The Catford dad said he grew so fed up with the ineffectual responses of Rushey Green Primary School that he felt he had nowhere else to turn.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the News Shopper that it had received a crime report about alleged assaults on the five-year-old pupil.
“He shouldn’t have had to endure this abuse for this long,” the father said. “My son has nightmares and wakes up screaming out the name of this child who is hurting him. He’s started bed-wetting.”
He alleged his son was punched, scratched, had his hair pulled and was twice hit in the head with hockey sticks.
One attack left his son with “scratches to his neck”, he claimed, and another caused “scratches all over his face”.
The father took a photo of scratches to his son’s neck and specks of blood on his white school shirt after one alleged assault (Image: Submitted) Rushey Green told the News Shopper it was “working closely” with the family to resolve the situation – but the father disputed that.
After raising persistent concerns, he alleged, he learned he was under investigation by social services because the school had suggested the boy may be suffering “harsh punishment” at home.
Outraged, he contacted the News Shopper to share documents, including school incident reports, proving his son had repeatedly suffered head injuries at the school.
“I believe I am being targeted because I have been vocal,” he said.
“The breakdown of trust between the school and myself makes it impossible for me to have confidence in their ability to provide a safe and nurturing environment for my child’s education and wellbeing… I am in the process of removing him from that school.”
The father asked to remain anonymous to avoid embarrassment to his son, but said he was going public so other parents heard his concerns.
On October 16, he wrote to staff: “I am writing to follow up on the meeting scheduled with the parents of the children who hit my son in the head on two separate occasions with hockey sticks, causing injuries which were not documented or properly reported.”
He added: “I am extremely worried about my child as he is now openly expressing being physically assaulted on previous occasions by peers in class and during playtime.”
Despite these concerns, school incident reports show further head injuries were sustained on November 7 and November 19.
On November 19, the father emailed the school again, saying his son had been “consistently hit in the head by his classmates,” one of whom “often pulls his hair and punches him”.
“I have tried to be understanding and overlook these events, but this pattern has become too concerning to ignore,” his email said.
“My child has now been hit in the head a total of seven times in less than two months, which is quite alarming.”
“[He] has reportedly been experiencing nightmares and distress since the incidents have started occurring,” the doctor wrote.
“I am told that [he] has been more quiet since these incidents and that this is potentially affecting his ability to socialise at school and build his confidence.”
In early December, the father called the police and was finally offered a meeting, he claimed.
But within days, he learned the school had asked Social Services to investigate his son’s home life, forcing the boy to undergo a medical examination.
“He was visited by a social worker assigned to support our family a couple of days ago, to whom he expressed that he doesn’t like school because they always hit him,” the father alleged.
He said he was now also raising his concerns with his MP.
“We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, safe and nurturing environment for our pupils.
“We take any concerns like this seriously. We have met with [the boy’s father] a number of times and are working closely with him to resolved his concerns, as well as offering the family support.”
