Dinner money row on menu

Werneth Primary School

TENSIONS are running high yet again at an Oldham primary school after parents say they were wrongly sent letters demanding hundreds of pounds in unpaid dinner money going back three years.

It's believed up to 100 parents at Werneth Primary School have been told to pay dinner money debts, some up to £350, stretching back to 2013.

It is alleged some have felt so pressured they've paid up even though they don't believe they owe any money and one ­- who didn't wish to be named ­- says she was verbally threatened with court action.

Those who spoke to the Chronicle said they were adamant they didn't owe money or if they did it was minimal and not the sort of figures they'd been asked for. They also questioned backdating the debt to 2013 which was before academisation in 2014.

The school previously hit the headlines in September with worried parents saying it was in "meltdown" following seven leadership changes and the loss of up to 30 staff in the two years it had become an academy with Bright Tribe.

One mum told us she has been sent three letters asking for £324 but none of her three children have school dinners as they go home for lunch every day.

"I had a letter in July, one before half term and one after, asking for the money," said the mum who didn't want to be identified.

"Every time, I have told them my children don't have dinner at school.

"When I told them one of my children had left for high school they sent me another letter reducing the cost by £20. It's very strange."

Many others say they've been sent demands even though their children are on packed lunches.

Worried parents who went to try and resolve the issue say they were met by "unhelpful" and "hostile" reception staff which had exacerbated the situation.

A mum told us she was sent a letter last Friday asking for £344 and tried three times to speak to principal Conrad North.

Each time she says she was told he was busy and to come back the next day but on Tuesday her son was given a six-page spreadsheet to bring home detailing the alleged non-payments.

"I'm absolutely shocked and worried sick about this," she told us.

"I have sent £10 in every Monday when my son has school dinners. It is my Sunday night routine to do so. The rest of the time he has packed lunches so as far as I'm aware I don't owe anything at all and in the past if any money was owed I'm pretty sure it was sorted out that week.

"We were sent a letter at the end of the last school year in July saying we owed £310. When I went to the office to complain they said not to worry, we will sort it out, lots of people got the wrong letters, so we thought that was it and it had been cleared. Then we get this.

"Every time I've gone to see the principal to sort it out I've been fobbed off then this spreadsheet comes home and it doesn't seem to make any sense at all.

"I was told at reception, 'you are going to pay that money back or you will go to court and you'll have to pay extra money then as well.'"

"It's got to the stage were I'm having sleepless nights over this. My husband and I are fighting constantly because he's relying on me sorting it out. Other parents are in the same situation.

"It's causing lots of trouble in families and it's just not right. People are angry and saying they don't owe the money but there's no-one to speak to in order to sort it out.

"This used to be such a friendly school but since Bright Tribe took over it's not any more."

Many say they don't know who to turn to for help and advice after Bright Tribe disbanded the board of governors in July.

Former parent governor Tahra Mehmood said the situation was appalling and that she had been approached by many unhappy and concerned parents.

"It's absolutely disgusting that they are doing this," said Tahra.

"In the past, if any dinner money was owed it was sorted half-termly.

"A lot of these parents are on low incomes so to be sent a bill for amounts like this is frightening.

"It's upsetting and disturbing because people feel they can't approach anyone and have no-one to turn to which is why they've come to me."

A spokeswoman for Bright Tribe said: "School dinners are charged at an agreed rate and in order to operate a fair system, we are collecting any unpaid dinner money from parents.

"We will work with any parents suffering from hardship, and if they have any concerns or further questions, they can make an appointment with the school to discuss these further."