Aboyne Primary School mum criticises photography firm for offering class photos without children with complex needs
A “devastated” mum has criticised a photography firm for offering to remove children with complex needs from class photos – with the company later apologising.
Parents and carers at Aboyne Primary School complained after they were sent a link from Tempest Photography offering an alternative choice of class photos with or without the children with additional support needs.
Tempest Photography has apologised for what it described as “not standard procedure” and said it was “taking this matter very seriously”.
Aberdeenshire Council said as soon as it became aware of the situation it immediately asked the company to remove any images that did not involve the whole class.
The local authority also apologised for the incident and acknowledged it would have caused “distress and hurt”.
‘Erasing my child from history’
Natalie Pinnell, whose daughter Erin was among those excluded from a set of photographs, told Sky News: “I actually wanted not to believe it. I opened it several times, and I was like ‘no, no, I must be missing something’.
“And when I couldn’t find any other reason, I reached out to the school and that was the first they had heard of it.
“They got in touch with the photographer, and it was confirmed that two classes were affected.”
Ms Pinnell’s daughter Erin. Pic: Natalie Pinnell
Ms Pinnell said the photographer took the photo without the children with complex needs while the youngsters were making their way to the classroom.
She said the photographs in the links sent out by the council all had Tempest Photography branding.
Ms Pinnell said: “I’m devastated – words can’t actually it. It’s been one of the most heartbreaking experiences as a mum to watch an adult give other adults the option to erase my child from history basically.
“It’s been an absolutely devastating experience.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
‘Shame on you’
Ms Pinnell said the school and the local community have been “incredible” in terms of support, but that does not take away “the damage that’s been done”.
Speaking directly about the photo firm, Ms Pinnell said: “Shame on you, that’s the first thing I would want to say. [Erin] is a human being and she’s beautiful.
“And the second thing I would say is, please do some training on diversity and inclusion.
“It cannot be allowed to happen. It’s a very distressing thing to talk about and the only reason I’m doing this is to shine a light on it and make sure that no other family ever experiences that because it’s just not acceptable at all.”
Read more from Sky News:
The highs and lows of Humza Yousaf’s first year in Bute House
Wife of bridge collapse survivor say it’s a ‘miracle’ husband survived
‘We are taking this matter very seriously’
Cornwall-based Tempest Photography – which employs local photographers to take school photos across the UK – later posted an apology online.
The firm said: “Recently, after capturing a class group photograph, one of our photographers took additional images of the class group which omitted some members of the class from the photograph.
“We deeply regret any upset this has caused and would like to sincerely apologise to the parents and children affected.
“We are a family-run business and photograph at schools across the UK and would like to reassure our customers that this is not standard procedure for our company and we are taking this matter very seriously.
“We are committed to implementing meaningful changes to prevent such an occurrence in the future.”
‘This is totally unacceptable’
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware that following Aboyne Primary School’s recent school class photographs, links to purchase the pictures included images with and without complex needs provision pupils.
“Whilst this was not a decision taken by the school, we absolutely appreciate the distress and hurt this has caused some parents and carers and we are sincerely sorry.
“The issue has been taken up with the photography company directly as this is totally unacceptable.
“Aboyne is an inclusive school and every single child should be included, engaged and involved in their learning and school experiences.”
The government has been temporarily blocked from concluding the Chagos Islands deal by a late-night High Court injunction.
Ministers had been expected to complete a deal that would have seen the UK hand over sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius in the coming hours.
But in an emergency injunction granted early on Thursday, brought against the Foreign Office, Mr Justice Goose allowed “interim relief” to Bertrice Pompe, who had previously taken steps to bring legal action over the deal.
Ms Pompe is a Chagossian woman who sees the deal as a betrayal of their rights.
Politics latest: Prisoners could serve only a third of sentence in jail
The order, granted at 2.25am, states the government may take “no conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also known as the Chagos Archipelago, to a foreign government or bind itself as to the particular terms of any such transfer”.
A hearing is taking place at the High Court this morning, with crowds gathered in support of the block.
The location of the Chagos Islands
The government insisted this morning the Chagos Islands deal is the “right thing” for the UK.
A spokesperson said: “We do not comment on ongoing legal cases. This deal is the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”
It was expected that Sir Keir Starmer would attend a virtual ceremony today to formally hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite heavy criticism from the Conservatives and Reform UK.
The government has argued international legal rulings in favour of Mauritius mean this handover is necessary.
As part of the deal, the UK will lease back a military base on the archipelago for 99 years.
Robert Jenrick, the former justice secretary, told Sky News that the Chagos Islands deal is a “sell-out for British interests”.
He said: “You’re seeing British sovereign territory being given away to an ally of China and billions of pounds of British taxpayers money being spent for the privilege.
“So, if this group can force the government to think twice, then all power to them.”
With this injunction in place, Sir Keir can no longer legally complete the deal.
Read more from Sky News:
Chemical castration for sex offenders
Tornado and funnel cloud could hit UK
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Ms Pompe, who filed the application for interim relief, believes the British government is acting with disregard for the human rights of the Chagossian people.
She has argued completion of the deal would amount to a breach of the Human Rights Act and the Equality Act.
Chagossians are the former residents of the Chagos Islands, who were removed from the islands, predominantly to Mauritius, between the mid-1960s and early-1970s.
Those born on the islands and their children hold British nationality, but subsequent generations born outside British territory have no entitlement to it.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway