Breakfast club ban sparks row

Harlie with his parents Mark and Sarah

A FATHER is furious after being told his eight-year-old son could no longer attend his Moorside school’s breakfast club.

Mark Shaw (47), of Watersheddings, has been dropping his son Harlie at the Hodge Clough Primary School for two years, but now faces the prospect of forking out for a private club.

The school says the club is for pupils with additional needs, and that while food is available, it isn’t the primary purpose of the club.

Mark and his wife Sarah use the club so they can get to work on time and ensure Harlie has a good start to the day. The father-of-four said: “It’s galling because it’s like you’re being hindered for having a job.

“It used to be open to everybody. If children with additional needs weren’t able to go it wouldn’t be acceptable. Now I’m going to have to pay for a private club. If he’d never been there before it would be fair enough, but he’s been going there for two years.”

The Wilkes Street school said the group helps pupils with additional needs to get in the right frame of mind to learn, and there aren’t enough staff to take on more pupils.

Head teacher Neil Kavanagh said: “I understand where the parents are coming from but we haven’t got the facilities or staff.”