A NEW headteacher has banned children, aged between seven and 11, from taking part in their annual nativity play.

Youngsters at Rochford Primary school, in Ashingdon Road, Rochford, won’t be involved in this year’s production – and will instead concentrate on their studies.

Angry parents have accused headteacher Andy Howe of “cancelling Christmas”, and one mum has started a petition against the ruling.

However, Mr Howe, who took over the school’s top job in September, said the move would drive up standards.

He said: “We haven’t cancelled Christmas, but we have toned it down quite a lot.

“It does take up a great deal of time to have the whole school involved in school productions at the same time.

“It’s better to have productions split up over the year and tie them in with the curriculum.

“The school is moving forward and improving tremendously and we want to stay focused on learning, so we are just toning it down a little.”

Mr Howe does not want the school to slip back to 2008 standards when it was judged by Ofsted to be merely satisfactory.

One mum, who has two daughters aged nine and six, at the school, said: “We had a letter, which, in effect, cancelled Christmas for our kids.

“They are so upset that we have decided to get a petition up.

“My oldest daughter is absolutely gutted. I think it’s ridiculous.

“There has been a Christmas play for the kids for more than 25 years."

” Another mother of two pupils, aged ten and four, said: “My older daughter just can’t understand why her sister can have fun and she can’t. She’s really devastated.” The rule does not apply to the infants who are looking forward to taking part in the Nativity play as usual.

Mr Howe also said all the school’s children, about 250, will get the opportunity to take part in a service at a local church and in a special carol assembly.