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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Stoke Discovery Academy school sorry for 'suicide note' | Stoke Discovery Academy school sorry for 'suicide note' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A Staffordshire school has apologised after a 14-year-old boy was asked to write a letter that his mother thought was a suicide note. | A Staffordshire school has apologised after a 14-year-old boy was asked to write a letter that his mother thought was a suicide note. |
| Wesley Walker, aged 14 from Longton, wrote the letter, which makes reference to his funeral, as part of a creative writing exercise. | Wesley Walker, aged 14 from Longton, wrote the letter, which makes reference to his funeral, as part of a creative writing exercise. |
| His mother Vicki said: "I felt I was going to find him hanging from his bed, I found it sick." | His mother Vicki said: "I felt I was going to find him hanging from his bed, I found it sick." |
| The Discovery Academy has apologised for causing any "distress". | The Discovery Academy has apologised for causing any "distress". |
| Wesley said pupils were told to write a letter as if they had a terminal illness and only had a few hours to live. | |
| In it, he wrote: "I want you to remember the fun times and the happy times, at my funeral make everyone were [sic] bright colours to remember my personality. | In it, he wrote: "I want you to remember the fun times and the happy times, at my funeral make everyone were [sic] bright colours to remember my personality. |
| 'Expressive art' | |
| "I know I have been a pain at the best of times but I'm with Nan and Grandad now so I love you and goodbye." | "I know I have been a pain at the best of times but I'm with Nan and Grandad now so I love you and goodbye." |
| He ends the letter by saying, "Please be strong for me" and signs off with six kisses and a heart. | He ends the letter by saying, "Please be strong for me" and signs off with six kisses and a heart. |
| Wesley said: "It felt normal because it was a lesson where we do creative writing." | Wesley said: "It felt normal because it was a lesson where we do creative writing." |
| Mrs Walker said: "He handed it to me one evening and then just went upstairs to bed. | Mrs Walker said: "He handed it to me one evening and then just went upstairs to bed. |
| "I really felt like I was going to find him hanging from his bed and maybe he felt he couldn't take any more. | "I really felt like I was going to find him hanging from his bed and maybe he felt he couldn't take any more. |
| "I spoke to him and he said it was something they were asked to do at school, I felt it to be really sick. | |
| "I just don't think schools should be asking children to write things like this especially when it can be seen as a suicide note, I don't agree with it." | |
| A spokesperson said the exercise was part of an "expressive art" lesson and pupils were asked to say a "special thank you". | A spokesperson said the exercise was part of an "expressive art" lesson and pupils were asked to say a "special thank you". |
| They also confirmed Wesley showed the letter to a teacher and that pupils were told to take them home. | They also confirmed Wesley showed the letter to a teacher and that pupils were told to take them home. |
| Mike Hymans, from the Division of Educational Child Psychologists, said the social and emotional literacy curriculum included a range of activities similar to the letter-writing exercise. | |
| He said: "It's important that children and young people have an opportunity to share and express their feelings. | |
| "The issue here is perhaps that the parents were unaware of the activity so perhaps it's about direct communication and making sure that emotional literacy is discussed with parents." |