locked.
“That child actually wet themselves in classroom and the teacher made that child sit in that classroom in that state.”
According to Mr Speight, the trust has since apologised.
He added: “It is a safeguarding issue. We can be that voice for parents.”
Despite the concerns, the majority of councillors agreed to delay setting up a group to tackle the issues.
Ms Hartstean claimed she “didn’t recall” agreeing to set up a task and finish group and despite being “extremely unhappy” about the issues at the school the councillor saud she did not “want to discuss the issues in public forum” as it was “inappropriate”.
She added she met with the Department for Education and the trust and had agreed to hold monthly meeting with parents.
In response Mr Speight said: “I don’t think we should be sugar-coating the situation we are in.
“They came to us and said my child is in pain, my child is hurting, my child is crying and we said we will help.
Are we really prepared to ignore that cry for help?”
Mossbourne Educational Trust took over the schools from the Ortu Academy Trust in January last year. The schools have since been renamed Mossbourne Port Side School, Mossbourne Fobbing Academy and Mossbourne Herd Lane.
The trust has been contacted to comment.
