Teachers at Berkeley Institute are considering what action to take against an angry mother who stormed into the school to confront a group of students she accused of bullying her daughter.

Worried students who were eating their lunch on the school field on Friday were ushered into the school hall while teachers tried to calm the parent down.

School Principal Michelle Gabisi would not release any details yesterday about the confrontation, but she said she deplored parents taking the law into their own hands.

Five students allegedly involving in bullying the woman's daughter have been suspended while the school in Pembroke considers if it will take disciplinary action.

And the school is also deciding what action to take against the parent.

The confrontation took place at lunchtime on Friday after five students at the school allegedly tried to pick a fight with the woman's daughter as she made her way home from school on Thursday evening.

Ms Gabisi said: "While we recognise the high levels of emotions parents experience in relation to circumstances where there is perceived threat to a child, we do not allow any disruption to the school environment, and certainly do not condone parents abrogating due process and taking matters into their own hands.

"These matters are being taken very seriously and all the students involved are being dealt with in accordance with school policies.

The students will be suspended and, because the Berkeley Institute views the parent's actions with alarm, the school "is also considering carefully what action will be taken against the parent.

"Contrary to media reports, this incident occurred while half the school was at lunch and the other half were in classes, oblivious to anything unusual occurring.

"The students who were at lunch were taken to the assembly hall so that they would be away from the incident.

"It is imperative that adults should send appropriate messages to our young people, not just through our words, but through our actions.

"If we can model the behaviours we expect of our young people then we have a greater chance of influencing a decrease in acts of anti-social behaviour among our youth, instead of the escalation of which we are all painfully aware, especially of late.''