A SEVEN-year-old girl was tied up by fellow pupils and whipped with her skipping rope.

Claire and David Scott have criticised staff at Great Tey Primary School for not telling them the full story about their daughter Chole’s ordeal.

She was given a form to take home, which said she was hurt by other pupils, but not that she was tied up.

The dinnerlady who told the couple about the full extent of the alleged incident, Carol Hill, has been suspended while an investigation determines if she is guilty of gross misconduct for breaching pupil confidentiality.

The couple, of Colchester Road, Chappel, have taken Chloe and younger brother Cameron, five, out of the school.

Mrs Hill, 60, said she was alerted by another pupil last Wednesday lunchtime that Chloe had been tied to a chain link fence with a skipping group in the grounds of the Chrismund Way school.

She said: “She had eight knots around her wrists and had been whipped across the legs with a skipping rope.

“I took her into the school, along with the four boys who had been seen with her. Two admitted it and I went back out on to the field.”

An accident report was sent home. Chloe told her parents she had been hurt at school by some other children and received treatment for marks on her right wrist and right leg.

Mrs Hill continued: “When I was at Beaver Scouts helping out, I saw Chloe’s mum.

“As I was talking to her I said I was really sorry about what had happened and then it became clear she did not know the whole story.

“I had to tell her because she then realised there was more to it.”

Mrs Scott, also mum to 12-year-old Joshua and one-year-old Oliver, said the form sent home did not inform them their daughter had been tied up.

She was angry she had not been invited to school to discuss what had happened, even though the parents of those accused had been.

She continued: “The headteacher had written a note saying Chloe had been hurt by some other children and she was sure she would tell me all about it, but I should have been told the full story.

“I could not send her back, as I can only think about her being tied up.”

Mr David said he had informed police.

Mrs Hill has been suspended on suspicion of gross misconduct, because the school says she should not have discussed a pupil outside of school.

Mrs David added: “We back her totally.

“She did not realise we did not know all the facts. We should have done, we should have been called into the school.”

It is not known what action has been taken against the culprits.

In a prepared statement, headteacher Debbie Crabb said: “We can confirm that an incident took place during lunchtime in school last week.

“The matter is being dealt with internally in accordance with our behavioural policy and all the relevant parties have been informed.

“It would not be appropriate to discuss this in any further detail.”