Parents banned from videoing Blackheath school play

A headteacher has come under fire after parents were banned from filming their children during an end of year play. Pupils in their final year at Blackheath Primary had been preparing for their production of Oliver! for about a month.

Youngsters had only been allocated two tickets each and parents hoped to capture the occasion on camera so they could show family and friends who were not able to go. But just minutes before the performance was due to start, head Lesley King announced that one parent had objected.

Angry parent Geoffrey Pearsall, aged 48, said: "No-one could believe it. All the parents were looking at each other in amazement. They were not happy.

"This is the pupils' last year in junior school and the last time a lot of them will ever see each other again."

Mr Pearsall, an engineer from Oldbury Road, added: "If one parent didn't want to have their child filmed then that pupil could have had a lesser role.

"At the very least the school could have filmed the production and distorted the face of the pupil concerned. It's not hard to do these days.

"But it doesn't seem fair that we've got no record of it to show our son when he is older or his grandparents."

About 100 parents attended the production at the Britannia Road school on Tuesday.

Ms King confirmed parents had been asked not to take any video footage during the production.

"We had an objection to people taking pictures and videos for reasons that are confidential," she said.

"I asked if parents would respect that and they did.

"Every year we send out a letter saying there are only two tickets per family because we have to make sure we abide by fire regulations."

Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell's schools boss, said there were two sides to the argument but ultimately it was up to the school to make a decision.

"I do have sympathy for the parents but if someone has made an objection, you have to listen to it," he said.

By David Lumb