by Tim Collins

tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk

A mother is demanding to know how her four-year-old son, who suffers from a rare and life-threatening illness, went missing from his school.

Khyron Conway was allowed to leave school unattended by staff at The John Wallis Academy Primary School, and walk home by himself.

The new school, formerly Linden Grove Primary School, opened this term, with Khyron among its first pupils.

Khyron’s mother Sarah Conway, 38, arrived to find the reception class pupil missing when she went to pick him up after school.

Sarah, of Lynsted Close, Stanhope, said: “Panic just set in, all sorts of things were going through my head. I didn’t know if I was going to see him again.

“When I arrived at the school, all the other mums and dads were walking down from the school gates.

“I could see about two or three kids left in the playground, but not one of them was Khyron. I asked one of the teachers where he was, but she didn’t know, so I started panicking.

“I ran through the school searching for him, screaming his name.

“We’ve told the school about his condition, and we were hoping they would keep a close eye on him.”

Khyron was diagnosed with Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis, a cancer-like condition where the immune system attacks the cells of the body, at just 13 months old.

He was treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital children’s unit, and his condition went into remission in 2010.

Khyron still has to attend appointments twice a year to monitor his health.

Despite the disease damaging his leg, the youngster walked for half a mile along a busy road, as he attempted to find his way home.

Sarah added: “The kids normally stand with a teaching assistant while they wait to leave and all the parents swarm around, but they always ask the children ‘can you see your parents?’ and then let them go once they can.

“He must have snuck out, but it’s their job to keep an eye on him."

The John Wallis Academy principal John McParland said the school would now be changing its procedures for school leaving time.

He added: “We are very upset that this unfortunate incident happened and we have never had anything like this happen before.

“I understand how desperately upset the mother was, and we have immediately reviewed our procedures, which were changed the very next day to ensure that it can never happen again.

“Parents will now be asked to wait at the school gate, so that there is less of a crowd in the playground, and children won’t be allowed to walk towards them until they have been seen by a teacher.”