Castlefield School: Mother’s fury over facemask ‘policy’

Amy* from High Wycombe said Castlefield School should have included her in a one-on-one conversation about mask wearing, allegedly had alone between head teacher Mr Andrew Kann and her ten-year-old daughter.

She said that while the primary school in The Middle Way is allegedly encouraging pupils to leave face coverings off, her family is continuing to wear them and that includes her daughter while in school.

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The dispute arose when her daughter returned to school in January after three days of home schooling following a “circuit breaker”.

Upon return, and having presented negative lateral flow tests, Amy claims Mr Kann “refused to allow her to wear a mask” for “increased protection”, at which point the mother contacted him.

Amy said her family had made the choice to keep wearing masks because it is “right for us”, adding it had been guided by some vulnerable family members and even one death with Covid, inside the family.

However, she claims Mr Kann is taking a “bullyish” and ‘domineering’ stance over masks in school, and that he held a private “formal” conversation with her child concerning her homelife, which allegedly made her daughter feel “extremely uncomfortable”.

Amy taking a stand outside Castlefield School

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Amy also alleged her daughter told her Mr Kann went on a “fact-finding exercise” about her family’s choice to keep wearing face coverings, including “irrelevant” questions about how frequently the child saw family members.

She said she is “extremely angry” at having not been present during that conversation, adding she has placed a formal complaint to the Chair of Governors.

Mr Kann has since apologised to Amy and her daughter and has agreed the child can wear a visor in school if she wishes.

“I’m concerned that my daughter’s freedom of choice is being taken away from her,” said Amy. “We’ve got several members of family who have lower immune systems and are deemed as vulnerable under the older generation.

“We’ve encountered a loss within the family due to Covid and because of that, my daughter and I have decided to take the necessary precautions and continue to ensure that we and our family are safe.

“I feel that we have decided to make a choice that is right for us. If other people agree or disagree, they are entitled to do so. I feel the stance that’s being taken by the head teacher is not allowing people to make their own choices – I think his stance is appalling.

“It’s really, in my opinion, having a bullyish tact taken upon it to the point of domination where it’s his way or no way, versus what I and my family feel is best for us, as a whole.

“From my understanding, what she has explained to me, it was very much a formal conversation, a fact-finding exercise from his side with regards as to why she wanted to wear a face covering which then expanded to irrelevant points about how frequently she saw family members – and I know from her that she felt extremely uncomfortable but was not given the opportunity, she felt, to voice that she wanted to have me called so I could be present during that conversation. That makes me extremely angry.

“I am of the opinion that he has attempted to mentally manipulate her to his way of thinking, dominated the conversation without allowing much room for any feedback from her and in turn undermined her personal preference, resulting in her then being told to put her mask in her bag and return to class.

“I do not feel that while I’m putting my child under someone’s care that a conversation that initially, in writing was between myself and the head teacher, should have then been left to my ten-and-a-half-year-old daughter.”

Mr Kann: “I am sorry for any upset that an initial decision caused [Amy] and her child. That was not the intention in any way and I am pleased that following a discussion with [Amy] we have agreed that her child can wear a visor in school if she wishes.”

*Not her real name – we are using a pseudonym to protect the identity of the child involved

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