A furious mother claims teachers locked her four-year-old son in a ‘store cupboard’ with no windows for an hour – and then expelled him.
Tina Yourelis said staff at Raeburn Primary School in Wirral, Merseyside, put her son Eli in a ‘calming room’ which had no windows or toys and looked like a ‘prison cell’ after an incident when he had lashed out.
The 30-year-old claims she previously told staff that Eli has behavioural issues and would need learning support.
But on his first day she was called into school over claims he attacked a dinner lady.
Tina Yourelis claims teachers locked her four-year-old son in a ‘store cupboard’ with no windows for an hour – and then expelled him
Ms Yourelis claims this was because he was alone and ‘petrified’ of the other children in the playground.
She said: ‘Eli began hitting this person and as a result I was called into the school.
‘Eli’s condition is not diagnosed yet but he has trouble understanding social situations and will often get confused and lash out.’
Ms Yourelis, from Bromborough, Merseyside, had a meeting with staff and claims she was told that expelling him was an option.
She said: ‘I told them he needed support not exclusion and a behavioural plan was put together.
‘He has lashed out a few times at school since he started but they haven’t given him the support he needs.’
Eli’s GP has referred him to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services who have asked Eli to attend a meeting to see what spectrum he may fall under.
Ms Yourelis, who works for an engineering consultancy firm, claims she was called by the school again on Friday, September 29, and told she should come in immediately.
Ms Yourelis said staff at Raeburn Primary School in the Wirral, Merseyside, put her son Eli in a ‘calming room’ which had no windows or toys and looked like a ‘prison cell’ after an incident when he had lashed out
She left work and drove to the school where there had been reports that her son was ‘lashing out’ again.
Ms Yourelis said: ‘When I got to the school I heard screams and saw a teacher with her foot against a store cupboard door so I asked where my son was.
‘My son was in the cupboard hysterically crying and the school told me he was in the ‘calming box’ because they didn’t know how else to deal with him.
‘This ‘calming box’ was a store cupboard with no windows, water or toys to entertain him with, it was simply a green mat in a cupboard for him to sit on.
‘It looked like a cell block.
‘They tried to show me videos of Eli striking out at teachers but I never gave them permission to film my son.
‘I asked them how it was justified to lock him in a cupboard and how was it diffusing the situation – he was terrified.’
According to Ms Yourelis, teachers put Eli into the cupboard after they were unable to calm him down.
Wirral Council said Raeburn Primary School (pictured) had received a complaint and it was being dealt with
She said: ‘This was distressing for myself and for Eli who did not understand why he was forced into a room for so long.
‘I took him straight home and tried to calm him down, but now he won’t let me lock any doors and refuses to sleep on his own.’
Ms Yourelis received a letter on September 28 stating that Eli will be permanently excluded from the school.
The letter said that Eli was excluded due to a serious breach of school behaviour policy.
This included seriously harming and attacking five members of staff – thumping, kicking, biting, damaging school property and using offensive and threatening language.
She added: ‘I’m going to tribunal with this case because I feel like the school have failed my son.’
A spokesperson for Wirral Council said: ‘The school has received a complaint and this is being dealt with in accordance with the school’s complaint procedures.’