A primary school in Putney has written to parents warning them not to let their children watch Nefflix's hit show Squid Game.

The All Saints C of E Primary School in Putney, Headteacher Ms Claire Wood wrote to parents yesterday (October 14) urging them against letting their children watch the hit show, which is rated 15.

Wood said the matter was "causing growing concern" at the school, adding that "we have heard children talking about watching this".

Squid Game is a fictional horror/thriller set in contemporary Korea, where people forced into desperate economic difficulties compete in childhood games for a large cash prize against one another, with the losers being killed by the secretive authorities who organised the games.

After debuting on Netflix it has fast become one of the most popular shows in the streaming service's history and won plaudits for its critique of the extreme competitiveness of contemporary capitalism, social inequalities and hidden mass killings.

Yet the violence in the show has prompted outrage and consternation from some regarding its appropriateness for younger children, as one parent of a pupil at All Saints told the Wandsworth Times:

"It's clearly not for children is it. If there are children talking about it then the school should definitely notify the parents and I think they've done the right thing," they said. "What surprises me the most is that there are children aged nine and 10 talking about it in the playground. I've seen Squid Game. They should certainly not be watching it," the parent added. "I would say that's quite shocking. The school can't keep an eye on every child in and out of school but I think it's legitimate for the school to say children shouldn't be watching it. Parents should not be showing their children Squid Game. Their little minds are not able to cope with that."

The Wandsworth Times contacted All Saints Primary School for a comment on their intervention regarding Squid Game.

In response, the school sent a letter authored by Headteacher Wood:

"At All Saints' Church of England Primary School, we put the safeguarding of children at the centre and heart of all that we do and online safety, both at school and at home is of paramount importance given the digital world that children are so familiar with and spend so much time in. Online safety runs through all aspects of the curriculum but we also want to make that those principles that keep them safe in school, whenever they are online, are reinforced at home. We recognise that the internet has so much to offer and plays a key role in education but we must make sure that children are using it responsibly and respectfully.

"At a time when we are so aware of the mental health of our children and young people, one of our greatest concerns is that children are being exposed to material, images and ideas which are far beyond their age and emotional understanding, which is why we communicate so often with parents, aiming to make sure our children are protected.

"We aim to be proactive, as well as sometimes reactive, so we regularly send out information to parents which will either be on a specific issue, such as the Squid Game, but also regular reminders on various topics including age restrictions for games;apps; films and television. Year 5 and Year 6 have just finished some work on the rating system and have explored why certain shows or games merit their rating. In this way, we aim to create responsible digital citizens."