Freedom of Information figures

THE figures released in the Freedom of Information request are for the 2010/11 school year.

Of all the primary schools 96 per cent returned data to Peterborough City Council with 20 schools reporting no incidents.

There were 135 racist incidents. Only 84 were classified, 92 per schools between 2007 and 2011 with the figures obtained by the BBC Asian Network through Freedom of Information requests.

In this time Birmingham was at the top of the table with 5,752 cases, followed by Leeds at 4,690. Carmarthenshire in South Wales recorded just five cases.

Fulbridge Primary School, in New England, was selected as a shining example of how different communities and ethnicities can integrate by the national media when headteacher Iain Erskine was invited onto BBC Radio 5 Live yesterday.

He said he has not reported a case of racism to the council but said it would be foolish to think there were not unreported incidents.

He said: “It would be naive to suggest it never happens but we haven’t had to report any incidents. cent was verbal abuse; six per cent violent; and two per cent were non co-operation.

All 11 secondary schools returned data recording 88 racist incidents.

Of these, 56 categorised with 89 per cent verbal abuse and 11 per cent violence.

“We really get very, very few. We start from a very early age and just say that any form of bullying is not acceptable. The children all know that.

“I think it is made easier by being a very multi-cultural school. We also have a range of special needs children.

“With all the different nationalities it generates a culture of diversity. All the children can see that we all look different but actually we are all the same.”

About 30 different languages are spoken in the school with about twothirds of pupils speaking English as a second language. It was recently praised by inspectors from Ofsted who gave an outstanding report.

Regular assemblies and classes are held about race relations and tolerance in the school.