Amber Welsh says her six-year-old son, Isa Hasan, had a ham sandwich during lunch at Hardwick Green Primary Academy last week – but the school has not confirmed if pork has been taken off the menu
A mum has hit out at a Hardwick primary school, alleging that her Muslim son was served pork for lunch. Amber Welsh claims her six year old son ate a ham sandwich during lunchtime at Hardwick Green Primary Academy last week.
The mother of two says her son, Isa Hasan, also told her he had pasta carbonara, which contains bacon, before the six weeks’ holidays. Amber believes the offending meat has been temporarily removed from the school’s menu following her complaint.
However, The Enquire Learning Trust, which runs the primary school, has not confirmed whether pork has been taken off the menu or if the alleged incidents are under investigation.
A spokesperson said: “We’ve had a few questions about sandwich options in our academies, so we just wanted to clear things up. A variety of sandwiches are available every day, although the exact choices might change from time to time due to things like supply issues, seasonal availability and cost.
“I’ve raised this, it’s in his dietary requirements, a photo of him is up in the school kitchen,” added Amber, who lives in Hardwick. “He is Muslim, he doesn’t eat pork – this is what he follows”, reports Teesside Live.
Amber, who converted to Islam, argues that the responsibility should not fall on her six year old, who is in Year 2, and accuses the school of failing to take the necessary precautions.
The 29-year-old said: “I always give the example, what if he had a nut allergy. I have requested him to not have it and I want them to abide by that.
“It’s quite distressing for my little boy. He’s asking ‘are you going to be mad at me? I didn’t know’. It’s not his fault. Things like bacon, he’s never seen it before so he wouldn’t know.
“They are people in trusted positions. Can I trust them now?”
A spokesperson for the trust said: “We’re proud to have a highly regarded, catering operation that serves over 1 million high-quality meals each year across our academies. Our menus are regularly updated to reflect the seasons and to give children a wider range of food options to enjoy.
“Our focus remains on making sure children have access to healthy, balanced food choices every day.”
Hardwick Green Primary School was inspected by education watchdog Ofsted in November last year when the quality of education and leadership and management was deemed as “requiring improvement”.
Behaviour and attitudes, personal development of pupils and early years provision were all rated as “good”.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
#Mum #fumes #Muslim #son #eats #ham #sandwich #school #wishes
