A mother has withdrawn her sons from their Jewish school following a playground brawl - leaving one of them without a school place and the other re-sitting a year.

Sabine Hazan said she removed her sons from King Solomon High School, in Barkingside, Essex, because she felt their safety could not be guaranteed.

Her 12-year-old son Dan was involved in a fight with a group of boys at the end of last term.

Mrs Hazan, of Finchley, north west London, said the school had failed to treat the incident seriously.

The mother-of-five said: "Dan was attacked by ten boys and pinned down. They were kicking him in the head and ribcage. He was bruised everywhere.

"The school and the other boys claimed he had told one of the boys he was fat and had provoked them. Dan denies that.

"If they let this happen in the playground, then it is not safe for my boys to stay there."

Her elder son, Guy, 13, is now without a school after his parents' attempts to secure him a place in Year 9 at
JFS failed.

Dan has started at Yavneh College in Borehamwood, but is re-taking Year 7 as there were no places available
in the year above, which he should
have started.

Mrs Hazan said: "I would rather Guy stayed at home than go back to King Solomon. There were too many incidents in one year. They are not doing their jobs to protect the children. No teachers stopped the fight."

King Solomon headmaster Spencer Lewis confirmed the fight had taken place, but said: "These allegations are untrue. The school took more than appropriate action but Mrs Hazan refused to meet me or discuss the situation. King Solomon has very few incidents of fighting and under no circumstances were Mrs Hazan's children ever unsafe at school."

Mr Lewis said he "very much regretted" that Mrs Hazan had withdrawn the boys, saying there was "absolutely no reason" for her decision.