Parents' school door ban

A primary school in Rugeley has stopped parents going onto its playground to see their children to the doors, and is instead insisting youngsters are left at the gate.

It has infuriated several parents who wanted to escort their child into Etching Hill Primary School but have been told they must say their goodbyes at the gate.

The primary school hit the headlines in March when 17 children were shot at by four 12-year-olds armed with ball-bearing guns as they played on the playground.

Parent Donna Taylor, whose eight-year-old and four-year-old daughters are at the school, said: "Procedures for lining up and getting into school have been changed umpteen times."

She added: "I have two children at the school which I picked because it had a great reputation but it is becoming more like a detention centre."

Headteacher Jenny Dodd said the new rule also increased security first thing in the day as it made it clearer who was on site at that time. She said: "A small minority of concerned parents wrote to me at the end of last term and I rang them and we agreed they would give it a go".

She added: "I believe most schools in the country follow this system."