A school in Aveley has faced criticism from parents who claim the academy is not dealing with children with behavioural problems appropriately.

One mum, Mandy Mauldin, lambasted the school after she claims her five-yearold son, Jamie, was “forced to clean windows with vinegar.”

The mother from Aveley said: “They are giving children something called community service.

“My son was made to clean windows with vinegar and wipe up baked beans spat out by another pupil.

“Community service is not for children, it something that is done by criminals.”

Kenningtons Primary Academy uses a system called community service for children who have misbehaved, which they say “promotes re-integration” for pupils.

A spokesman for Kenningtons Academy said: “Community service is part of the overall behavioural policy and procedures at Kenningtons Primary Academy. The aims of the community service scheme are to promote re-integration within the school community after periods of disruption and to engender a sense of pride and ownership of the school environment.”

Another boy, Tyler Powell, 6, was expelled from the school at the beginning of his second year.

His mum, Vicky Powell, has argued that the school failed to pick up on her son’s special needs, saying a SEN expert picked up on 33 signs of special needs in Tyler.

She said: “The school refused to recognise my son as an SEN child despite having emotional and violent outbursts at school.

“They branded him “stubborn” and a “product of his home environment” and refused to offer him any professional support, even when I offered to pay for it myself.”

A spokesman for Kenningtons Academy, who would not say if a boy was made to clean windows with vinegar, said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases we would like to emphasise that Kenningtons Primary Academy School is an inclusive school that treats all pupils fairly and with due consideration of their individual needs.

"In the last ten years there has been one permanent exclusion from the academy and all procedures set out in statutory guidance were followed.

“The school is fully aware of its responsibilities under equalities legislation and reviews its SEND Policies regularly. School staff take into consideration any SEND that a pupil may have before imposing disciplinary sanctions.”