Medina Primary School: Bullying allegations raised as child reportedly left in A&E after being attacked

Allegations are being leveled by parents against Medina Primary School in Medina Road, Wymering, after their children have been reportedly subjected to a torrent of abuse by other pupils.

For the sake of child protection, and in accordance with the IPSO Editor’s Code of Practice, they have been kept anonymous.

According to parents, some pupils are being physically and verbally abusive to other kids, with some adults also being targeted. In one case, a child was apparently even taken to A&E for their injuries.

The school maintains that issues are being dealt with in-line with procedures, but anecdotes shared with The News suggest that the parents of alleged bullies are not being contacted to resolve matters.

One parent said: “My child has been attacked more than once while at school. Now he doesn’t want to go, and refuses to go to the park nearby in case he runs into the child bullying him.

“I spoke to the parent of the child he said was bullying them, and despite the headteacher telling me they would speak to them, they hadn’t heard anything.”

One anecdote alleged that a group of girls were spotted verbally assaulting parents who were sitting on a park bench.

“I’ve spoken to other parents and they are all having the exact same problems,” another parent told The News. “There is one child throwing tables and chairs around, and another was racially abused to the point the police had to be called in.

“The level of bullying is just appalling, and it’s at a point where just taking some lunch time away from them isn’t enough. Some of these kids need to be suspended, or excluded, because otherwise this problem will continue to spread like wildfire.”

The News put these allegations to Medina Primary School, and were redirected to Portsmouth City Council for a response.

A spokesperson for the city council said: “Portsmouth City Council works closely with Medina Primary School to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils.

“We do not comment on individual pupils or specific allegations involving children. However, we can confirm that Medina Primary School, like all maintained schools, has clear behaviour, anti‑bullying and safeguarding policies in place, and any concerns raised are taken seriously and dealt with in line with those procedures.

“Where concerns are brought to the school or the council, they are assessed and responded to appropriately, with the welfare of children as the priority.

“Parents and carers are encouraged to raise any concerns directly with the school so they can be properly understood and addressed.”