Quest Academy pupil excluded for assault claim

A GIRL has been excluded from school after accusing a teacher of assault.

Despite a continuing police investigation, Quest Academy student Dayna Chong has been told not to return to school for making "a false allegation against a member of staff".

Police confirmed to the Advertiser their assault probe was ongoing and there had been no suggestion of any false accusations.

The Selsdon school, however, said there was no substance to the allegation and stood by its decision to suspend the 15-year-old for eight days.

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The move has made Dayna's mother Anita furious, and she has accused Quest of excluding her daughter "without any basis".

The New Addington resident said: "What has Dayna done? She said she was pushed at the gates by her teacher which left her with a cut on her leg.

"My daughter did the right thing calling police and they are investigating it. If the police said to me Dayna had made a false allegation, which I don't think she has, I could at least understand Quest's reasoning.

"But they haven't – the police are still looking into it, getting statements. What does this mean for Dayna, missing school? I am worried she is going to fail her exams."

Dayna called her mother in tears in July and alleged she had been assaulted.

Anita claims her daughter had an argument with a member of staff after refusing to go to detention. Dayna alleges she cut her leg after a teacher shoved her to the floor.

She went back to school in September and was told she would be excluded.

The 15-year-old, who was previously excluded for hugging another student – violating the academy's strict no touch policy – was told falsely accusing a teacher had landed her with an eight day suspension.

Anita added: "Dayna is devastated, she can't understand. Does this mean anyone who reports a teacher to the police is risking their education?"

A Quest Academy spokeswoman said all allegations of abuse by staff were taken extremely seriously.

She added: "At the conclusion of all the appropriate internal and external investigations the Academy considered its response to these events, took legal advice and excluded the student for eight days on September 7 for 'making a false allegation of assault against a member of staff'.

"The academy has a robust and effective behaviour policy and takes its responsibility for student and staff welfare very seriously. Where students are found to have behaved inappropriately they will always be held to account."