A primary school in east London has been forced to close early for Christmas after claiming ‘malicious’ lies on social media led to staff being threatened.
Barclay Primary School in Leyton, Waltham Forest, has been engulfed in a row after a TikTok video alleging that an eight-year-old pupil was bullied by teachers ‘for being Palestinian’ was viewed more than 250,000 times.
In a letter to parents, school chiefs said there was ‘no evidence to support any allegations of bullying or misconduct’ and that internal and external investigations found the claims to be ‘false’.
It slammed the spread of ‘misinformation’, which had resulted in ‘threatening and completely unacceptable conduct’ from activists responding to allegations made on social media.
These included claims that the boy in question was reprimanded for wearing a Palestine badge on his coat and that he was ‘denied playtime and lunchtime privileges’ for refusing to remove it.
The school, responsible for the education of 1,293 children up to the age of 11, was due to break up for Christmas on Friday but education bosses took the decision to close two days early.
It came as protesters gathered outside the school this morning chanting ‘Barclay, shame on you’ and ‘education is under attack’.
Parents have staged a protest amid a row over students wearing Palestinian symbols at an east London school
A Palestinian flag flies above Barclay Primary School, which has been forced to break early for the holidays due to ‘threats to staff’
The row first erupted when some pupils used a Children in Need mufti day to show their support for Palestine with flags, badges and stickers.
A letter was then sent to eight families – out of a school of 1,325 students – warning that ‘inappropriate comments made at school including extremist or divisive comments’ would result in formal meetings with senior figures at the school.
The note also said it could potentially lead to referrals to the Government’s counter terrorism programme, Prevent, or Waltham Forest’s Hate Crime Team.
TikToker Zaki then posted a video, in which he told followers: ‘Barclay Primary School is basically saying that if you support Palestine, you’re going to become a terrorist – or you already are one.’
He also alleged in the clip that a boy had been ‘bullied, harassed and mentally traumatised by his teachers’ and that 170 parents signed a letter of complaint, citing concerns over ‘freedom of speech, disparity of approach and Islamophobia’.
The school, which first opened in 1908 and operates a nursery school of pupils aged three and upwards, refutes the claims and says there is ‘no evidence to support any allegations of bullying or misconduct’ and that internal and external investigations with safeguarding authorities found them to be ‘false’.
Education bosses then sent another letter to parents this week after the TikTok video was widely shared, saying the reference to Prevent had been ‘deliberately taken out of context’.
A spokesperson for the Lion Academy Trust, which runs the school, added that it has never reported anyone to Prevent, nor would it wish to do so, but said it was ‘seeking to be transparent by making individuals aware of the school’s legal obligations’.
Valerie, whose young son goes to the school, told today she thought staff had got it ‘really wrong’ but expressed disappointment at the early closure, and questioned if the protests were ‘suitable’.
‘I wasn’t there this morning – I had to work,’ she explained.
‘I think it’s basically the two things: the school’s got it really wrong, but I am not sure if the protests are suitable.
‘I think it would be better to raise money for Palestinian relief rather than stage protests.
‘It’s disappointing, because the children are so young. They’re primary school children, so I think they’re too young to understand.
‘My son missed his Christmas dinner today [at the school]. It’s just unfortunate.
‘I think everybody can be a little more accommodating given where we are in the world.’
One parent at the protest criticised the school for not allowing a student ‘to wear the badge of his homeland’
Video footage showed parents gathering outside the school with pro-Palestinian flags and placards, and chanting ‘Education is under attack’
A parent holds a placard supporting ‘the student who has not been allowed to attend school since November 23’
But Oscar Spinoza, a builder whose young son also attends Barclays, says showing solidarity with the Palestinian community is more important than children not being able to attend school for a few days.
“We were surprised in the morning,” the 34-year-old said.
“Nobody told us [the school was shut] this morning. I’m not political, but it’s showing solidarity. Everyone should have a voice.
“What is most important is the people dying – one day off school is not going to change anything.
“In Ukraine as well, in many places. People’s egos are so high that no one wants to make clear decisions and stop the wars.”
The school announced yesterday that the school would be closing with immediate effect – two days earlier than planned – ‘in light of escalating threats against staff and the school’.
School leaders said the decision had been made ‘after careful reflection and because we need the school to be a safe place for the children and staff’.
In the latest letter, seen by Sky News, the school’s executive headteacher Aaron Wright said: ‘Over the course of the weekend, a video was published on TikTok which has made and amplified a series of false and malicious allegations against Barclay Primary School and a Lion Academy Trust board member.
‘This has been further shared on social media and misdirected and unhelpful commentary about the school and our staff are being circulated.’
Mr Wright said the school was working with the police, Department for Education, Ofsted and other local safeguarding bodies to help ‘tackle the disinformation’.
The dispute escalated further when eight parents were sent a letter that allegedly ‘threatened’ to report them to Prevent
A Palestinian flag flies above Barclay Primary School, which has been engulfed in a row
He added: ‘Sadly, it seems that there is a tiny minority of carers/parents who have elected to work against the school have been directly responsible for the malicious and false content being published online.’
Following this morning’s protests, which commenced at around 8:30, victorious Palestinian flags now flutter in the strong winds after being erected on lampposts on deserted Canterbury Road, on which the school is located.
A sole Union Jack flies on a white flagpole just inside the school gates on which pro-Palestine placards have been left – its red, white and blue outnumbered by the ubiquitous red, black and green of the flags around it.
One demonstrator told Sky News: ‘The school had a massive Ukrainian flag outside and promoted the fact that they were supporting Ukraine.
‘We had a situation today where Israel is attacking Gaza. Why is it that they are not allowing an eight-year-old child to wear the badge of his homeland, of his heritage?’
A statement from the Lion Academy Trust said that pupils were ‘being directly impacted by the actions of a misdirected and misinformed few, seeking to disrupt a primary school from exercising its proper function to educate children.’
It continued: ‘We will never tolerate bullying or intimidation from any source – and have the full support of the Department for Education, Ofsted and the police in this matter.
‘We will take any and all necessary steps to protect our pupils, staff and values.’
The Metropolitan Police said officers attended a protest at a school on Canterbury Road, E10, and it was ‘peacefully concluded’.