Girl asks Blair to lift school ban on father (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Girl asks Blair to lift school ban on father

A SCHOOLGIRL has written to the Government asking it to overturn a decision that prevents her father from seeing her perform at her school carol concert.

Nine-year-old Emily Hepworth is so desperate for her dad to see her sing next Wednesday she has written letters to the Prime Minister, Cherie Blair and the children's minister Margaret Hodge.

In the letters Emily begs them to intervene in a situation which has led to her and her brothers being the regular target of bullies.

Emily's father, Major Paul Hepworth, is a school governor at Kempsford Church of England Primary School but has been suspended from the position and is currently banned from setting foot on the school premises.

Major Hepworth joined the board of governors in February 2003 but was first suspended in March this year. The details behind the suspension have not been made clear, but Mrs Hepworth believes he was too persistent in trying to push through Government anti-bullying policies.

The day after the suspension school-children were sent home with letters addressed to parents notifying them of the move, but the family says a lack of explanation led to nasty rumours getting out.

Lisa Hepworth said: "The letters did not give a reason why my husband had been suspended for four months and questions were asked.

"Shortly after rumours started and I heard through the children people were saying my husband was a paedophile and he had been suspended because he couldn't be near children.

"It is diabolical. When he became a governor he was checked through the normal systems.

"We have found the whole thing very unpleasant. It basically fuelled the fire and the children have been taunted and bullied for the last nine months." Mrs Hepworth added: "It is ludicrous. My husband was acting as a parent governor asking questions he thought needed to be asked."

Major Hepworth, who is suffering from pneumonia, was due to return to the board in September, but before his return he was suspended again and two weeks ago school governors voted to ban him from setting foot on the school premises.

In a letter to Margaret Hodge, Emily says: 'Today I am very upset. We will have our assembly next week. I have worked very hard on my parts and all of the parents will be coming but today my daddy had a letter from my headteacher telling him that he is banned from all of our school.

'I think if he comes he will be arrested. Nobody will come and see me in Class 4's assembly. This is so unfair. I want my daddy to see me and be proud of me."

Major Hepworth is not allowed to discuss the suspension but said: "I don't want to let my daughter down. If I was on operations I would understand not going because it's part of the job but I'm in the village."

Mrs Hepworth added: "Although he's ill, he is on the mend and could wrap up warm.

"However if he does he could be arrested which is something we don't want to happen."

Both the school and the local education authority were unable to comment on Mjr Hepworth's suspension this week.

But a county council spokesman, for the LEA, said: "The board of Governors at Kempsford Primary School have voted to continue the suspension of a parent governor at the school. In the rare cases where relationships break down there are provisions for schools both to suspend governors and to ban people from their premises. Such events only happen when it's seen as necessary to secure smooth running of the school and its governing body."