Headteacher blasted for threatening to ‘isolate’ children as punishment for parents not paying their dinner money on time

A HEADTEACHER has been blasted for threatening to put pupils in lunchtime “isolation” to punish parents who haven’t paid for their child’s dinner money.

The move at Michaela Community School, a secondary free school in Wembley, north London was laid out in a letter to parents.

Headteacher  Katharine Birbalsingh warned if overdue lunch money is not paid within a week, the child will be taken away from classmates and forced to eat lunch alone.

The letter said the pupil will be given a just a sandwich and a piece of fruit instead of a hot meal with pudding, and denied anything further.

You are currently £75 overdue. If this full amount is not received within this week your child will be placed into Lunch Isolation

'Threatening' letter from school

Single mum Dionne Kelly, an unemployed carer, was shocked to receive the “threatening” letter in June, after failing to keep up with the payments for her 12-year-old son Reon.

She claims when the  letter was sent  she  had paid the outstanding lunch money fee – yet  Reon had already been put in ‘isolation’.

The letter Dionne received from the school’s deputy head Barry Smith read: “‘The deadline for this term’s lunch payments was 1st June 2016.

“You are currently £75 overdue.

“If this full amount is not received within this week your child will be placed into Lunch Isolation.

“They will receive a sandwich and piece of fruit only.

“Only when the entire outstanding sum is paid in full will they be allowed into family lunch with their classmates.”

Dionne said: “I found the letter quite threatening.

“Isolating children for their parents not paying upfront is degrading.

“It’s embarrassing for poor families.”

The mum, who has now moved Reon to a different school, claims she received the letter only two weeks after her son had started at the school – and before she had registered for free meals.

The school charges meals at £2.50 a day, with payment required upfront and only school food is allowed to be eaten during what the school calls “family lunch”.

This means packed lunches are banned

Head Birbalsingh said she and Dionne “did not see eye to eye” and maintained the single mum had not paid for Reon’s lunches.

Miss Birbalsingh added: “The letter was sent in an attempt to encourage mum to change her ways and support her son by paying for his food.

“The vast majority of secondary schools use isolation to discipline children.”

The school’s prospectus says it will “bring the values of a private education to young people of all backgrounds by providing a highly academic curriculum and strong discipline”.

Critics took to Twitter to blast the headteacher over the action and Elizabeth Amon said: “Is it a school or a military camp?

“A ridiculous establishment.”

Another user added: “A ‘family lunch’ implies familial feeling.

“Families don’t isolate and shame members who can’t find £75 in one week.”

Stephen Connelly, dubbed the school “Guantanamo Academy” and another user said: “So essentially, we have a school saying: “Pay up, or I’ll hurt your child.

“That’s not education, it’s organised crime.”