Overview

• Pupils at Dame Tipping Primary have been confined indoors during all break times since Easter after a buzzard began dive-bombing children and local residents.
• Headteacher Stella McCarthy said safeguarding pupils is paramount and described new indoor alternatives including board games, cup stacking competitions and puzzles.
• Havering Council’s health and safety team has recommended warning signs and is exploring hiring a falconry expert to manage the protected bird.
• The RSPCA and local avian groups believe the buzzard is part of a mating pair protecting a nest, which limits intervention options under UK wildlife law.
• While students have embraced an educational project naming the bird 'Brenda' and creating conservation posters, some parents worry that bird protection is taking precedence over children’s safety.