A SCHOOL has defended the decision to request money from parents at short notice to cover a trip after a mother accused them of discrimination.

South Walney Junior School sent a letter to year six parents in March 2018 requesting an £150 deposit for a 2019 end of year trip to London for their children.

Parents were given three days to pay the deposit.Now a parent, Sheila Round, has accused the school of discriminating against less well off families by not allowing them enough time to come up with the money.

Ms Round described the decision as 'unfair and disgraceful'.

She said: "The School take year six to London every year to celebrate the end of year.

"This year has it's exception, as earlier in the year they decided they will only take the children who can pay an £150 deposit within three days.

"Most of the children parents could not afford this money.

"But the school still decided to go ahead and take the 12 pupils who could afford its.

"It's unfair, it discriminates and is disgraceful."

A spokesperson for the school defended the decision.

He said: “The school wrote to parents on March 26 2018 to inform them that an opportunity for a Year six group to visit London on a school trip during the summer term 2019 was available.

“Rising popularity of London as a destination for school trips meant that the availability of dates via the travel operator was limited and therefore the school had to decide whether to book the available dates with short notice for parents, or to simply not offer a school trip to London at all.

“Parents were asked to pay £150 for the trip within three days of receiving the letter, and informed that financial assistance was available for any children receiving Pupil Premium.

“All eligible pupils whose parents applied for financial assistance attended the visit to London.”