A Suffolk primary school has denied claims staff forced two left-handed children to switch their knives and forks when they eat.

It was today reported that a parent, who has asked not to be named, lodged a formal complaint over the alleged practice at Kersey Primary School near Ipswich.

He claimed his two youngsters had been told to ignore their natural instincts by lunch supervisors and made to hold their knife in their right hand and fork in their left.

It is alleged the dad said teachers had told him swapping the cutlery helped “improve dexterity” and was part of a child’s “personal, social and health education”.

It was also reported an independent inspector investigated the father’s complaint and found that the school was doing nothing wrong.

However it has also emerged that the father has now allegedly lodged an appeal against that decision and asked the school’s governors to look into the claims.

Responding to the allegations, a spokesman for Kersey Primary School said in a statement: “Staff at the school have never forced any children to eat a certain way.

“We encourage children to use cutlery in a conventional manner – but ultimately it’s a decision for them and their parents.

“This complaint has been independently investigated and the school’s complaint policy followed.

“Kersey is an outstanding Ofsted and SIAMS school and we work closely with all parents to ensure that every child is able to achieve their best in all aspects of education.”