Campaign
Our School Our Voice
We are a group of parents of children at Barclay Primary School in Leyton, East London. We are supported by concerned local community members.
We are campaigning for change. Recent events have revealed a troubling stance by the school, particularly in its treatment of children expressing their cultural identity.
Why was this website founded?
In October 2023, a disagreement began between a sizable number of parents and Barclay Primary School as the school attempted to suppress children’s and parents’ freedom of expression regarding the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
In the days and weeks that followed, details of the disagreement spread among our local community and on social media, and eventually attracted the interest of the local and national media as the police attended a peaceful protest taking place outside the school.
This website has been created to address some of the many misconceptions and untruths that have been circulating about the school’s and parents’ actions. We wish to provide a platform on which interested parties can view reliable information written by those affected by the situation.
We invite you to evaluate the information on this website and to draw your own informed conclusions.
This website aims to:
- Communicate accurate information to inform parents and the local community of the issues related to Barclay Primary School.
- Provide a platform on which parents and the wider community can express their experiences and opinions on the issue.
- Challenge discriminatory practices adopted by Barclay Primary School and to restore equality for all students.
Working with the school
We Are Working Towards the Following Positive Outcomes
- The review and amendment of school policy to ensure that the religious and cultural identity of all children is recognised and respected.
- An addition to Barclay Primary School policy, recognising that its “apolitical” stance cannot infringe children’s and parents’ rights to freedom of expression.
- A new parent-teacher forum for consultation and representation to ensure such incidents will not happen again.
- Accountability of the members of the school’s Senior Leadership Team who have created and enforced damaging policies.
- A letter written by Barclay Primary School to all parents apologising for the negative impact its actions have had on children, their families, and the wider community.
- A letter of apology to the specific families impacted by the schools actions and pastoral care plans put in place for all the children impacted.
Cases
Families Impacted
Case 1
8 year-old Palestinian boy excluded
- A small Palestinian flag on his outdoor jacket, worn in remembrance of loved ones lost in Gaza.
- Boy faced isolation at school and mistreated by staff members.
- Boy effectively excluded and has been left traumatised.
Case 2
6 year-old girl’s struggle for free speech
- Teachers asked child to remove a Palestine flag pinned to her outdoor jacket.
- Child felt extremely uncomfortable and worried. She started hiding her pin.
- Parents raised concerns but the school responded by threatening them.
Case 3
Brother & sister excluded and father banned
- Brother and sister were prevented from entering school due to their outdoor coats having a small Pakistan flag.
- The children were refused entry by two senior staff members at the front entrance.
- When parents questioned the staff, they were banned.
The Cause
Overview of Incidents
Heavy-handed and Threatening Approach
From the very first letter sent to parents on 18th October 2023, the school has taken a threatening, autocratic approach. Parents have faced formal meetings, warning letters, and threats of referral to the Prevent program. In one extreme case, a parent was threatened with police intervention. This aggressive approach was both unprovoked and unnecessary and it has proved harmful to the school-community relationship.
Discriminatory Enforcement
The school has adopted and enforced ad-hoc discriminatory policies. Children were targeted by the school for wearing clothes and symbols perceived by the SLT as representations of Palestinian identity, including Arabic script. This selective scrutiny was not applied to children representing other nationalities or ethnicities. Such actions are not only discriminatory but also deeply concerning in an educational setting.
Actions taken on Non-Uniform Day
On November 17, during a non-uniform day event, the school’s leadership singled out students displaying Palestinian symbols or Arabic writing. This selective scrutiny was not applied to children representing other nationalities or ethnicities, suggesting a discriminatory practice.
Policy Inconsistencies
Barclay Primary School uniform policy did not include mention of outer clothing or pins and badges, nor did it stipulate clothing restrictions on non-uniform days. The policy also explicitly permitted expressions of cultural identity. This was abruptly changed after parents challenged the school’s attempts to prevent children from wearing expressions of solidarity with the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
Furthermore, the school’s ‘apolitical’ policy has been inconsistent. It has actively encouraged thought and discussion on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war, Black Lives Matter and but it has prohibited anything related to Palestine.
Response to Parental Concerns
The lack of constructive engagement by the school culminated in a significant number of parents, representing about 1/6th of the student body, collectively writing to the school to seek dialogue and to express their grievances. The school’s consistent dismissive response to this letter and to individual correspondence by parents has further exacerbated the issue.
Freedom of Speech
The school has sought to restrict children’s and parents’ right to freedom of expression regarding a globally recognised humanitarian issue. These rights are protected under UK and EU law and cannot be curtailed by an institution’s apolitical stance.
Comments
Your Voice
Comments left by parents and the community:
New headteacher didn’t last long. 4 months, WOW! It is now imperative for the authorities to intervene in this school;…
I am saddened to read all the comments here. Saddened because of the children experiencing a pen-pushing, punitive, draining education…
Barclay seem to pile on the stress so much that the teachers buckle under the pressure and leave. They cannot…
It is disheartening to observe that our school has lost most of its Senior Leadership Team who were people of…
Media Coverage
In the News
BARCLAY PRIMARY SCHOOL AND ITS DISTURBING PRO-ISRAEL CONNECTIONS
…The school used political impartiality as a defence and called on parents to avoid “overt demonstrations of political belief”. But this excuse suggests quite the opposite; it is pro-Israeli in that it aligns with the broader, pro-Israeli political zeitgeist that has attacked pro-Palestine activism.
YouTube: BARCLAY PRIMARY IN EAST LONDON PROTEST HIGHLIGHTS
Scenes from the protest at Barclay Primary in Leyton as children had been unable to show solidarity with Gaza whilst in school, such as on a non-school uniform day for Children In Need. At the centre of it has been an eight-year-old pupil who is said to be ostracised after wearing a Palestine badge on his coat.
British-Palestinian Boy ‘Humiliated’ By School for Wearing Flag
His father says he faced ‘extraordinarily degrading punishments’ for representing his identity.
Parents and students defend free speech on Palestine at east London school
Eight year-old Yahya—whose mother is from Gaza—was disciplined for wearing a Palestine flag on his jacket. Around 200 students, parents and supporters gathered outside Barclay Primary School in Leyton, east London, on Thursday morning to show their support for eight year-old Yahya. The school management disciplined him for wearing a small Palestinian flag on his jacket.
Just came across this website and wish to remain anonymous. My son attended Barclays Primary School and left in 2019.…