Tempest has apologised to parents at Aboyne Primary School
A photography firm has apologised after parents were offered a choice of whether they wanted class photos with or without pupils with complex needs.
Parents at Aboyne Primary School in Aberdeenshire complained after being sent a link from Tempest Photography.
The company said it deeply regretted any upset it had caused and “sincerely apologised” to affected families.
It said it was “not standard procedure” and it was taking the matter very seriously.
It is understand some class photographs were taken before the pupils with additional support needs were brought in.
Despite pictures then being taken which included all the pupils, parents were still given the option of both.
Tempest, one of the UK’s largest school photography firms, said it had spoken to the photographer involved.
In a statement, the firm said it “regretted any upset” caused.
It added: “We are a family run business and photograph at schools across the UK and would like to reassure our customers that this is not standard procedure for our company and we are taking this matter very seriously.
“We are committed to implementing meaningful changes to prevent such an occurrence in the future.
“We deeply regret any upset this has caused and would like to sincerely apologise to the parents and children affected.”
Aberdeenshire Council also apologised for the incident on Thursday.
The local authority said the decision had not been taken by the school and links to the photos were immediately removed.
They added it was “completely unacceptable” and said they had raised the issue with Tempest.
A spokesperson said: “While this was not a decision taken by the school, we absolutely appreciate the distress and hurt this has caused some parents and carers and we are sincerely sorry.
“Aboyne is an inclusive school and every single child should be included, engaged and involved in their learning and school experiences.”
