Boy, six, who was suspended from school after taking a packet of Mini Cheddars in his lunchbox is now EXPELLED for his sausage roll and scotch egg habit

A six year-old boy who was suspended from his school after he took a bag of Mini Cheddars in his packed lunch has now been expelled.
Riley Pearson, from Colnbrook, near Slough, was initially excluded from Colnbrook C of E Primary School after teachers discovered the snack and called in his parents.
After a meeting with headmaster Jeremy Meek, they were sent a letter telling them Riley would be excluded from last Wednesday until Monday because he had been 'continuously breaking school rules'.
But his parents have now said he has been expelled after they spoke to the media, while his younger brother has also been banned from its pre-school.

Riley Pearson was suspended for four days for breaking school rules by having Mini Cheddars in his lunchbox and has now been expelled

The school has insisted a pupil was not excluded 'for just having Mini Cheddars in their lunchbox' but because there had been a 'persistent and deliberate breach of
school policy, such as bringing in crisps, biscuits, sausage rolls, mini sausages, scotch eggs and similar'.
Riley’s dad, Tom Pearson, said he was 'devastated' that the school had not only deprived Riley of his schooling but also his younger brother who attends its pre-school.
He added that a scheduled meeting between the family and headteacher Mr Meek, due to take place yesterday was cancelled when he arrived.
Mr Pearson then saw Mr Meek in the school playground as he picked up Riley's brother Jayden from pre-school but Mr Meek told him he would telephone him by the end of the day to let him know what was happening.
Minutes later Mr Pearson received a phone call telling him both Riley and Jayden were not welcome back at the school.
'I’m just devastated,' said Mr Pearson, last night. 'He rang and told me the decision had been made to exclude Riley permanently and we had given the school a bad reputation because of the media coverage.
'He also said the funded sessions Jayden has at the school’s pre school were being withdrawn too. I think he’s a coward for not telling me to my face.'

'Not balanced': Riley's lunchbox fell foul of the new healthy eating policy at Colnbrook C of E primary school

The airport worker and wife Natalie, who is due to give birth to her fourth child next week, are now waiting to hear from education officers from Slough Borough Council to see what to do next.
In a statement the school said a pupil had been permanently excluded because 'during the course of a recent four day exclusion, the pupil’s parents made it publicly clear that their child would not be following the school's policy on healthy eating upon their return'.
The school also said the decision was taken because of 'the parent school relationship suffering an irretrievable breakdown' due to 'misrepresentations in the local and national media that were both wholly inaccurate and grossly misleading, abusive language being used towards staff, and other inappropriate actions being taken that were designed to damage the school’s reputation'.
The school, which was placed in special measures after Ofsted inspectors deemed it 'inadequate' in 2012, introduced a healthy eating policy at the start of term.

The school has said it was 'extremely disappointing that the media have been provided with such grossly misleading information'

A letter was sent to parents saying that from January 14, packed lunches should be 'healthy and balanced'.
Parents were told: 'Chocolate, sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks are not allowed. If your child's lunchbox is unhealthy and unbalanced they will be provided with a school lunch for which you will be charged.'

A letter was sent to parents saying that from January 14, packed lunches should be 'healthy and balanced'

At the time of his exclusion last week, Riley's mother Natalie said: 'We just do not see how they have the right to tell us what we can feed our son.
'If anything, Riley is underweight and could do with putting on a few pounds.'
Miss Mardle, who is expecting her fourth child, added: 'Having a balanced diet also includes eating some carbohydrates, sugars and fats.
'It is not about excluding some foods, it is about getting the mix right.'

Riley’s lunchbox usually contains a sandwich, yoghurt tube, Dairylea Dunkers cheese spread snack, and a packet of Mini Cheddars, with water to drink.
His mother said the 3ft 9ins tall schoolboy who weighs 3st 2lbs, eats home-cooked meals and plenty of fruit and vegetables at home.
Miss Mardle said: 'I would understand the exclusion if he was constantly throwing tables around or bullying other children, but it is just ridiculous for a packet of Mini Cheddars.
'Surely the headteacher has better things to do with his time than search lunchboxes?'
A statement released by the school said it was 'extremely disappointing that the media have been provided with such grossly misleading information which has resulted in them running a wholly inaccurate and potentially damaging story for our school'.
The statement said: 'We have not excluded a pupil for just having Mini Cheddars in their lunchbox, but where there is a persistent and deliberate breach of school policy, such as bringing in crisps, biscuits, sausage rolls, mini sausages, scotch eggs and similar, and all other avenues have been exhausted, the Governors would expect further action to be taken.

HEALTHY EATING IN SCHOOLS

Government guidelines for school meals suggest food must meet certain nutritional standards so children have healthy and balanced diets.
According to the guidance, this means there must be high quality meat, poultry or oily-fish, at least two portions of fruit and vegetables with each meal and bread, other cereals and potatoes.
It also rules out fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate or sweets in school meals and vending machines along with more than two portions of deep-fried food a week.

'If we are faced with a situation where a parent threatens to send a pupil into school with insufficient food to sustain them throughout the school day, it is a risk we simply cannot afford to happen.'
The statement went on to say it would only use a permanent exclusion as a final resort 'when all other avenues have been exhausted'.
It said the school took the decision to permanently exclude a pupil yesterday because of 'persistent breaches of school policies' and because 'during the course of a recent four day exclusion, the pupil’s parents made it publicly clear that their child would not be following the school's policy on healthy eating upon their return'.
The school also said the decision was taken because of: 'The parent school relationship suffering an irretrievable breakdown that would have put two pupils in an unacceptable position.
'This breakdown was due to misrepresentations in the local and national media that were both wholly inaccurate and grossly misleading, abusive language being used towards staff, and other inappropriate actions being taken that were designed to damage the school’s reputation.'

DM