THE headteacher of a Northwich primary school has spoken out after a Guardian letter writer revealed their family had suffered racial abuse in the town.

The writer said their daughter had been called a 'monkey' numerous times and the 'N-word' is freely used in the town.

In their letter, in which they also said they were considering moving due to the situation being so bad, the writer also asked schools what is being done to teach children equality.

Now Catriona Stewart, the headteacher at Kingsmead Primary School, has responded to the writer's question.

She urged the family to report the incidents to the police as hate crimes and explained children at her school are taught standing by and doing nothing after witnessing racism, bullying or any unkindness is part of the problem.

Mrs Stewart said: "It was with utter dismay that I read of the experiences of one of your readers who is considering leaving our town because of the racist abuse they, and their children, have suffered.

"I was truly shocked, very sorry and concerned for the children and families in our school.

"When I took up my post leading Kingsmead Primary, back in 2004, our school was overwhelmingly white British.

"Over the years we have welcomed more families from five continents, speaking many languages and from diverse backgrounds.

"They bring ideas, practices and beliefs we can learn from and about. All our children without exception have benefitted from a more diverse school community.

"In our school, every year, the Spring term's particular focus is caring for other people and through assemblies and lessons children learn not only about difference but, perhaps even more importantly, the common humanity that binds our one human race together.

"That human beings are one human race is an established fact; the amount of melanin in people's skin may differ but we humans have far, far more in common than the small differences we notice.

"Children learn that racism is not only wrong, nasty and unkind but is ignorant and remarking on people's colour is just silly as well as very offensive and very unkind.

"I am 100 per cent in agreement with your reader that no family should have to fight racism and certainly not fight it alone.

"But we live in the world and I suspect it may be something we have to meet as a community over many years to come.

"Schools do not operate outside of society but we are within it.

"We are a key part of any solution and the improvement of our community through the values we teach and behaviours we expect from our young people.

"We should be judged as much for the young people we send into the community, their participation and contribution to a better place for everyone as we are for results in English and Mathematics tests.

"I would urge any family experiencing racism to report this as a hate crime to the police; I have found the Northwich police officers to be useful, kind and take their responsibilities to all our community seriously.

"I would also urge them to speak to the headteacher of their child's school as schools can help and support and should do so.

"I would like to say that in my teaching career I have never had to manage racially motivated incidents. But I have.

"I know that young children, victims first but also the perpetrators, need our care, guidance and support. I wrote to our families only the other week to say we have no racists in our school.

"But that doesn't mean we don't have racially motivated incidents as our staff, parents and pupils will testify on those (happily rare) occasions I have contacted them to apologise and let them know how we will be managing the matter.

"We have no racists because our children are aged 4-11 and their characters are not yet formed. Young children all have the right to learn how to be a useful, kind and valued member of our community.

"When children make mistakes, they have a right to learn how to be their best self.

"And when children are hurt by the unkindness of others they have a right to the protection from the adults around them, whether in their family or institutions like schools and the police.

"But schools alone can't solve all society's problems. We can help but what I say now is more for adults in our town.

"When we have dealt with bullying behaviour or unkindness, we praise and celebrate any children who, with words and courage, intervene to support a victim of unkindness.

"We teach our children that if they witness racism, bullying or any unkindness that if they stand by and do nothing they are part of the problem.

"If they feel unsafe to take action themselves they are expected to inform an adult - no exception.

"If people notice racism or other targeted unkindness in the community, help can be as simple as going to the victim, seeing if they're OK and engaging them.

"If people are so afraid of the actions of one member of the community to another, I would think this should tell them to call the police urgently.

"If I were too afraid to intervene, I would dial 999 without delay. Children and adults alike show their characters as much by what they are prepared to tolerate as what they do and say.

"Asking us adults to do what is expected of our little children shouldn't be a big ask and could go a long way to keeping our town, as the writer of the letter says, 'a beautifully diverse community coming together'."

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