Teacher leaves girl aged 7 behind at swimming pool

Published on Tuesday 5 April 2011 13:00

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a seven-year-old girl was left behind on a school trip to a city swimming pool.

&#149 Katie McLintock was left behind after a class trip to Gracemount Leisure Centre.

Primary three pupil Katie McLintock left the changing rooms at Gracemount Leisure Centre to find the rest of her class had got on the bus and left to return to Castleview Primary in Craigmillar.

Her furious mum, Louise Payne, has pulled her daughter out of school and is calling for the teacher in charge of the outing to be sacked.

Education bosses have described the incident on Monday as "completely unacceptable". The youngster managed to find her swimming teacher to tell her that she had been left behind.

Ms Payne, 26, said: "My daughter said she got her hair wet and was trying to dry it. When she came out of the changing rooms, she realised that her class wasn't there.

"She told her swimming teacher who phoned the school. Apparently there had been a miscount."

Ms Payne said she was unaware of what had happened until a friend, who was one of the parent helpers on the trip to the swimming pool, told her about the incident.

The mother-of-two said the school had tried to call her but had used old contact details instead of her new numbers, which she had provided to the school.

Ms Payne said: "I was hysterical. I ran up to the school to find out what the hell had happened. By this point someone had gone up to the centre to pick her up.

"Katie was fine, although she blamed herself for taking too long in the changing room. She said she could have walked to her auntie's house which is 30 minutes down a busy road from the leisure centre so I told her she did exactly the right thing by staying where she was and telling her swimming teacher."

Ms Payne has now removed her daughter from Castleview Primary as a result of the incident and is currently trying to find a place in another local school. She will also be putting her youngest daughter, Emily, three, into a different nursery.

Ms Payne said: "I'm absolutely livid and I have pulled Katie out of the school because I am that furious about what happened.

"The fact that they didn't contact me either and I had to find out from a friend makes it even worse.

"The acting headmistress apologised to me when I went up to the school but I want a formal apology.

"I want the teacher who was in charge of them sacked because in my eyes it's gross misconduct.

"I have not been allowed to speak to the teacher in question but I want a written apology from her."

A council spokesman said: "We are really sorry that this incident happened and have apologised to Katie and her mother for the distress caused.

"This was completely unacceptable and therefore we have embarked on a full investigation. We would, however, like to reassure parents that during this incident Katie remained under the care of council staff at Gracemount Leisure Centre."

The Evening News told in January how nine-year-old Dale Macbeth was left behind on a visit to the King's pantomime. He was on a trip with the council-run Inch House Community Centre when he came out of the toilets to find that everyone had left.