A MOTHER who kept her children at home after she was banned from a Basingstoke school risks being reported to education welfare watchdogs.

Joanne Griffiths was banned from entering the grounds of Beech Down Primary School in Brighton Hill after she regularly took her children across a prohibited short cut on the school grounds.

Mrs Griffiths, 30, from Mitchell Gardens, Brighton Hill, decided to keep her three children at home after receiving a letter last Friday from headteacher Ann Macdonald, barring her from entering the school premises until May 13.

Mrs Griffiths told The Gazette: "I have kept my children at home this week because I'm not allowed on to school grounds and my husband is a taxi driver on night shifts, so he cannot take them to school."

On Tuesday, Mrs Griffiths received another letter from Mrs Macdonald which read: "I understand that you telephoned the school this morning to say that your children will not be attending school this week as I have banned you from the site.

"The children do have to attend school. You are still able to bring the children to the gate and so see them safely on to the site and this can be done without setting foot on the site yourself. If you deliberately keep your children at home, I will have to inform the education welfare officer."

Normally, Mrs Griffiths would take Adam, 11, eight-year-old Jade, and five-year-old Shannon to school before rushing to work as a cleaner at the Harvester restaurant in Basingstoke.

Since temporary classrooms were built 18 months ago following a major fire at the school, parents have had to use a longer route in all weather. Some, including Mrs Griffiths, have been taking a short cut down a route used by taxis and other delivery vehicles.

The school says it has warned parents not to use this for safety reasons - but Mrs Griffiths claims the first she knew about the matter was when she received the letter barring her from the site last week.

She said: "I was shocked as I had not seen any other warning note because it was given to our children instead of being posted.

"My daughter had the note in her reading book. Surely it would have been better to have invited me to speak to the head instead."

Deputy head Christine Sloane said: "It is a health and safety issue. We started warning parents not to use that route 18 months ago when the mobile classrooms were built.

"The children think that is the way to walk when they see parents using it.

"Other parents have been supportive of our stance."

Mrs Griffiths has said she will take Jade, Shannon and Adam back to school on Monday, and plans to use the longer route.

But Hampshire County Council spokesman Damon Embling said: "An education welfare officer would be informed if the children do not attend school after the school head has been in touch with the parent. That is the case here."