School bans parents from sports days in CRB check fear
- Published
A school in Leicestershire has banned parents from attending its sports days - as it cannot guarantee they have undergone police checks.
A father was asked to leave De Lisle Catholic Science College, in Loughborough, when he went to watch his 12-year-old son.
In a statement, the school said it did acknowledge what had happened and that it was reviewing its policies.
The county council said parents should have access to school activities.
Policy 'lunacy'
The father, who wants to remain anonymous, said: "I had to go and stand 30-foot away behind a fence, feeling as though I'd done something wrong.
"It left me feeling rather upset [and] left my son very disappointed.
"The policy I think is lunacy because at the end of the day he is my child and I like to support him as he grows up through various ventures."
The man said he had rung the school on the morning of the sports day to find out where the event was taking place and at what time.
He then went to the venue, Loughborough University, where he stood at the side of the playing fields watching the children.
A teacher asked him to leave, saying no parents were allowed because they had not been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau.
The man said that as a taxi driver he had been CRB checked, but was still asked to leave.
The school said in a statement: "We fully appreciate that one parent was upset by our policy regarding the attendance of parents at sports days.
"As standard procedure, all our policies are subject to regular review and are changed to meet the needs of our students.
"We regret that on this occasion one parent was upset and we look to review our policy appropriately."
A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council: "Parents should have access to school activities.
"We certainly do not issue any guidance to say parents should have a CRB check to attend school sports days.
"The day-to-day running of the school is a matter for the school and its governors, but we are contacting the school to discuss their policy with them."